Company offers outdoor gear online

Rescue Response Gear, a locally owned company that supplies equipment to fire departments, search and rescue organizations and other agencies, has expanded its focus and accessibility to the public.

The company is offering an online site with a comprehensive inventory of everything from climbing gear to car-camping needs.

Lance and Monika Piatt, owners of Rescue Response Gear for the past eight years, want Sisters area residents to know that their business, located in the industrial park at 723 North Curtis Court, is a resource for individuals seeking high quality outdoor equipment. Their new Web site, http://www.outdoorrecreationgear.com provides access to literally thousands of outdoor products with a discount for local buyers.

“We’re not opening a retail shop on site, but we do want people to know that we are here to help them find the outdoor gear that they want and need,” said Lance Piatt.

“On most products we plan to offer customers from the Sisters area 10-15 percent discounts,” he said.

The Piatts’ company is partnered with large warehouses as a co-operative, which provides them with the ability to access equipment from the finest outdoor gear manufacturers in the world including Black Diamond, Nalgene, Leatherman, Primus, Coleman, Edelweiss and Stearns. The website includes products for backpacking, water sports, hunting, fishing, cycling and just about any other outdoor pursuit imaginable.

In most cases products ordered through the site can be shipped the same day, according to Piatt.

“We have access to a range of products similar to REI, but we’re local,” he said.

Monika Piatt works alongside her husband as the administrator of accounts. The company has two employees on site, Reed Davis in sales and Joel Lisson, general manager and sales. The company contracts with four groups to aid with marketing, industrial sales and custom sewing.

The Piatts’ son Torrey, 13, works as the company janitor, cleaning the warehouse every Friday.

After a number of years working from home, Piatt moved the company to its present site in March 2004. Active in the Sisters-Camp Sherman Search and Rescue Hasty Team and in a youth group ministry, Piatt is civic-minded and desires to become more visible to the Sisters community with his family business as well.

“Although customers can’t come in and peruse merchandise like a retail store, we are happy to have people stop by to meet us and let us direct them to the products we have available,” he said. Phone contact and e-mails are welcome at (888) 600-9116 and [email protected]