Early history
Clinton C. Filson (born 1850), a former Nebraska homesteader and railroad conductor for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, arrived in the Northwest in the early 1890s, initially settling in Kirkland, Washington where he invested in property near Peter Kirk's proposed iron works and opened a hardware store in a brick building he co-owned with Seattle customs inspector A.T. Timmerman. He would also serve as the town's postmaster in 1894. [2] Two years later after Kirkland's plans fell through he relocated to Seattle where he operated a small loggers' outfitting store, the Seattle Woolen House, at 903 1st Avenue, where the Federal Office Building currently stands. [3]
To meet the needs of prospectors passing through Seattle on their way to the Klondike Gold Rush, C.C. Filson founded C.C. Filson's Pioneer Alaska Clothing and Blanket Manufacturers in 1897. [4] The company supplied prospectors with a variety of outdoor gear including clothing, blankets, boots and sleeping bags. After the gold rush ended around 1899, Filson shifted to providing gear for outdoor oriented activities and occupations including hunting, fishing and logging, among others. [5] Never having retired, Filson passed away in December 1919 and ownership of the company was handed over to his widow Winifred and nephew George Stroble. [6] [7]
Ownership and leadership
Filson remained under the control of the Filson family until 1970, when they sold their interest to a former distributor of Filson products to independent dealers in Alaska. Stan Kohls, a skiwear entrepreneur, purchased the company in 1981. Kohls expanded the product line from 35 items to 250 items, drawing from the company's archive or designing each new item himself. Kohls attempted to preserve the authenticity of the products by not using modern materials like Velcro. [4] [8]
On January 1, 2005, Los Angeles, California-based private equity group Brentwood Associates and former Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation executive Doug Williams acquired C.C. Filson, with Kohls maintaining a minority ownership interest and a seat on the board. Brentwood Associates and Williams renamed the company Filson Holdings and named Williams the Chief Executive Officer. [4] [8] [9] [10] Williams hoped to expand the brand's sales by introducing casual wear and selling to new customers based on Filson's reputation for ruggedness and quality. [4] In 2006, Filson made Bill Kulczycki, a former Patagonia executive, CEO. [11] In 2010, Mark A. Korros became CEO. [12]
In 2012, Brentwood Associates sold Filson Holdings, Inc. to Dallas-based Bedrock Manufacturing Co. for an undisclosed amount. [13] [14] Alan Kirk was appointed CEO of Filson in 2013. In June 2013, the company opened an extensive new manufacturing facility on 1st Avenue South in Seattle's manufacturing district, more than doubling capacity and by year end, more than 100 new jobs were created in production. The company now manufactures luggage, apparel and accessories in three company-owned locations in the USA.
Former CEO Steve Bock [15] left the company in early 2019, and was replaced by Rollen Jones. Following Jones' move in the following year to his current role as CFO and a brief interim return by Bock, former global strategist Paolo Corinaldesi of international retail group WP Lavori was appointed to the position, and is the standing CEO. [16] [17]
Under current leadership, Filson has made organizational changes to streamline its business and be more efficient, including a decision to reduce positions in its Seattle and Kent manufacturing facilities and shift more production overseas. The company continues manufacturing heritage styles in its Washington facilities. [18]
