The Timberland Company

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Timberland

Type Industry Founded Headquarters Number of locations

Subsidiary Textile Abington, Massachusetts(1952) Stratham, New Hampshire,United States 85 (United States) 18 (Canada) 8 (United Kingdom)

Key people Products Revenue Employees

aye Footwear and Apparel US$1.5 Billion (2011) [1] 2,016 (U.S.) 3,402 (foreign)

Parent Website

VF timberland.com timberlandonline.co.uk References: [2] [3]

Timberland LLC is a US-based global manufacturer and retailer of outdoors wear with a focus on footwear. Timberland footwear is popular for hiking, mountaineering, and casual wear. The Company also sells apparel such as clothes, watches, glasses and leather goods. In 2007, Timberland was named the 78th best employer in the US on the CNN Money "One hundred best companies to work for" list.[2] Timberland is a strong proponent of corporate social responsibility. Timberlands corporate headquarters are located inStratham, New Hampshire. Timberland also operates from a number of offices around the world.

Company history
In 1918, Timberland founder Nathan Swartz began his shoe-making career in Boston, Massachusetts, as an apprentice stitcher. In 1952, Swartz bought half an interest in The Abington Shoe Company in Abington, mainly doing contract work for other manufacturers. In 1955, Swartz bought the remaining interest and brought his sons into the company. In 1960, the Swartz family introduced the then innovative injection-molding technology into the footwear industry. This enabled the production of virtually waterproof boots made in colder temperature form or in tropical weather form depending on the customer,By connecting the soles to the leather uppers without stitching. In 1973, the brand name "Timberland" was introduced for the waterproof leather boots produced by the company. Because the boot proved to be very popular, the company name was officially changed to The Timberland Company. In 1978 and 1979, Timberland added casual and boat shoes to its boots product line. In the 1980s, the company expanded internationally first into the Italian market and, later, to many other countries.

Sidney Swartz, one of the founder's sons, took the helm at the company (he still serves as Chairman). Under his leadership Timberland began to evolve into a lifestyle brand, adding clothing and women's shoes to its products. Throughout the 1990s, the Timberland Company added more product lines such as backpacks, watches, and kids' footwear. In 1998, the Timberland PRO series of "Workboots for the Professional" was launched. Jeffrey Swartz stepped up to become Chief Executive Officer of the company and brand his [4] grandfather and father had started. In 2006, the company acquired howies, the Welsh clothing company.
[5]

In 2007, Timberland acquired skateboard-footwear company, Ipath. Ipath was sold in 2011 to [7] Klone Labs. In 2011, Timberland signed a definitive merger agreement with VF Corporation at $43 per [8] [9] share or approximately $2 billion. Howies was divested by VF in 2012.

[6]

Our mission is to equip people to make a difference in their world. We do this by creating outstanding products and by trying to make a difference in the communities where we live and work.
We have a rich New England heritage that inspires the way we make our products and run our business. We make boots, shoes, clothes and gear that are comfortable enough to wear all day and rugged enough for all year. And we don't rest on our accomplishments -- if we did, we'd only have ever made one waterproof leather boot. For some of the highlights, check out our history here. One part of our history and our future that makes us particularly proud is our commitment to doing the right thing. Whether it's making products with the environment in mind, volunteering in our communities, or having one of the toughest Codes of Conduct around, we care about our colleagues, our community and our planet. HOW we do our business matters. If this sounds like the kind of place you'd like to share your professional talents, feel free to check out our job board.

FAST FACTS
Born: 1978 when Abington Shoe Company became The Timberland Company World Headquarters: 200 Domain Drive, Stratham, NH 03885 USA (603) 772-9500 Distribution: Sold worldwide through independent retailers, better-grade department stores, athletic specialty stores in addition to Timberland's own retail locations. 2010 Revenue: $1.4 billion Employees: 5,600 around the world