An interview with Daniel Puddick – founder & CEO of Sundried, sustainable active wear company.
Sundried are a partner to Long Run Collective and this one statement is the main reason we were so keen to be a part of their community:
“It’s easy to think that just one person won’t make a difference, but Sundried believe we can.”
LRC: Thank you very much for taking the time to chat to us, albeit virtually during these challenging times. To start with please can you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about your own sporting background?
DP: I’m Daniel Puddick, Founder and CEO of Sundried Activewear. I’m a qualified personal trainer and have competed in triathlons for many years. I’m a keen cyclist, having completed L’Etape Du Tour, as well as half Ironman triathlons and lots of open water swimming. I’ve recently found a passion for indoor climbing as well and am enjoying improving at this sport along with my daughter.
LRC: Please can you describe where the idea for Sundried came from and how you started setting up the brand?
DP: I was previously the owner of a highly successful sunglasses retailer – Sunglasses Shop – and have been an entrepreneur my whole life. After exiting my previous business, I wanted my next venture to be one my children would be proud to be associated with in years to come. The idea for Sundried was formulated over a couple of years and I gathered valuable business contacts to help me see the idea come to life.
LRC: What has been the biggest highlight so far?
DP: My biggest highlight so far has been our incredibly successful cycle collection. We are a triathlon brand at heart but also specialise in cycling and our cycling clothing and accessories have proved a huge hit. It took a lot of work to bring these to market but it was definitely worth it and they are now our best-selling products along with our tri suits.
LRC: When Sundried launched what were the challenges you faced as a new brand with a focus on high ethical standards and sustainable materials?
DP: As a new brand, the issue wasn’t being sustainable or ethical, it was finding funding and backing as a company with no previous accounts or reputation. Trying to prove to banks and investors that Sundried was worth putting money into took a lot of time and work but we completed several successful funding rounds and now have accounts to be proud of with an estimated revenue of £3m for 2020.
LRC: Can you share with us how you and the team working at Sundried live a sustainable life / work environment?
DP: Sundried is proud to be a sustainable brand from its very core. All of our office staff walk or cycle to work and our warehouse is also walking/cycling distance from Sundried HQ so there are never any unnecessary car journeys. At HQ, we practice an employee wellness initiative called EHOH which stands for Every Hour On the Hour, whereby staff are encouraged to get up from their desks for 10 minutes every hour to do some sort of physical activity. This combats the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle and really boosts productivity and morale.
LRC: Your two collections made from eco-friendly materials; Eco Charge and Eco Core are incredible. Not only do they look good, they fit well and are very comfortable to wear whilst training. Where do you look for inspiration?
DP: We take our inspiration from the beauty and simplicity of nature and the outdoors. Everything we do is inspired by spending time outside and it is what we enjoy doing most. We are also inspired by athletes, both the pros and the everyday exercisers, who demand the best comfort and style from their activewear.
LRC: We are very fortunate to be in partnership with you and not only do we have our customised Piz Fora training vests, which are made from responsibly sourced recycled plastic bottles but our triathletes are raring to get racing in your triathlon kit. Please could you tell us more about the production of these items in your Eco Core range?
DP: The largest sustainable collection in Sundried’s catalogue, Eco Core offers activewear made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Plastic pollution has consistently hit headlines over the last couple of years with more brands taking steps to reduce the plastic pollution crisis facing our entire planet. In the UK alone we get through 15 million plastic bottles a day which is a shocking statistic and is something that cannot continue. Each piece of activewear in the Sundried Eco Core collection is made from 3 recycled plastic bottles. The clothing is of the highest quality, has advanced technical performance capabilities, and customers can feel good knowing that the bottles used to make their clothing have been cleared from oceans, reducing pollution. Detailed information on how this clothing is made can be found here.
LRC: Designing and making clothes from responsibly sourced materials is the future and ethical brands like Sundried are leading the way. What are you all looking forward to next at Sundried?
DP: We have some exciting new product ranges launching over the next year as we have been doing lots of research and development of new recycled materials. We will also be producing more quality tri suits and expanding our cycle collections even further.
LRC: Thank you very much for sharing your time with us today and we can’t wait to see what Sundried does next!