Birth of the STABILicers™ ice cleat.
In the late 1980’s, a man from New Brunswick was recovering from a serious accident, when he found himself apprehensive to walk across ice or snow, two conditions characteristic of a Canadian winter. Nervous about reinjury, he developed the first pair of STABILicers™ for personal use. He found the product so effective that he began to manufacture the ice cleats for the Canadian market. In 1991, Anne and David Gould bought the rights to the STABILicers™ product so that it could be manufactured and sold in the United States. Anne and David ran the company out of their garage for three years before moving to the Dana Warp Mill in Westbrook, Maine. In 2001, looking for a larger space to expand their thriving business, 32north moved to their current facility in Biddeford, Maine.
L.L. Bean was one of 32north’s first retail clients, and they have remained a faithful customer and distributor of the product throughout the years. 32north is very thankful for this relationship because L.L. Bean has helped introduce the product into many of the markets around the globe that 32north now serves.
After several years of manufacturing just the STABILicers™, now known as the Originals, 32north developed the SPORT and the Lite to provide products for the hardcore sport enthusiast and the everyday user. In 2004, 32north expanded their line to include a waterproof overshoe to meet the needs of outdoor work crews and deliverymen.
STABILicers™ are now sold internationally and the companiy's sales have increased solidly each year.
Company Statement
Our original mission was to make and sell a product that would outlast all other competing products on the market and we have achieved that. We strive to be the “Best in Class” of everything we sell. We are a small Maine company that believes in Maine values. It is important to us to manufacture in the United States, support our community and local partners, and make available a top quality, long-lasting product that people need and can afford. It is our hope with manufacturing STABILicers™ that we are providing a safety service to people and giving them the traction they need to get outside and enjoy life.
Where did the name come from?
The name 32north references the Fahrenheit temperature at which water turns to ice. “The exact moment in which our product is needed,” says John Milburn, company president. “North of 32° latitude is also the location we felt there was a need for our product.”
