Columbia Sportswear's Sorel Brand Returns To Portland

By Kristian Foden-Vencil (OPB)
Portland, Oregon Nov. 1, 2016 8:46 p.m.
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Columbia Sportswear is moving its Sorel brand back to Portland.

Columbia Sportswear is moving its Sorel brand back to Portland.

Kristian Foden-Vencil/OPB

If you think of Columbia Sportswear as a family, then its brands are its children.

There’s Sorel, Mountain Hardware and Montrail.

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Back in 2001, the whole family moved out of Portland to Washington County.

Now, CEO Tim Boyle said Sorel needs its own space.

“Our goal has always been to have each one of these brands have its own personality, to develop itself because we don’t need multiple Columbias to be successful," Boyle said. "We need multiple personalities, multiple brands.”

Sorel will relocate to downtown Portland in May, where it will have space for up to 85 employees.

Portland Mayor-elect Ted Wheeler praised the move, saying the city is actively recruiting companies in the athletics and apparel industry.

Oregon has 800 firms and 16,000 jobs in the sector.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR: