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COMPANY

20 Years

It’s nearly impossible to express the feelings that I have and the many memories that race through my mind when I hear the words “twenty years”, thinking back on all that has transpired since the launch of evogear.com in 2001. Many seasons have come and gone for all of us that are a part of the evo community. We’ve seen countless families emerge with evo origins (including my own). We’ve lost friends and loved ones. We’ve had the very best of times at events, at work, travelling together and outside in inspiring places. We’ve navigated some dark chapters, only hours from bankruptcy, near‐miraculously making our way to the other side. And we’ve experienced extraordinary comebacks together, having had to dig deep, leaning into our Core Values and survival instincts.

Now, twenty years later, we are six hundred team members strong and counting. We have tens of thousands of volunteer hours under our belts and have impacted many thousands of children’s lives, as well as other causes that we care about. We’ve built what are the beginnings of a diverse ecosystem business, made possible by our strong, web and store retail foundation. From evoTrip to All Together Skatepark…The Journeyman Lodge in Whistler…to Campus Salt Lake…evo Hotel to evoRentals, the early pieces of the puzzle are in place as we set our sights on the future.

“The last 20 years has set us up for the next 20 years.”

evo is building a global community, a suite of experiences like no other, and a business that will positively impact human lives at a scale that is unimaginable today. We have a large vision and a solid foundation. What we have established, accomplished and experienced together, clearly speaks to where we are headed in the years to come.

Special thank you to my wife Elise, my parents Sue Nell and Jose, very close friends and supporters, Ira Gerlich and Tom and Linda Graue and my best childhood friend, Jeremiah Links. Jeremiah’s life and his ultimate passing have served as an inspiration, manifesting in our care and commitment to do everything that we can to help unlock the potential of the most vulnerable kids in need.

And thank you to all who have supported us in our journey — our many team members both current and past, those that bet on us and believed that we’d build something special and of course, our community of customers, business partners and beyond. There is absolutely no way that we’d be where we are today, nor would we be poised to go where we are headed, without your belief in us and your support.

We are forever grateful!
 

Sincerely,

bp
Bryce Phillips
evo Founder & CEO


WHO IS EVO?

Hi, my name is evo. I am a website, a ski, bike, skate, surf, wake and snowboard shop, a clothing store, an art gallery, a movie venue, a travel base and a gathering place for the community.

evo explores the collaboration between culture and sport by seamlessly joining art, music, human connection, and the ever-changing sports we love. Our aim is to bring all things relevant to our community into one creative space. Whether it is on the website, in our store or on an evoTrip, our focus is to make all who come into contact with evo feel a sense of "Invitation" and excited about their experience.

Passion for building community is a driving force; both across North America and locally around our stores. We are excited about the opportunity to become community anchors in cities worldwide with diverse groups of people who share common interests. Music events, movie premiers, art exhibitions, benefits to help children in need and simply providing a great place for people to come together in a central location are all ways that we work to build and strengthen community.

Between our Seattle, Portland, Denver, and Whistler retail stores, our headquarters in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, and our distribution center in Sumner, Washington, evo is the home of 400+ dedicated team members. Founded in 2001 in Bryce’s Seattle apartment, after lots of coffee, countless late nights, 100's of powder days, and early morning sessions on the lake, we are still focused on being a great retailer, travel business and an asset to the community.

Time and again throughout our journey, and central to evo's success, it all comes down to one word, one theme: balance. Inevitably, when one goal, ambition, activity or focus drives all of the decisions and where energy is spent, balance falls by the wayside. Elements that enhance your health, happiness and/or "success," however defined, are sacrificed when the narrow focus takes over.

For evo, "success" can only be achieved when these three goals are in balance:

  1. Build an Iconic Brand and Business

    While building a world-class brand and creating extraordinary customer experiences at every touch-point are paramount to our success, building a great business that operates at the highest financial levels is equally important. When we achieve this balance, everyone within evo's sphere will benefit.

  2. Create an Extraordinary Place and Path for Our Employees

    evo is a family where we push each other to achieve at high levels and support each other in times of need. We also know how important it is for our team to have time for their passions, from powder days to family time to volunteering for the cause they care about most. Moreover, we want to make evo the very best place to work by crafting a compelling professional path and ensuring that each employee can participate in the financial upside as the company is successful. This is both the right thing to do and best for business.

  3. Leverage Our Success to Give Back; Working to Help and Empower Underserved Youth

    Using business as a medium to help others will change the world. It is not just an opportunity but absolutely critical if we are going to move the world in the right direction. Having been in our DNA since the very beginning, evo strives to help youth with our time, financial resources, influence, and reach. This is integral to our success. In the coming years, we will work to ensure that the evo brand is synonymous with our Cause.

While we strive to achieve that balance in our business, we are always grateful for the friendships, help, support, and involvement of our customers. Thank you for how you've shaped and pushed our business, and for everything that you’ve done standing side-by-side with us along the way.