columbia sportswear

since-1938

Columbia Sportswear Company is a prominent American outdoor apparel and footwear brand headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1938 by Paul and Marie Lamfrom, who fled Nazi Germany and established a hat distributorship named Columbia Hat Company, the company evolved into Columbia Sportswear in 1960. This transformation was driven by the family's desire to manufacture their own products after frustrations with suppliers.