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| Inducted: |
2005 |
| Region: |
U.S. |
| Industry: |
Manufacturing
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Gertrude Boyle is the spirited matriarch and chairwoman of the board of the international outdoor apparel and footwear manufacturer Columbia Sportswear Company®. Hailed by Working Woman magazine as one of America’s Top 50 Women Business Owners — and named one of 1994’s “Best Managers” by Business Week magazine — Boyle is the center of Columbia’s irreverent, award-winning advertising campaign. She has been a part of Columbia Sportswear since her father founded Columbia Hat Company in 1938. Columbia’s sales have soared from $12.9 million in 1984 to close to $1 billion in 2003, and the company continues to forge ahead with product diversification and innovation. |
