Columbia Sportswear Names Woody Blackford Chief Product Officer, Columbia Brand

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Columbia Sportswear Company (Nasdaq:COLM), a global leader in designing, sourcing, marketing, and distributing outdoor, active and everyday lifestyle apparel, footwear, accessories, and equipment products, has hired Woody Blackford as Senior Vice President, Chief Product Officer for the Columbia Brand.

Mr. Blackford is returning to Columbia, where he previously worked for 14 years, culminating in the position of Vice President, Global Design and Innovation. While at Columbia, he invented Omni-Heat, the patented technology used in many of Columbia’s products. He brings several decades of experience in consumer product creation most recently with Canada Goose. Mr. Blackford will coordinate all product aspects of apparel, footwear, accessories, and equipment for the Columbia Brand, helping to bring to market Columbia’s exceptional, ground-breaking patented products.

“We are delighted to welcome Woody back to Columbia,” said Joe Boyle, Executive Vice President and President, Columbia Brand. “Woody’s long track record of creating innovative solutions to protect people in the outdoors will help us continue our growth strategy in years to come.”

About Columbia Sportswear Company

Columbia Sportswear Company has assembled a portfolio of brands for active lives, making it a leader in the global active outdoor lifestyle apparel, footwear, accessories, and equipment industry. Founded in 1938 in Portland, Oregon, the Company's brands are today sold in approximately 90 countries. In addition to the Columbia® brand, Columbia Sportswear Company also owns the Mountain Hardwear®, SOREL® and prAna® brands. To learn more, please visit the Company's websites at www.columbia.com, www.mountainhardwear.com, www.sorel.com, and www.prana.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the Company’s expectations, anticipations or beliefs about the growth of the Columbia brand and the Company. Forward-looking statements often use words such as "will," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "should," "may" and other words and terms of similar meaning or reference future dates. The Company's expectations, beliefs and projections are expressed in good faith and are believed to have a reasonable basis; however, each forward-looking statement involves a number of risks and uncertainties, including those set forth in this document, those described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the heading "Risk Factors," and those that have been or may be described in other reports filed by the Company, including reports on Form 8-K. The Company does not undertake any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this document to conform them to actual results or to reflect changes in events, circumstances or its expectations. New factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for the Company to predict or assess the effects of all such factors or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.