Columbia Sportswear became a publicly traded company in 1998. Its initial public offering marked the transition from a family-run Oregon apparel business into a company whose shares could be bought and sold by public investors.
The IPO was completed on April 1, 1998, when Columbia offered 6,440,000 common shares, including the over-allotment option. The offering generated approximately $115.9 million in gross proceeds, providing capital for working needs and further expansion. Columbia’s stock began trading on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol COLM.
The timing followed a major growth period. Founded in 1938 as a hat distributor, the company expanded into outdoor apparel, footwear, and accessories under the leadership of Gert Boyle and her son, Tim Boyle. Its public listing helped support the international growth of the Columbia brand while the Boyle family remained closely associated with the business.
A common mix-up is confusing the IPO year with the year Columbia was incorporated under Oregon law, 1961, or with later acquisitions such as Sorel in 2000. The public-company milestone itself belongs to 1998.