Columbia Sportswear
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Columbia Sportswear Company NASDAQ: [COLM]
History
Columbia Sportswear began as a small, family-owned hat distributor. Present chairwoman Gert Boyle's parents, Paul and Marie Lamfrom, fled Germany in 1937, and immediately bought a Portland hat distributorship. They became the Columbia Hat Company, named for the nearby Columbia River. Frustrations over suppliers influenced the family to start manufacturing their own products.
Ten years later, Gert married Neal Boyle, who became the head of the company. In 1970, Neal 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 near 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 Sportswear acquired footwear maker Sorel Corporation in 2000 and Mountain Hardwear in 2003.
Locations
Columbia Sportswear distributes its products to over 50 countries and 12,000 retailers worldwide. Its flagship store is located in downtown Portland, Oregon. Columbia also operates eight factory outlet stores outside Portland.
- Sellwood, Oregon
- Lake Oswego, Oregon
- Bend, Oregon
- Lincoln City, Oregon
- Birch Run, Michigan
- Medford, Minnesota
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Kenosha, Wisconsin
Financial information
As of 2006 its market capitalization is about $1.97 billion, with 2005 net sales of $1.16 billion.
Stock exchanges
Columbia Sportswear Company is publicly traded on NASDAQ with ticker symbol COLM.External links
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