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The story
Originally named "Rock Solid" by co-founder Dave Lane, the company's first line of products was climbing gear. In 1990 Dave Lane sold a 50% interest in Rock Solid to Blair Murdoch and Tim Duholke and his other 50% to Jeremy Guard, and they later changed the company name to Arc'teryx in 1991. The name and logo reference the Archaeopteryx, the transitional fossil of early dinosaurs to modern dinosaurs (birds). Guard chose the name to represent the idea of accelerating evolution as characterized by the geologic time scale of fossils. Guard was president and principal of the company from 1991 to 2001. Using a heat laminate (thermolamination) technology, the partners designed and marketed the Vapor harness, which would become the company's most popular item. In 1993, after a series of relocations and staff additions, Arc'teryx released the Bora backpack using the same Vapor technology. In 1996, the company introduced technical apparel featuring Gore-Tex after obtaining licenses from W. L. Gore & Associates. Arc'teryx re-located its headquarters to Burnaby, British Columbia, in 1999 and then to North Vancouver in 2005.
In 2001, Arc'teryx was purchased by Salomon Group, a French subsidiary of the German retailer Adidas. In 2005, Arc'teryx was sold to Finnish retailer Amer Sports. In 2019, Chinese retailer Anta Sports bought a controlling stake (56%) in Amer. As their apparel line expanded Arc'teryx began manufacturing in international markets, specifically in China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Laos, and Greece. Since the early 2020s, Arc'teryx has co-produced collections with high-fashion brands and designers which expanded their consumer market beyond outdoor enthusiasts.
On September 22, 2025, Arc'teryx launched a fireworks display in Tibet, The Rising Dragon, as part of a marketing campaign which resulted in controversy over its potential environmental effects in Shigatse.
From Wikipedia’s article on Arc'teryx, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4