Columbia Sportswear Company started as a small family hat business and grew into a huge international brand for outdoor clothes and shoes. This amazing journey began when a family fled difficult times and found a new home in Portland, Oregon, a city known for its rain.
How a Small Hat Company Grew Big
The company’s story started in 1937 when the Lamfrom family, who left Nazi Germany, set up the Columbia Hat Company in 1938. They first just sold hats made by others. But when they had problems with their suppliers, they decided to start making their own products. This was a very important step for them.
Leadership changed hands a few times within the family. In 1970, Gert Boyle took over when the company was struggling, with only $650,000 in sales that year. But Gert, along with her son Tim Boyle (who became the CEO in 1989), managed to make the company incredibly successful. By 2014, their yearly sales hit $2.10 billion, and by 2024, they reached a record $3.9 billion!
Columbia Sportswear is now based in Portland, Oregon, but its products are sold in about 90 countries. They also own other well-known outdoor brands like Mountain Hardwear®, SOREL®, and prAna®.
Innovations and Doing Good
Columbia Sportswear is famous for its clever technologies that help people stay comfortable outdoors. These include:
- Omni-Heat™: This technology keeps you warm by reflecting your body heat.
- Omni-Tech™: This makes clothes waterproof but still breathable, so you don’t get wet from rain or sweat.
- OutDry™: An advanced way to make things completely waterproof.
- Omni-Freeze ZERO™: A special material that helps keep you cool.
All these new ideas are tested by real people in outdoor settings to make sure they work. Beyond making great products, Columbia Sportswear also cares about being a good company. They work with groups like Conservation International to protect the environment and Planet Water Foundation to provide clean water around the world. They also help women in their factories through the RISE program and support diversity with programs like the one for Historically Black Colleges & Universities. This shows that Columbia Sportswear is not just about making money; they also try to “Do the Right Thing” for their customers, employees, and communities.
To learn more, check out the full article on OutdoorsNW.
Article was written was AI assistance for the research and outline.
