Columbia Sportswear Company Essay example -- Corporate Profile

Early to bed, early to rise, fetch like hell and advertise- Gert Boyle, Chairperson of capital of South Carolina Sportswearcapital of South Carolina Sportswear Company (Columbia) is a leader in the competitive vigorous outdoor apparel industry. A company propelled by their differentiation strategy, leverage innovation, brand equity, and strong marketing in the design, manufacture, and distribution of outdoor apparel. Columbias product lines include everything from outerwear and footwear to camping equipment and skiwear. It has full-grown from a small hat company in the 1930s into a company with a global strategy and a physical and online battlefront spanning Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Europe.To fully appreciate the evolution of Columbia from a can that was a niche manufacturer of outdoor clothing aimed at fishermeninto an foreign brand and publicly traded powerhouse, (1) one must understand the level of perseverance, body of work ethic, dedication, and attitude of one Gertrude Boyle now 87, but still One inquisitive Mother. (Exhibit1) Gert Boyle took over the family contrast in the 1970s after the sudden last of her husband. A candid and straight person, Boyle has often admitted that, having never worked a twenty-four hour period in her life, she had no idea what to do when she first began running the company. (2) scorn her lack of experience, Boyle helped turn Columbia from a company near bankruptcy and collapse into a billion dollar publicly traded organization. Along the flair she relied on her natural business savvy and perseverance, overcoming trials such as family disaster and even an attempted kidnapping. Columbias corporate culture and business personality reflects a great deal of the ideals which Gert Boyles leadership had imbued into the company. ... ...loomberg.com/ newsworthiness/2012-02-07/collective-brands-said-to-pare-pool-of-bidders-to-10-ahead-of-second-round.html?cmpid=yhoo.41. Regenold, Stephen. Gear Junkie. Col umbia calls B.S. on Outdoors Industry. Online November 10, 2010. Cited April 20, 2012. http//gearjunkie.com/columbia-sportswear-2011-electric-heated-jackets.42. Larson, Erik. Columbia Sportswear Files European Antitrust Complaint W.L. Gore. Bloomburg L.P. Online June 13, 2011. Cited April 20, 2012. http//www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-13/columbia-sportswear-files-european-antitrust-complaint-w-l-gore.html.43. REI. 2009 Stewardship Report. REI Inc. Online 2010. Cited April 19, 2012. http//www.rei.com/stewardship.html.44. Columbia Sportswear Company. Columbia. About Us. Online April 18, 2012. Cited April 23, 2012. http//www.columbia.com/About-Us/About_Us_Landing,default,pg.html.