The Small Business Administration announced their 2004 Hall of Fame inductees and will be presenting awards to a list of once-small companies that have grown thanks to help from the SBA. On the list of companies to be honored is Columbia Sportswear, which will be represented at the ceremony in Orlando by Gertrude Boyle, the companys chairwoman.
The SBA Hall of Fame requires members to have received SBA assistance at some point. Each nominee was also required to show exemplary leadership in the business community; outstanding innovation; sustained growth; great diligence to overcome significant hardships to achieve success; and outstanding dedication to their community.
“What few people realize is that these well established businesses started out small and received help at varying points along the way from the U.S. Small Business Administration,” SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto told a local paper. “Their success was the result of hard work, good business practices, and an unwavering commitment to succeed and grow. The SBA is proud to have played a small part in the pursuit of their dreams and those of many more small businesses like them across this country.”
In other news, COLM has signed a distribution agreement with Portland Norge AS for the Columbia and Sorel brands in Iceland and Norway. Columbia chose not to use their DC in France for these two countries because they are not members of the EU.
In addition to distributing Columbia and Sorel product, Portland Norge will own and operate two Columbia Sportswear retail stores under a licensing agreement with Columbia. The stores will be located in Oslo, Norway, and Reykjavic, Iceland. Both stores are planned to open by spring 2006. COLM said that these agreements will allow the company to sell a “substantially higher” volume in the region.
