One Tough Hat Company

In 1937, Gertrude Lamfrom and her family fled Nazi Germany and settled in Portland, Oregon. The Lamfroms had been in the clothing business for generations with Gert’s father Paul owning a large and successful shirt factory in Augsburg. But the family had to start all over from scratch upon arriving in the Pacific Northwest.

With a small loan, Paul established the Columbia Hat Company in Portland, naming the fledgling business after the renowned local river. From these humble beginnings, the company that would become Columbia Sportswear was born.

The Vest That Gert Built

Gert Boyle’s husband Neal takes over the family business, expanding from quality hats to diverse outdoor gear.

When Gert hears from Neal that his customers are asking for a fishing vest with enough pockets to store flies and other gear, she whips up a prototype on her own sewing machine featuring pockets with zippers and flaps, a magnet for lures and flies, and a rod-holder to free up the hands. Henry’s Fork Vest becomes an instant bestseller and puts Columbia Sportswear on the map. All in a day’s work.

From Housewife to Executive

Neal passes away unexpectedly in 1970, leaving Gert and her son Tim (a college senior at the time) to try and chart a course forward.

At one point in the ’70s, the mother-and-son duo were prepared to sell the struggling business when a potential buyer tried to undercut the agreed-upon price at the last minute. Gert defiantly responded, for that price, “I’ll run it into the ground myself.”

Instead, Gert, Tim, and a small group of dedicated employees steadily turned the company around, setting the stage for a dramatic leap from a local outfitter to a global leader in outdoor gear.

The Toughest Mother Of Them All

Oregon firm Borders Perrin Norrander launches an advertising campaign that will make Gert Boyle an international star. Gert becomes “One Tough Mother,” an exacting boss who demands perfection, ensuring quality products at a fair price. Talk about typecasting.

Stepping Into A New Era

With the introduction of the original Bugaboo™ Interchange Jacket early in the decade, Columbia had the momentum to explore more outdoor markets, from launching the footwear business in 1993 with the Bugaboot™ to revisiting its roots in angling with the launch of Performance Fishing Gear in 1996.

A Decade Of Innovation

Tried-and-true technologies like Omni-Grip™ traction (2002) and Omni-Shade™ sun protection (2009) made their first appearance in this new millennium, solidifying Columbia as an industry leader in outdoor gear technology. And it was just the beginning.

The Evolution Of Warm & Dry

Columbia creates revolutionary Omni-Heat™ technologies, starting with those little silver dots. Inspired by space blankets, Omni-Heat™ reflective maintains breathability while retaining body heat for extra warmth without added weight.

Omni-Heat™ has since taken many other forms, from the warm and fuzzy Omni-Heat™ 3D and gold reflective dots of Omni-Heat™ Infinity to thermal-regulating Omni-Heat™ Helix and the solar energy-capturing Omni-Heat™ Arctic.

Meanwhile, Columbia turned waterproofing inside out with OutDry™ Extreme. An industry first, this waterproof-breathable tech revolutionized how you stay dry by defying conventional wisdom and putting an impermeable membrane on the outside (instead of inside) with enhanced next-to-skin comfort on the inside.

What’s Next

From crafting technology inspired by polar bears to literally landing on the Moon, our past has cleared the way for a future filled with possibilities.