Nate Alder: Klymbing to the top.

• Author: Mischel, Marie
• Position: Spotlight - Company overview

Nate Alder's path to the executive office began in childhood. "I've been starting little businesses ever since I can remember, from the typical lemonade stand and lawn-mowing service to teaching swim lessons and snowboard lessons," says the founder and CEO of Klymit, a three-year-old company that provides argon-gas insulated clothing to the outdoor equipment market.

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Argon gas can insulate as well as down or synthetic fibers, but isn't affected by wetness or compression.

Alder got his first professional experience while a student at Brigham Young University, where he invented cell phone technology for a startup company. He returned to school, but soon had an idea for his own business. The idea came while he was scuba diving off the coast of Brazil and learned that the noble gas argon is used as an insulator for deep-sea diving. He immediately thought the process could be used for outdoor sporting gear.

After researching the gas and determining that it would be safe to use, Alder incorporated Klymit in 2007 and set about developing a method to use argon to create lightweight but warm clothing. His original business plan envisioned a partnership with an established company that had technical know-how in fabrics and clothing manufacturing.

Although the business plan won numerous awards, including the BYU Business Plan Competition and a Stoel Rives Innovation award in 2008, he couldn't find a partner. "The OEMs were interested in the technology, but none were willing to commit to it until they saw a finished product," he says.

Alder and his partner immersed themselves in the fashion and design industry, creating four different styles of vests that use argon as insulation.

The vests received good reviews in Popular Science and Backpacker magazines and won the Best of What's New award, "which got a bit of attention,"...