The Rugged Bear Company has appointed industry veteran William End to serve on its board of directors.  End has over 35 years' experience growing some of the nation’s largest retailers, including LL Bean, Lands End and Cornerstone Brands, the holding company for Frontgate, Territory Ahead, Garnet Hill and others.


With an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Boston College, Mr. End has had a distinguished career in the retail industry, most recently as chairman of the board of Eddie Bauer. Prior to that, he was the chairman and founder of Cornerstone Brands, leading that company from a startup to a $725 million corporation before it was sold to Interactive Media in 2005. He was the president of Lands' End as it grew to a $1 billion company and spent 15 years at Freeport, Maine-based LL Bean as VP and EVP. During his tenure, LL Bean’s revenue grew from $24 million to over $600 million.

“Bill’s leadership, experience and vision will play a critical role in staying true to our brand while we continue to grow,” remarked Garrett Larson, Rugged Bear president and CEO. Larson went on to note that he is very excited that someone with End’s understanding of multi-channel retailing will help guide Rugged Bear into the future.


“We see his history of focusing on building amazing brands that deliver quality and legendary customer service as the perfect fit for Rugged Bear,” commented Frank Jenkins, chairman of the company. “Although still a regional chain, our standards and expectations are the same as the legendary national brands Bill has built and having him on board is another step towards our national goal.” He continued, “Rugged Bear, which recently completed its first round of financing with new investors, looks forward to having Bill’s experience and strategic focus as we continue to seek out more like-minded investors who show the same belief in our new business model and management as he has shown.”


“I am very happy to join Rugged Bear as a Director,” said End. “As an avid outdoorsman, my personal interests align perfectly with the direction the company is taking. Plus it is always exciting to be a part of a growing company and to develop a brand from a mostly local niche presence to what we hope will become a national household name.”