As one of the most important events in the outdoor products industry, the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City has attracted renewed interest from outdoor manufacturers from Oregon, and Bend in particular.

The four-day event formally began Wednesday and features more than 1,600 exhibits from companies nationwide. According to the Outdoor Retailer website, about 60 exhibiting companies are from Oregon, up from 49 in 2014. Of those, 12 are from Bend.

“We’re excited that we’ve finally made it; we’re honored to be here,” said Angela Shatting, marketing manager for Picky Bars, a Bend energy-bar company with a booth at the event.

This is the first year Picky Bars has a booth, and Shatting said it’s an opportunity for the company to connect not only with customers and potential customers, but also to get in valuable face time with partner companies.

“So far it’s been really good,” Shatting said.

The manufacturing of outdoor products, an industry that includes everything from camping gear to energy bars, has been on the rise in Oregon overall. Numbers from the Outdoor Industry Association suggest that outdoor recreation generates $12.8 billion in consumer spending in Oregon, as well as 141,000 jobs.

With that in mind, Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency, stepped up its engagement at the Summer Market. Ryan Frank, communications manager for Business Oregon, said the agency had an employee at the event in years past to talk to companies. However, this is the first year the agency bought a booth for the show.

Frank added that Business Oregon brought along six companies — including two from Bend — to share a single 10-foot-by-30-foot booth.

“This is one of the most important shows for the outdoor industry,” Frank said. “You’ve got everybody under one roof.”

In addition to helping the companies get exposure, Frank said, Business Oregon covered the costs for the businesses involved, including Silipint Inc. and Blackstrap Industries, both from Bend.

Jim Sanco, brand manager for Blackstrap, said the outdoor clothing accessory company was founded in 2008. The company heard from the Oregon Outdoor Alliance, an industry cluster in Bend, that Business Oregon had an opening, and Blackstrap was on the short list.

“We go all over the world for trade shows, big and small,” Sanco said. “So we were excited.”

For Business Oregon, the goal is to meet with as many of the 60 or so companies from Oregon as possible to learn more about potential stumbling blocks, from supply chain issues to international shipping.

And with companies participating from all over the country, Frank said the event presents an opportunity for recruiting. For companies that might be looking to expand into Western states, the agency will be pitching Oregon’s concentration of talent, connections with Asia and natural beauty.

“The outdoor industry is a big one in Oregon,” Frank said.

— Reporter: 541-617-7818,

shamway@bendbulletin.com