Zech Strauser announced the launch of Urture Apparel & Outfitting, an outdoor workwear for the green industry.
“Urture is a combination of Urban + Nature,” says Strauser, former CEO and founder of Strauser Nature’s Helper, a sustainable landscaping and snow services firm founded in Pennsylvania in 1998 and acquired by Schill Grounds Management in 2023.
Strauser has been passionate about outdoor apparel since he was a ski instructor and mogul coach in Vermont and dreamt of starting an apparel brand and attending the Fashion Institute of Technology.
“I knew how athletes moved, the supple, breathable fabrics they needed to perform at their best, while keeping dry and protected from harsh conditions. From there, it was a logical next step to apply the same principles of performance gear to workwear,” he says. “I was drawn to the performance aspects of landscaping, knew how the trades worked and what they needed to work well.”
Urture is capitalizing on the apparel market’s growing popularity of outdoor gear for functional use, and the surge in green collar jobs. “Green collar is the future of work. It’s about jobs in the green economy, jobs in nature, in landscaping, in construction, in renewables and clean energy — jobs for people who power and build the built environment,” adds Strauser.
As part of its mission, Urture will give back a percentage of all workwear and patch hats sold to the company’s Impact Partners – schools, institutions and organizations that support green spaces and careers outdoors.
Strauser’s long term plan is to become a workwear leader in the trade space, bringing not just product to market, but growing the ‘give back’ piece. True to Strauser’s hardworking roots and his leadership in environmental and community philanthropy, Urture appeals to landscape and snow professionals and the brand has drawn partners from across the green and snow industry.
Urture’s patch hat is a passion project, adds Strauser. “It’s where we started and it remains our signature item, with thousands of custom branded hats sold and thousands of dollars in proceeds distributed. Of all the hats I wear, it’s the one that makes the biggest difference.”
