| Founded | Peru, USA (1975) |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | South Plainfield, NJ |
| Key people | Jerome Griffith, CEO |
| Website | http://www.tumi.com |
Contents |
Tumi, Inc., a manufacturer of suitcases and bags for travel, is based in South Plainfield, New Jersey. Founded in 1975 by Charlie Clifford after a stint in the Peace Corps in Peru, the company is named after a Peruvian ceremonial knife used for sacrifices.[1] Tumi, Inc. has been a unit of Doughty Hanson & Co. since 2004.[2]
Tumi's products are known for their black-on-black ballistic nylon.[3] Tumi is available at department stores and specialty stores as well as over 120 Tumi stores and 200 shop in shops around the world.[4]
Tumi also supplies accessories such as belts, pens, and electronic equipment. The company teamed with designer Anish Kapoor in 2006 to produce the PowerPack Backpack that incorporated solar technology for charging phones and PDAs.[5] The company also had a licensing agreement with Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, launching a collection of eight co-branded pieces in 2006 sold through both of the brands' retail outlets.[6]
Tumi puts a metal plate with a unique 20-digit registration number in each of its bags. Customers can register for the Tumi Tracer program to have their contact information entered into a central database so they can be reunited with their bag if it is found.[7]
Jerome Griffith became the CEO of Tumi Inc. in 2009.[8]
In December 2011, Tumi filed with the SEC to raise up to $300 million in an initial public offering.[9]
In 2011, Tumi and reowned graffiti artist John "Crash" Matos have partnered to launch the "Tumi TAG" Charity auction to benefit AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA). Only 1,000 pieces of each of the four styles were produced in addition to a one-of-a-kind iPhone case.[10]