Video Transcript: >> Well, definitely when Holden came out we were the new and improved outerwear. For the first 5 or 6 years it was people just waiting to see and they still do. I mean a lot of our accounts come in and say "I can't wait to see the collection. What have you done this year? What new fabrics, what new designs do you have?" So, yeah, it really affected the industry as well. I mean we had competitors at our big shows showing pieces of their lines. This is our Holden piece, this is our Holdenesque garment. We've been kind of labeled as the person or the brand that pushes that, the style portion of technical [inaudible]. Hi, I'm Mikey LeBlanc. I'm the founder of Holden and I'm one of the guys that helps with marketing around here. >> I have a pretty solid background in both development and design. So I actually do really get excited about technology and working, you know, whether it's with the fabric mill or with a garment manufacturer on taking something that everyone does every day and doing it slightly different and how are we going to do it different and how are we going to present it to the market in a way that's still acceptable and functional. Hi, I'm Nikki. I'm the design and development manager at Holden Outwear. >> When we started the company in 2002, Scott and I wanted to make a natural fiber, waterproof, breathable fabric, which didn't exist. So, we had a ton of vendors. Every time we'd met with a fabric supplier we would say "Do you have anything natural, waterproof, breathable?" They're like "Okay, you're like, you're crazy". So, basically we had to put the pieces together. We developed the world's first natural fiber, waterproof, breathable fabric in 2005, which was a hemp poly mix fabric. We won a ton of awards for it and, you know, we had our major competitors again chasing us right after that. [ Music ] >> I think our denim that we're doing is really exciting. You know a lot of companies in the outer market are doing cheap nylons that are printed to look like denim and we're actually doing a true cotton 12 that is denim and, you know, laminated with the 20k water proofing and is performing on the mountain as, you know, high performance outerwear and also looking like a real true jean when someone wears it. >> Yeah, we're a small brand and we aren't able to, you know, have all pieces of the puzzle. We don't own factories, we don't own the fabric mills, we can't fill a factory so we've got to have really great relationships with all of our vendors. >> This is 100% polyester twill two layer. >> It's definitely getting harder and harder to be able to push our vendors to do new development. Costs are going up, you know, and they don't want to develop something that may in turn not get used. >> We may go in with a new design they've never seen and they're like, "Well, that's not possible". And then you say, "Yes", and they say "No", and you say "Yes, this is how". And then they're like "Wow, cool", and then their brains start working and they're like "Wow this is great. This is something new our factory can do and offer to other people". >> And that's how we do our business is to be able to, you know, push our manufacturers or our vendors in ways that they aren't pushed. That's how we come up with something new. 

1. Nikki says that one of the things she loves most about Holden is that it takes cues from high fashion. This is an example of a change driven by external/internal/global/technical conditions.

2. Holden Outerwear has made a series of incremental changes since it was founded. Which of the following changes would be considered incremental? Check all that apply.

Redesigning parkas so that they are more tailored, using material that was developed several years ago

Starting to sell revolutionary new outdoor equipment that has never been produced before

Creating an entirely new type of fabric that keeps people warm or cool, depending on the temperature of the air around them

Designing new styles of skiwear for women

3. Which of the following are related to characteristics Mikey must have in order to promote change at Holden? Check all that apply.

Mikey is known to punish employees who dont do what he says they should do.

Employees see Mikey as being totally in charge, and they dont ever disagree with him in public.

Mikey can always find just the right words to say to motivate and inspire his employees.

Mikey shares credit with all of his employees whenever the company accomplishes something significant.