Great savings on outdoor sportswear at Columbia clothing factory shops throughout South
Columbia Sportswear is one of the world’s most prominent sportswear retailers, specialising in the design, sourcing, marketing and distribution of active outdoor apparel and footwear.
As one of the leading sellers of outerwear worldwide, as well as being the number one seller of skiwear in the United States of America, the company has developed a sound reputation for the quality, performance, functionality and selection of its products as well as the prestige of the brand itself.
With over ten thousand outlets across the globe Columbia Sportswear is a more than significant figure in the global sportswear market. As with many top companies, the humble origins of Columbia Sportswear belie its current status as a market leader.
Early history of the sportswear giant
The company was founded in 1937 by Paul Lanfrom, a German immigrant who had settled with his family in Portland, Oregon after escaping Nazi Germany before the onset of World War II.
Lanfrom purchased a small hat distributorship in Portland (originally named the Rosenfeld Hat Company) and renamed it the Columbia Hat Company. The company grew steadily in its early years, but had yet to make the leap from a small local business to a national (and finally international) corporation.
