Surf’s Up: Innovative Aull-Dry jackets finds a home in Northern Michigan

His dream was to surf all five Great Lakes.

And Aurlien Bouche-Pillon was well on his way, having conquered the waves of lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron when a friend directed him to the more challenging waters of lakes Michigan and Superior.

Arriving on the shores of Lake Michigan on a November day, Bouche-Pillon found the waves less than satisfactory and wandered into a coffee shop in Traverse City to warm up. That one stop for an espresso would change the trajectory of Bouche-Pillon’s life and career – leading to a relationship, children and the establishment of an outdoor apparel company in Michigan.

Bouche-Pillon, a first-generation immigrant from the south of France, is the founder and CEO of Aull-Dry, a line of sustainable, waterproof jackets and other products made for outdoor adventurers. The company is headquartered in Frankfort in Northern Michigan, where Bouche-Pillon eventually settled with his fiance and children.

His company started with the Aull-Dry jacket, made with 100 percent recycled plastic bottles. Ideal for surfers, snowboarders and kite surfers, the jacket features removable sleeves, fleece lining and a waterproof shell.  

The inspiration for the sustainable jacket for outdoor adventure came from his own outdoors and professional experience. An avid surfer, Bouche-Pillon had been working as an ambassador for apparel brands in the surfing industry. 

“I had a lot of disappointment with brands over the years, things companies do,” he says. “I saw the need for an overcoat that was warm and made from sustainable products. I wanted to have my own business.” 

He launched his company in 2021 after borrowing money from a private investor to create his initial edition of an all-weather jacket. He started selling his jackets in the surfing industry and community in New York and Canada, but quickly realized there was a need for the product in many outdoor sports. 

“I could see a need for people to be warm beyond those in the surf industry, so we started selling to ski clubs and soccer clubs and other sports,” he says. The company’s name is a play on ‘all dry,’ but “perhaps with a French accent,” he says. 

In just a few years, Bouche-Pillon has paid back his investor and has hired two sales people – one in Michigan and the other on the East Coast – and has partnered with a fulfillment center in Benzonia after initially selling jackets out of his garage. The company continues to introduce new products. 

His classic Stormies Jacket is available at outdoor retailers in Michigan, several states and some Canadian provinces, as well as online. Like Bouche-Pillon, his sales staff is active outdoors, avid skiers and surfers. 

Bouche-Pillon’s small but growing company is among the new players in Michigan’s expanding outdoor recreation industry. 

In Michigan, the outdoor recreation industry accounts for a $10.8 billion economic impact and includes nearly 110,000 jobs in a wide range of occupations and skills, including design and manufacturing, retail sales and hospitality, according to the most recent reports from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

So important is the growth of this industry that Michigan established an Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry in 2019. The office works with industry partners in various sectors to grow those businesses, anticipate emerging trends, create effective policy and elevate outdoor recreation businesses opportunities and resources across the state. 

“He’s an innovator, a creative guy who was inspired by his experience surfing the Great Lakes to create a product,” says Brad Garmon, who is senior strategic advisor and executive director of the Michigan Outdoor Recreation Industry Office. “If he succeeds and grows, he creates jobs and capital investment in Michigan, helping our economy. We’re interested in him succeeding here rather than somewhere else.”

Garmon says his office provided Bouche-Pillon with marketing and other advice as he set up shop in Michigan. He was encouraged to attend trade shows and outdoor events and was made aware of capital available to startups, such as through the Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund.

“I think it’s really cool he sells in our eco-system — retailers are a big part of it,” Garmon says, noting Aull-Dry can be found at some outdoor retailers across the state.

Aull-Dry was initially launched in upstate New York, where Bouche-Pillon lived at the time of his trip to Northern Michigan. He relocated to Michigan because his fiance, Abagail McKiernan, was from the region.

Initially, the couple lived in Traverse City but eventually relocated to Frankfort. They have four children – Roméo, Cordelia, Scarlett and Aiden.

“I realized I was missing the water and moved to Frankfort,” he says. “Traverse City has the water but doesn’t have the waves.”

Northern Michigan, he says, has been good for his business. People embrace the outdoors, he adds, making it an ideal location for his business. “I love winter but the last winter was long and cold,” he says. “Even if you’re wearing a warm jacket, you just want to see the sunshine at some point.”

His company also has benefited from the economic resources available in Northern Michigan, including 20Fathoms,  a technology hub and startup incubator in Traverse City. The organization’s Peter Scott, its Entrepreneur in Residence, has assisted Bouche-Pillon source potential marketing companies as well as guide him through the selection process. Aull-Dry is looking to develop new sales channels. 

Bouche-Pillon designs the jacket and custom patch and works with sources to find sustainable products like recycled plastic. He’s cognizant that pursuing sustainable products doesn’t always mean they’re sustainable to make.

“It’s a complex world we are living in,” he says. “We try to be sustainable but by not creating too many products. We have very high quality products. We don’t participate in fashion trends or spending days like Black Friday. That’s the course we will stay on for now.”

Aull-Dry products are manufactured in China. Bouche-Pillon tried to have his products produced in Michigan, as well as the United States, Canada and Mexico but called the process “very long and complicated and expensive.” Garmon notes it’s not uncommon for Michigan outdoor apparel companies to have their products made outside the U.S. because of cost and other complications.

“People have limited budgets – they’re not going to spend $600 or $700 for a jacket made in America,” Bouche-Pillon says. 

Despite his few short years in Michigan, Aull-Dry has become a fixture in Northern Michigan – its products available at resorts like Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, and familiar with ski clubs. 

Aull-Dry makes custom patches for ski clubs. Each time someone buys a product, the company makes a donation. Aull-Dry also has been involved in other community endeavors, recently helping out with a swimming event in memory of the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The event raised money to help restore the Whitefish Point Light Station.

“We’ve had some great collaboration with many different clubs through our customized patches. It’s been quite amazing,” he says.

Despite the sometimes long winters, the outdoor culture of Northern Michigan suits Bouche-Pillon, who likes to surf the Great Lakes, as well as other pursuits, including hiking, skateboarding and paddle boarding. 

“I like to go outside everyday,” he says. “Northern Michigan appeals to my lifestyle.”