Profile of Columbia Sportswear: a leader in outdoor apparel

US-based Columbia Sportswear Company is one of the most widely recognised names in the outdoor wear industry. Since the 1980s the company has established a reputation for quality, performance, functionality and value. Following the launch in 1984 of a highly successful advertising campaign, Columbia has become a household brand in the US outdoor apparel market and has achieved international prominence.

Much of the credit for the company?s success has gone to Gert Boyle, Columbia Sportswear?s septuagenarian chairman. Ms Boyle has transformed a flagging sportswear business, started up by her parents, into the leading skiwear supplier in the USA and one of the world?s largest outdoor wear companies.

The company has carved a niche for itself in the fiercely competitive outdoor wear industry by focusing on products which appeal to outdoor enthusiasts and mainstream consumers. Its focus on reasonably priced products has stood it in good stead during periods of economic weakness, enabling it to outgrow many of its competitors. Over the past five years, its sales have almost doubled while its net profit has more than trebled.

The company distinguishes itself by using the latest in hi-tech fabric constructions. Indeed, it was one of the first companies in the world to make jackets from waterproof breathable fabrics, and many of the fabric technologies and garment features incorporated in its current collections are proprietary.

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