is a
United States company that manufactures and distributes
Outerwear and
Sportswear . Founded in
1938 by present
Chairwoman Gert Boyle , the company is headquartered in
Portland, Oregon . Columbia Sportswear also produces
Footwear ,
Headgear ,
Camping Equipment , skiwear, and outerwear accessories.
Columbia Sportswear began as a small, family-owned
Hat distributor founded by
Gert Boyle . Gert'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 , and son
Tim Boyle , then a
University Of Oregon senior, joined Columbia.
Columbia's
Jacket s 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 .
Columbia Sportswear distributes its products to over 50 countries and 12,000
Retailer s worldwide. Its flagship store is located in downtown Portland, Oregon. Columbia also operates five
Factory Outlet stores outside Portland.
As Of 2006 its
Market Capitalization is about $1.97 billion, with
2005 net sales of $1.16 billion.
Columbia Sportswear Company is publicly traded on
NASDAQ with ticker symbol COLM.
