Columbia is headquartered in Washington County, Oregon part of Portland. Columbia makes footwear, headgear, camping equipment, skiwear, and outerwear. In 2001, Columbia became the biggest seller of ski apparel in North America.
Columbia Sportswear’s roots are in hat distribution. The famil4y fled Nazi Germany in 1937 and purchased a Portland hat distributorship. The company named after the nearby river. It changed its name from Columbia Hat Company to Columbia Sportswear Company in 1960.
Columbia’s jackets feature breathable, waterproof fabric. Newer models have interchangeable shells and liners. Customers were drawn to the multiple wearing options and fabric technology.
Columbia first traded company publicly in 1998. In 2008, the company that had moved from Portland to of Washington County, just outside the Beaverton city limits, announced a three-year sponsorship of “Team Columbia” cycling team in the Tour de France. A newer line of clothing is kids’ fleeces shells shirts and sun hats. Winter gloves and boots are also popular.
Columbia online sportswear is available in Europe, North American, Asia, Central America, South America, South Africa, and Australia.
Columbia Sportswear sells in over 72 countries and 13,000 retailers. It also has its retail stores. Columbia had a profit almost 1 and a half billion US dollars. The company employs over three thousand employees.
In 2014 Columbia announced first quarter sales increase of twenty-two percent to a net income of $242 million dollars US.
The company recently announced plans to buy prAna Living LLC valued at $190 million. This will broaden Columbia’s customer base. prAna Living sells sustainable apparel for yoga, climbing and outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts.
