Top left to right: Sidekick Hoodie, Artisan Shirt Jacket and Aviator Bomber Jacket; Shoreliner Quarter Zip and Traveler Vest Matte with Belt Bag; Traveler Jacket and Vests pack into a pocket. Bottom left to right: Visionary II Polos and Shoreliner Quarter Zip; Idealist Windbreaker; Sidekick Quarter Zip and Artisan Shirt Jacket. Photos: Kelsey Lee Photography
If you’ve ever received a corporate gift—maybe a jacket or a polo shirt with your company’s logo on it—it might’ve originated at Storm Creek, an Eagan-based lifestyle apparel business that sells shirts, jackets, vests, athletic wear and more to (mostly) promotional products distributors. “Those distributors buy Storm Creek, embellish a logo and then sell it to the corporations or retailers,” says Teresa Fudenberg, Storm Creek chief executive officer. Vail Resorts and the National Park Service, for example, are two of Storm Creek’s notable customers.
But Storm Creek is more than just well-made jackets and tees. The company has a major focus on responsible and sustainable sourcing practices. “The apparel industry is the second largest polluter in the world,” Fudenberg says. “We wanted to make sure we were doing something with recycled materials and building a product that lasts and is meant to be worn year after year. And we needed to make sure we were aligned with factories and producers who would use sustainable practices.”
One example of that ethos in practice is a Storm Creek woven dress shirt. “Ours is made using 13 gallons of water,” Fudenberg says. “A typical white cotton shirt [from a traditional producer] uses 700 gallons.” Storm Creek also uses fibers made from recycled plastic bottles. “We’ve upcycled 32 million bottles, just at our little company,” Fudenberg says.
And the company practices sustainability inside its Eagan office, too. The employee kitchen is stocked with reusable silverware and plates and a Bevi water dispenser means no single-use plastic bottles.
Fudenberg’s husband, Doug Jackson (whose nickname is, aptly, Jacket Jackson), founded Storm Creek in 2006. In 2014, Fudenberg joined the organization with a goal to grow the reputation of the brand as eco-focused and high quality. In 2017, Storm Creek set a goal to have every product sustainably made by the end of 2020. “We reached that goal,” Fudenberg says. “A shirt that was 37 percent recycled—we kept pressing. How can we make it better? Now it’s 92 percent recycled. We don’t stop. We’re helping educate our customers on why it’s important to source clothing sustainably.”
Storm Creek
915 Blue Gentian Road, Suite 900, Eagan; 651.480.3000
Facebook: Storm Creek
Instagram: @storm.creek
