| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Apparel |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Headquarters | Washington County, Oregon (near Beaverton), United States |
| Number of locations | 49 (December 2010)[1] |
| Key people | Tim Boyle, CEO Gert Boyle, Chairperson |
| Products | Outerwear and sportswear |
| Revenue | US$1.29 billion (2007) |
| Employees | 3,163 (2008)[2] |
| Website | www.columbia.com |
Columbia Sportswear Company (NASDAQ: COLM) is a United States company that manufactures and distributes outerwear and sportswear. It was founded in 1938 by the late Paul Lamfrom, father of present chairperson Gert Boyle. The company is headquartered in Washington County, Oregon, in an unincorporated part of the Portland metropolitan area near Beaverton. Columbia Sportswear also produces footwear, headgear, camping equipment, skiwear, and outerwear accessories. In 2001, it was the largest American seller of ski apparel.[3]
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Columbia Sportswear began as a small, family-owned hat distributor. Present chairwoman Gert Boyle's parents, Paul and Marie Lamfrom, fled Nazi Germany in 1937 and immediately bought a Portland hat distributorship. They became the Columbia Hat Company, named for the nearby Columbia River. In 1948, Gert married Neal Boyle, who became the head of the company. Frustrations over suppliers influenced the family to start manufacturing their own products. Columbia Hat Company became Columbia Sportswear Company in 1960.[4]
In 1970, Neal Boyle died following a heart attack. Gert and son Tim Boyle, then a University of Oregon senior, took over the operations of Columbia, rescuing it from bankruptcy.
Columbia's jackets featured waterproof fabric that was also breathable. Additionally, new jackets featured interchangeable shells and liners. Multiple wearing options and fabric technology fueled rapid sales growth.
Columbia became a publicly traded company in 1998.[5] It acquired footwear maker Sorel Corporation in 2000 and Mountain Hardwear in 2003. In 2006, Columbia acquired the Pacific Trail[6] and Montrail brands.[7]
In 2001, the company moved its headquarters from Portland to a site in an unincorporated part of Washington County,[8] in the Cedar Mill area and just outside the Beaverton city limits. The site on NW Science Park Drive has a Portland mailing address, but is not in Portland. In 2007, City of Portland officials attempted to convince Columbia Sportswear to move back to Portland,[9] but the company ultimately rejected the idea and said it would expand its existing headquarters instead.[8]
On June 15, 2008, Columbia Sportswear announced a three-year sponsorship of the cycling team formerly known as Team High Road and before that T-Mobile and Team Telekom. The sponsorship began on July 5, 2008 with the start of the Tour de France. The team's new name is "Team Columbia". The sponsorship includes both the men's and women's teams.[10]
On August 4, 2010, Columbia Sportswear Company signed an agreement to acquire OutDry Technologies S.r.l., which owns the intellectual property and other assets comprising the OutDry brand and related business, via a cash purchase from Nextec S.r.l., based near Milan, Italy. The transaction is expected to close during the third quarter of 2010, subject to customary closing conditions, and is not expected to have a material effect on the company's 2010 operating results. .[11]
Columbia Sportswear distributes its products in more than 72 countries and 13,000 retailers. Columbia also operates its own chain of retail stores, including its flagship store located in Portland, Oregon.
As of July 20, 2009 its market capitalization is about $1.18 billion, with 2008 net sales of $1.37 billion.
Columbia Sportswear Company is publicly traded on NASDAQ with ticker symbol COLM.
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