COLM

Columbia Sportswear Company

A maker of outdoor apparel, footwear, and gear for hiking, skiing, camping, and everyday cold-weather life, Columbia Sportswear is known for innovations like its Omni-Heat thermal-reflective lining. It began in 1938 when German-Jewish immigrants Paul and Marie Lamfrom fled Nazi Germany, settled in Portland, Oregon, and bought a struggling hat distributorship, naming it after the nearby Columbia River. The company's 1986 Bugaboo jacket, with its zip-out fleece liner, pioneered the "3-in-1" interchange system and put the brand on the map.