Columbia

Founded in 1938, Columbia Sportswear Company® has grown from a small family-owned hat distributorship to one of the world's largest outerwear brands and the leading seller of skiwear in the United States. Columbia's extensive product line includes a wide variety of outerwear, sportswear, rugged footwear and accessories.

At the head of the company are 80 year-old matriarch Gert Boyle, Chairman of the Board, and her son, Tim Boyle, President and Chief Executive Officer. Columbia's history began in 1937 when Gert's parents, Paul and Marie Lamfrom, fled from Germany and settled in Portland, Oregon. They bought a small hat distributorship and named it Columbia Hat Company, after the river bordering the city.

In 1988 the company went public, and Columbia moved into a new era as a world leader in the active outdoor apparel industry. Today Columbia products are available in nearly 50 countries.