Hypocrisy Undergirds Clothier North Face’s Aversion to Oil and Gas Industry Members
Outdoor recreation apparel and equipment retailer The North Face and its parent company VF Corp. are facing criticism after refusing to fill a custom jacket order for Innovex Downhole Solutions, an oil and gas services company, for reportedly not meeting their “brand standards.” Innovex Downhole Solutions CEO Adam Anderson’s now-viral response to VF Corp. CEO Steve Rendle reveals The North Face would not sell the company jackets because of their business in the oil and gas industry.
Anderson spotlights the hypocrisy undergirding The North Face’s refusal to sell jackets to Innovex, pointing to the company and broader industry’s reliance on the petroleum and gas products that are critical components of the clothing and other products they manufacture.
Below is a statement that can be attributed to me, Craig Stevens, spokesman for the GAIN Coalition:
“Some companies are enthusiastically waging a misguided public war against the oil and gas industry without pause or consideration for oil and gas’ importance to their own existence and success. This hypocrisy, as exemplified by The North Face and VF Corp., is nothing more than a thinly veiled virtue signal, despite the use of petroleum in their products, their corporate travel, up and down their supply chain, to include – obviously – bringing their wears to market.
“Ostracizing oil and gas companies will continue to lead to inoperable policy proposals like the Green New Deal that undermines the U.S. economy and well-being of American families. Companies like The North Face show no shame in posturing against the very people abetting their success. It is time to recognize the vital role of oil and gas in ensuring reliable access to affordable energy and in fueling our modern way of life.”
