80 YEARS OF TAMING MOTHER NATURE
When we choose to embrace the outdoors and venture into the unknown, we become a part of something that requires us to push beyond our human capabilities. To go beyond our limits, we need gear that can tame the toughest. Since 1938, we’ve made it our mission to create innovative outdoor gear and technologies that help humans push beyond their limits and embrace every element.
Getting top-notch gear has never been easier.
It all began in 1937, when Gert’s parents fled Nazi Germany and settled in Portland, where they purchased a small hat manufacturer, naming it the Columbia Hat Company. Signifying a fresh start for the family, the business eventually passed from Gert’s father to her husband, Neal, and then to Gert herself in 1970, when she went from housewife to executive overnight after Neal’s sudden passing.
Our founder Gert Boyle’s “Tough Mother” persona lives on in the Columbia brand. Her legendary perfectionism (“It’s perfect. Now make it better.”) and the high standards to which she held herself and others still guide us today to bring you the very best in outdoor gear that’s designed to tame your tough.
Our Pacific Northwest heritage, where lush forests, snow-covered mountains, rugged coastlines, and wide-open spaces serve as our playground, has inspired us to create gear that can travel the globe and embrace every element.
We hope to see you out there. Way, way out there.
Gert Boyle
FOUNDER, COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR
The peaks that mattered
See you out there
