Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. is a
holding companyA holding company is a company that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself, rather its only purpose is owning shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow the...
that operates the Eddie Bauer
clothingA feature of nearly all modern human societies is the wearing of clothing or clothes, a category encompassing a wide variety of materials that cover the body....
store chain. Headquartered in
Bellevue, WashingtonBellevue is a rapidly growing city in King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 109,569 at the 2000 census, but by 2007 had grown to an...
, the company formed subsequent to Eddie Bauer's former parent company,
Spiegel, Inc.Spiegel is one of the USA's leading direct marketing or catalog companies. It started as a "wareroom" in downtown Chicago and is now a $3 billion international, tri-channel specialty retailer...
declaring bankruptcy. Eddie Bauer currently operates three independent sales channels:
- Retail Stores - Sells "premium" Eddie Bauer merchandise
- Outlet Stores - Sells Eddie Bauer merchandise and inventory overstocks at value or clearance price points
- Direct Order Center - Catalogs utilizing call centers in Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the oldest incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 68,043...
and Groveport, OhioGroveport is a village in Franklin County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,865 at the 2000 census.Groveport was the hometown of John Solomon Rarey, a nineteenth century horse whisperer, and developer of the Rarey technique for rehabilitating horses...
and the website (EddieBauer.com)
The company was first established in 1920 in Seattle by
Pacific NorthwestThe Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America, bound by the Pacific Ocean to the west. There are several partially overlapping definitions of the region, but they generally include the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon, and...
Outdoorsman, Eddie Bauer (1899 – 1986). In 1940 Bauer patented the first quilted down jacket . He went on to patent numerous other designs and was the first independent company that the United States Army hired and allowed to use a logo on the Army issued uniform.
Bauer retired and sold the company in 1968.
General MillsGeneral Mills is an American Fortune 500 corporation, mainly concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets several well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green Giant,...
bought Eddie Bauer in 1971, and Spiegel bought it from
General MillsGeneral Mills is an American Fortune 500 corporation, mainly concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets several well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green Giant,...
in 1988. In 2003, Spiegel, Inc., entered bankruptcy. The Spiegel catalog and all other assets were sold, except for Eddie Bauer. In May 2005, Spiegel, Inc., emerged from bankruptcy under the name "Eddie Bauer Holdings" and owned primarily by
CommerzbankCommerzbank AG is the second-largest bank in Germany, after Deutsche Bank, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main.Commerzbank is mainly active in commercial banking, retail banking and mortgaging. It suffered reversals in investment banking and shut its Commerzbank Securities investment banking unit...
. In addition to the three sales channels the company operates a distribution and fulfillment center in Groveport, Ohio; an IT facility in
Westmont, IllinoisWestmont is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. Westmont is a community of six square miles in area, with a 2007 population of 26,211...
; and a distribution center in
Vaughan, OntarioVaughan is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Canada, having nearly doubled in population since 1991. Vaughan is located in Southern Ontario and is part of the Greater Toronto Area...
. Eddie Bauer is also a minority participant in joint venture operations in Japan and Germany that include retail stores, catalogs, and websites. The company also selectively licenses the Eddie Bauer brand name and logo for various products sold through other companies including eyewear, furniture, bicycles, and
Ford Motor CompanyThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
's SUVs.
Eddie Bauer's flagship store is in downtown Seattle's
Pacific PlacePacific Place is an upscale shopping mall located in downtown Seattle, WA on Sixth Avenue and Pine Street. It includes a skybridge that connects it to Seattle's Nordstrom. The mall opened in October of the year 1998, and has a total area of . Of its 5 floors, the top floor features an 11-screen AMC...
mall.
Eddie Bauer Holdings, Inc. filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectionChapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
in
DelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The state takes its name from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, a British nobleman and Virginia's first colonial governor, after whom Cape Henlopen was originally named.Delaware is located in...
on June 17, 2009.
1920-1939: Eddie Bauer's Sport Shop
In 1920, Eddie Bauer, at the age of 21 established his first store in downtown Seattle. “Eddie Bauer’s Tennis Shop” opened in the back of a local hunting and fishing store. He first specialized in building and repairing
tennisTennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....
rackets and the shop was only open during the tennis season, Bauer spent the rest of the year pursuing his own sportsman activities. Eventually Bauer expanded his line of merchandise to include his own hand-made
golfGolf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...
clubs and
fishingFishing is the activity of catching fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
tackle and he changed the name of his store to “Eddie Bauer’s Sport Shop.” Bauer would go on to develop and patent a standardized
shuttlecockA shuttlecock a high-drag projectile used in the sport of badminton. It has an open conical shape: the cone is formed from sixteen overlapping goose feathers embedded into a rounded cork base. The cork is covered with thin leather....
. The
Bauer Shuttlecock popularized
badmintonBadminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
in the United States. While operating this first store Bauer developed his creed, "To give you such outstanding quality, value, service and guarantee that we may be worthy of your high esteem," still used by the modern company
1940-1949: The Skyliner
While on a winter fishing trip in
WashingtonWashington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the...
, Eddie Bauer developed
hypothermiaHypothermia is a condition in which an organism's temperature drops below that required for normal metabolism and body functions. In warm-blooded animals, core body temperature is maintained near a constant level through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
. After this he began trying to develop alternatives to heavy wool garments used by outdoorsmen at the time. He attempted to offset the bulkiness of down by quilting a down-filled jacket. In 1940, Bauer then patented the first quilted
gooseThe word Goose is the English name for a considerable number of birds, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
down-insulated jacket in the United States:
U.S. Design Patent 119,122 and introduced it in his store as "The Skyliner." Bauer took out more than 20 patents on various outdoor clothing and sporting equipment between 1934 and 1937.
U.S. Army Air Corps Commission
In 1942 the
United States Army Air CorpsThe United States Army Air Corps was the predecessor of the U.S. Army Air Forces from 1926-41, which in turn was the forerunner of today's U.S. Air Force , established in 1947...
commissioned Eddie Bauer to develop the B-9 Flight Parka. More than 50,000 parkas were manufactured for
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
airmen. The parka was designed to keep pilots warm at high altitudes. Of all government suppliers, Eddie Bauer alone was granted permission to affix his company logo to his products used by the army. In addition to the parkas, Eddie Bauer supplied the army with backpacks, pants, and sleeping bags all of which became standard issue for American troops in the war. Prior to his involvement the army had a shortage in sleeping bags, Bauer eventually sold over 100,000 sleeping bags to the armed services.
Mail-Order Catalog
In 1945, soon after he began selling women's clothing as well as men's, Eddie Bauer issued his first mail-order catalog. The original mailing list included the names of 14,000 soldiers who had worn Eddie Bauer clothing provided by the army during their service. By 1949, Bauer was employing 125 seamstresses. He eventually closed his downtown store and got out of retailing, except for showroom sales at his Seattle factory.
1950-1959: William F. Niemi
By 1950, Eddie Bauer's health was declining due to overwork and a serious back injury. He took on local businessman and his hunting partner, William F. Niemi. Bauer transferred all of the common stock in Eddie Bauer, Inc. to Niemi who reorganized the store and improved
cash flowCash flow refers to the movement of cash into or out of a business, a project, or a financial product. It is usually measured during a specified, finite period of time. Measurement of cash flow can be used*to determine a project's rate of return or value...
. It was with Niemi that Bauer decided to focus his efforts on the mail order catalog. By 1953 catalog sales were totaled at $50,000. At this point Bauer returned to being a share-holder in the company and formed a fifty-fifty partnership with Niemi. Throughout the 1950s Eddie Bauer, Inc. outfitted various scientific and exploratory expeditions.
1960-1970: Jim Whittaker
In 1960 Eddie Bauer and William Niemi took on their sons, Eddie C. Bauer and William Niemi Jr. as partners in the company. Eddie Bauer went on to supply his equipment for the American
K2K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth . With a peak elevation of , K2 is part of the Karakoram range, and is located on the border between the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China and Gilgit, in Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan.K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the...
Himalayan ExpeditionThe Himalaya Range or Himalayas for short , meaning "abode of snow", is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
and several journeys through
Antarctica| style="border-top:solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding:0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align:top;" | 14,000,000 km
2 280,000 km
2 13,720,000 km
2 |-! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top;...
. In 1963,
James W. WhittakerJames W. Whittaker, also known as Jim Whittaker is an American mountaineer.As a member of the American Mount Everest Expedition 1963 led by Norman Dyhrenfurth, he was the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest. He summited on May 1, 1963 with the Sherpa Nawang Gombu...
, the first American to climb
Mount EverestMount Everest – also called Sagarmāthā , Chomolungma or Qomolangma or Zhumulangma – is the highest mountain on Earth, and the highest point on the Earth's crust, as measured by the height above sea level of its summit,...
, was wearing an Eddie Bauer parka. He wore Bauer's products during his whole expedition.
Eddie Bauer Sells Eddie Bauer
In 1968, Eddie Bauer retired and he and his son sold their half of the business to William Niemi and his son for $1.5 million. A group of investors, who had helped finance the buyout gained stock in the company. That same year the first store outside of Seattle opened, this was in San Francisco. In 1970 their first large store opened in downtown Seattle. In order to appeal to a broader range of consumers, Niemi shifted the company's focus featuring casual lifestyle apparel. The emphasis on women’s apparel and accessories was greatly expanded in all stores, as well.
1971-1987: General Mills
In 1971, William Niemi sold the company to
General MillsGeneral Mills is an American Fortune 500 corporation, mainly concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets several well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green Giant,...
. After the sale the company shifted its focus toward casual clothing and expanded to 61 stores and made $250 million in sales by 1988. This shift included the company dropping the tagline "Expedition Outfitter." Eddie Bauer also began a cross-branding partnership with Ford in 1983 to produce Eddie Bauer Edition Ford vehicles. In 1984 the first Eddie Bauer Edition Ford debuted: the limited edition "Eddie Bauer Bronco." In 1987 Eddie Bauer introduced the "All Week Long" concept. This was meant to provide women with clothing they can wear throughout the week (e.g. at work) as opposed to just weekend wear. This concept was sold solely through the catalog when the first All Week Long store opened in Portland, OR in the summer of 1991.
1988-2005: Spiegel, Inc.
Spiegel purchased Eddie Bauer from General Mills in 1988. Aggressive expansion continued and within the first year the company had expanded from 60 to 99 stores. By 1996 an additional 300 stores had been opened.
Eddie Bauer Home Collection
In 1991, Eddie Bauer launched Eddie Bauer Home, a collection of home furnishings including furniture, tableware, decor items and linens. The collection was meant to appeal to the customers that purchased apparel from the company. The home store maintained a "warm and cozy" theme by presenting beds with thick blankets and floors covered with wool rugs.
Japan
Eddie Bauer Japan, Inc., a joint venture between Eddie Bauer, Inc. and Otto-Sumisho, Inc. (a joint venture between Otto-Versand, now
Otto GmbHOtto GmbH & Co KG is the world's largest mail order company, operating in more than 20 countries. The family of executive board chairman Michael Otto owns the majority of the company...
& Co KG and Sumitomo Corp.), was formed in 1994 to develop Eddie Bauer stores and distribute catalogs in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The company also has the licensing rights for the use of Eddie Bauer trademarks in Japan. The company opened its first store in September 1994 in
Tokyo, officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and is located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the city of Tokyo in the eastern part of the prefecture, totaling over 8 million people....
.
Eddie Bauer Japan
Germany
In June 1995 Eddie Bauer
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
was announced as part of a joint venture between Eddie Bauer Inc. and two members of the Otto-Versand Group (now
Otto GmbHOtto GmbH & Co KG is the world's largest mail order company, operating in more than 20 countries. The family of executive board chairman Michael Otto owns the majority of the company...
& Co KG): Heinrich Heine GmbH (Heine Group) and Sport Scheck. The venture, headquartered in
MunichMunich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg...
allowed for catalog distribution and store openings in Germany. Eddie Bauer entered the German market in 1994 with inserts in the spring/summer and fall/winter editions of Sport Scheck, one of the country's largest catalogs before Eddie Bauer Germany was announced and began distributing two Eddie Bauer catalogs a year in Germany for the spring/summer and fall/winter seasons.
Eddie Bauer Germany
1995-2000
In 1996, Eddie Bauer launched its Web site, www.eddiebauer.com, establishing a third channel of distribution to complement the retail and catalog divisions. The company launched EBTEK, a new product line, including both the EBTEK System of high-performance interlocking outerwear, and EBTEK casual activewear. The EBTEK System includes fabrics such as
Gore-TexGore-Tex is a waterproof/breathable fabric, and a registered trademark of W.L. Gore & Associates. It was co-invented by Wilbert L. Gore , Rowena Taylor, and Gore's son, Robert W. Gore. Robert Gore was granted on April 27, 1976, for a porous form of polytetrafluoroethylene with a micro-structure...
, Polartec 200, and Eddie Bauer Premium Goose Down. Eight new stores opened in Japan that year, bringing the total to 14 stores and three outlets. Eddie Bauer Germany also opened two new stores in Germany.
Eddie Bauer continued to expand in
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
and internationally throughout 1997, opening the 500th U.S. store. Internationally, Eddie Bauer Japan opened 11 new stores, bringing the total to 24 stores in Japan, along with four outlet stores in various locations. In 1997, Eddie Bauer Germany opened five new stores, bringing the total to seven Eddie Bauer stores in Germany. Eddie Bauer enters into a licensing agreement with the Lane Company, offering an exclusive collection of Eddie Bauer Home by Lane furniture.
By 1998, over 600 stores had been opened in North America (556), Japan (32), and Germany (9). Eddie Bauer entered into a three-year licensing agreement with Giant Bicycle, Inc. to launch a line of Eddie Bauer Edition mountain bikes for off-terrain and city riding. Eddie Bauer and Signature Eyewear joined to produce the Eddie Bauer Eyewear collection for men and women. Additionally, Eddie Bauer and Cosco, Inc. joined to build upon Eddie Bauer’s "Baby by Eddie Bauer" collection of Eddie Bauer Home merchandise for infants.
In 1999,
Safeco FieldSafeco Field, sometimes referred to as Safeco, is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners Major League Baseball club, seating 47,116 for baseball...
, the new home of the
Seattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League...
, signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with Eddie Bauer, establishing Eddie Bauer as the official apparel sponsor of
Safeco FieldSafeco Field, sometimes referred to as Safeco, is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners Major League Baseball club, seating 47,116 for baseball...
event staff through the 2000 season.
Also in 1999, Eddie Bauer presented
American ForestsAmerican Forests is a 501 non-profit conservation organization in the United States that promotes healthy forests and urban tree planting. Their stated mission is to non-profit whose mission is to "grow a healthier world"...
with a check for $2.5 million, representing the 2.5 million trees planted nationally through Eddie Bauer's "Add a Dollar, Plant a Tree" retail program. Eddie Bauer’s 100th birthday is celebrated with the culmination of national “Building Cities of Green” tree planting tour, in
Seattle, WashingtonSeattle is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Situated in the western part of Washington State on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about south of the Canada – United States border, it is named after Chief Sealth, of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes...
. On October 19, Eddie Bauer retail stores distribute one-half million trees to customers in honor of company founder. The one-millionth Eddie Bauer Edition Ford rolled off the assembly line.
In 2000, Signature Eyewear launched Eddie Bauer performance sunwear featuring
OakleyOakley may refer to:* Oakley, Inc., an eyewear manufacturer* Baron Oakley, a hereditary title* a hanging clothes Wardrobe derived from the simple chest, the earliest form of armoire in free standing cupboard form designed for storage of clothes for the well to do...
XYZ Optics. National Geographic Ventures joined forces with Eddie Bauer to include the corporate sponsorship of a new giant screen film on Lewis & Clark. Other elements included a multi-tiered travel alliance and Eddie Bauer sponsorships of Radio Expeditions (a National Geographic and National Public Radio co-production) and the National Geography Bee. Eddie Bauer opened a store in
Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu is the capital of and the most populous census-designated place in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Although Honolulu refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and the county are consolidated, known as the City and County of Honolulu, and the city and...
, completing Eddie Bauer’s entry into all 50 American states.
Also in 2000, Eddie Bauer launched its first exclusively on-line business venture, eddiebauerkids.com. Eddie Bauer joined forces with
American ForestsAmerican Forests is a 501 non-profit conservation organization in the United States that promotes healthy forests and urban tree planting. Their stated mission is to non-profit whose mission is to "grow a healthier world"...
to launch the Wildfire ReLeaf program, established to help in the restoration of land decimated by forest fires in 2000.
2001-2009
In 2001, Eddie Bauer teamed with American Recreation Products through a licensing agreement to launch a collection of camping equipment. Eddie Bauer was awarded the
Hispanic College FundHispanic College Fund, Inc. is a leading nonprofit that provides college scholarships to Hispanic youth and conducts symposiums to encourage Hispanic high school students to attend college. Since its founding in 1993, HCF has awarded over $13 million in scholarships to students from across the...
Corporation of the Year award. The NAACP, Washington D.C. Urban League, and the Seattle Urban League awarded Eddie Bauer with Corporate Sponsorship Awards. Eddie Bauer launched the first annual Add a Dollar to Your Local Community Charity program during the Eddie Bauer Associate Giving Campaign, and each of the 550-plus Eddie Bauer stores selected their own local charity to donate the funds raised in their local store. Eddie Bauer associates and customers raised nearly $1,000,000 for the Victims of 9/11.
June 2009
In June 17, 2009, Eddie Bauer filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectionChapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
. The company had just emerged from a previous Chapter 11 protection in 2005, after its previous owner, Spiegel Catalog, sought bankruptcy protection in 2003. The company said it planned to sell itself for $202 million to
CCMP CapitalCCMP Capital is a private equity investment firm that focuses on leveraged buyout and growth capital transactions. Formerly known as JP Morgan Partners, the investment professionals of JP Morgan Partners separated from JPMorgan Chase on July 31, 2006...
Advisors, a private equity firm.
Bank of AmericaBank of America Corporation , based in Charlotte, North Carolina is one of the largest financial services companies, largest bank by assets, largest commercial bank by deposits and is the second largest by market capitalization in the United States. The company holds 12.2% of all U.S. deposits...
,
GE CapitalGE Capital is the financial services unit of General Electric, one of four major units. GE Capital provides commericial lending and leasing, as well as a range of financial services for health care, media, communications, & entertainment, consumers, real estate, and aviation....
and the CIT Group have agreed to provide up to $100 million in financing during the bankruptcy case. The sale to CCMP will proceed through what is known as a 363 sale process in bankruptcy court. A judge would need to approve the sale, and other potential bidders could emerge.
CCMP, as a so-called
stalking horseA stalking horse is a person who tests a concept with someone or mounts a challenge against them on behalf of an anonymous third party. If the idea proves viable and/or popular, the anonymous figure can then declare their interest and advance the concept with little risk of failure...
bidder, is entitled to a $5 million breakup fee if it loses during the court-supervised auction process. "We’re not looking to liquidate the company or close most of the stores," said Jonathan Lynch, a CCMP managing director, as quoted in
The New York Times report. The report continued: "CCMP first took a look at Eddie Bauer in 2004, but was dissuaded from making an investment because the company was then focused on becoming a women’s casual apparel chain, along the lines of J. Jill or
TalbotsOperating under the Talbots and J. Jill brands, The Talbots, Inc. is a leading international specialty retailer, cataloger and e-tailer of women's classic apparel, shoes, and accessories...
. ... A new management team led by Mr. Fiske began returning the company ... toward its outdoor adventure roots" and led to the renewed contacts with CCMP.
1958 First Ascent of Gasherbrum I
Gasherbrum IGasherbrum I is the 11th highest peak on Earth, located on the Pakistan-China border. Gasherbrum I is part of the Gasherbrum massif, located in the Karakoram region of the Himalaya...
is the world's 11th highest mountain in the world standing at 8,080 meters (26,509 feet) and the second highest mountain in the
KarakoramKarakoram is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang...
range. On 5 July 1958,
Pete SchoeningPeter K. Schoening was an American mountaineer. Schoening was one of two Americans to first successfully climb the Pakistani peak Gasherbrum I in 1958, and was one of the first to summit Mount Vinson in Antarctica in 1966. He was born July 30, 1927, in Seattle, Washington and grew up in that...
and Andy Kauffman were the first men to stand atop Gasherbrum I along with their eight man team in an American expedition led by Nicholas B. Clinch. Eddie Bauer supplied the team with "Kara Koram Parkas" that utilized a rip-stop nylon shell.
1960 First Ascent of Masherbrum
MasherbrumMasherbrum located in the Northern Areas of Pakistan is the 22nd highest mountain in the world and the 11th highest in Pakistan.It is the highest peak of the Masherbrum range, a subrange of the Karakoram mountains...
is the world's 22nd highest mountain at 7,821 meters (25,600 feet). After various failed expeditions, Nicholas B. Clinch lead a team up the never summited peak. The team consisted of experienced Himalayan climbers—George Bell,
Willi UnsoeldWilli Unsoeld was an American climber who, along with Tom Hornbein, were members of the first American expedition to summit Mount Everest on May 22, 1963. Unsoeld and Hornbein's legendary climb was the first ascent from the peak's west ridge, and the first major traverse of a Himalayan peak...
, Clinch,
Richard McGowanRichard "Dick" McGowan was an American explorer, mountaineer, and entrepreneur, who helped start the modern adventure travel industry. He is best remembered today for his Mt. Everest expedition in 1955, during which he climbed the Khumbu Ice Fall, thus becoming the first American to set foot on Mt...
, Tom McCormack—as well as Dick Emerson and Tom Hornbein, who had climbed extensively in North America. McGowan and Unsoeld were chosen for the first summit bid but were turned back by heavy snows and were hit by an avalanche as they descended to a lower camp. McGowan became delirious after inhaling ice crystals and was replaced by Bell who joined Unsoeld for a second attempt. On 6 July Bell and Unsoeld make the
first ascentIn climbing, a first ascent is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route...
.
1963 First American Ascent of Everest
Everest is the worlds highest mountain at 8,850 meters (29,035 feet). The American Mt. Everest Expedition had to walk the 180 miles from Kathmandu, Nepal, to base camp with 27 tons of gear taking a month and 900 porters. Early on the expedition lost one of its team members, Jake Breitenbach when a
seracA serac is a block or column of ice formed by intersecting crevasses on a glacier. Often house-sized or larger, they are dangerous to mountaineers since they may topple with little warning...
collapsed in the
Khumbu IcefallThe Khumbu Icefall is an icefall at the head of the Khumbu Glacier.The icefall is found at 5,486 metres on the Nepali slopes of Mount Everest not far above Base Camp and southwest of the summit. The icefall is regarded as one of the most dangerous stages of the South Col route to Everest's summit...
. At the end of April expedition leader Norman Dyhrenfurth informed
Jim WhittakerJames W. Whittaker, also known as Jim Whittaker is an American mountaineer.As a member of the American Mount Everest Expedition 1963 led by Norman Dyhrenfurth, he was the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest. He summited on May 1, 1963 with the Sherpa Nawang Gombu...
that he and Nawang Gombu Sherpa will make the first summit attempt. On 1 May around 1:00 pm Whittaker, outfitted in Eddie Bauer outerwear became the first American to stand atop Everest.
1963 First Ascent of Everest West Ridge
Three weeks after Whittaker and Gombu reach the top of Everest, four other team members follow suit on 22 May. Lute Jerstad and
Barry BishopBarry Wilfred Bishop is a former Australian politician. He was the National Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council from October 1992 until November 2006, representing North Western Province....
followed the same
South ColThe South Col usually refers to the southern col between Mount Everest and Lhotse, the first and fourth highest mountains in the world. When climbers attempt to climb Everest from the southeast ridge in Nepal, their final camp is situated on the South Col...
route as Whittaker but
Tom HornbeinThomas "Tom" Hornbein is a well known American mountaineer.Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1930, Hornbein developed an interest in geology as a teenager. His study of geology led to a fascination with mountains. Eventually he also became interested in medicine; he studied and worked as an...
and Willi Unsoeld attempted the West Ridge route that had never been attempted. The four planned to meet at the top where Jerstad and Bishop would lead Hornbein and Unsoeld down via the South Col. Hornbein and Unsoeld made the first ascent of the West Ridge but not until 6:00 pm. Having waited as long as they could Jerstad and Bishop headed down the South Col alone. Hornbein and Unsoeld followed their teammates boot tracks down and met up around 10:00 pm at 28,000 feet. The four were forced to
bivouacBivouac may refer to:* Bivouac shelter, an encampment* Bivouac sack, or "bivy sack" or bivy bag, an extremely lightweight alternative to traditional tent systems* A military camp...
and used their Eddie Bauer down clothing for shelter.
1965 First Ascent of Mt. Kennedy
Standing at 4,300 meters (14,000 feet),
Mount KennedyMount Kennedy is a peak in the Saint Elias Mountains within Kluane National Park, in Yukon, Canada. Its 4250-m to 4300-m summit lies within 10 km of the Alaska Panhandle. Dusty Glacier lies against it to the north....
was, in 1965 North America's highest unclimbed peak. The National Geographic Society asked Jim Whittaker to lead an expedition to Mt. Kennedy in Canada's Yukon. Whittaker's team included Senator
Robert F. KennedyRobert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician. He was a younger brother of President John F. Kennedy and acted as one of his advisers during his presidency. From 1961 to 1964, he was the U.S...
(RFK) who wanted to climb the mountain named for his brother, the slain President
John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and on 24 March RFK became the first man to reach the summit.
1966 First Ascent of Vinson Massif
Vinson MassifVinson Massif is the highest mountain of Antarctica, located about 1,200 km from the South Pole. The mountain is about long and wide. At the highest point is Mount Vinson, which was named in 2006 by US-ACAN...
is
AntarticaAntártica is a Chilean commune in Antártica Chilena Province, Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region, which covers all of the Territorio Chileno Antártico—the territory in Antarctica claimed by Chile. It ranges from 53°W to 90°W and from the South Pole to 60°S, overlapping the Argentine and...
's highest mountain standing at 4,892 meters (16,050 feet) and about 600 miles from the
South PoleThe South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects the surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
. Eddie Bauer went to the South Pole as part of scientific expeditions in 1958 and 1965. In 1966 the American Antarctica Mountaineering Expedition set out to climb the major Antarctic peaks. All the climbs were successful making first ascents of the six highest mountains in the
Sentinel RangeThe Sentinel Range is a major mountain range situated northward of Minnesota Glacier and forming the northern half of the Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica. The range trends NNW-SSE for about and is 24 to 48 km wide...
. One of the first ascents took place on December 18 when
Pete SchoeningPeter K. Schoening was an American mountaineer. Schoening was one of two Americans to first successfully climb the Pakistani peak Gasherbrum I in 1958, and was one of the first to summit Mount Vinson in Antarctica in 1966. He was born July 30, 1927, in Seattle, Washington and grew up in that...
,
William LongWilliam Long is the name of:* William Joseph Long American author on nature and literature* William Ivey Long, costume designer* William Long...
, James Corbet and
John Evans- Academics :*John Evans , English archaeologist and geologist*John Davies Evans , English archaeologist specialising in the prehistory of the Mediterranean and Malta, former Director of the Institute of Archaeology, London...
reached the summit of Vinson Massif, one of the world's "
Seven SummitsThe Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven continents. Summiting all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first postulated as such in the 1980s by Richard Bass .- Seven Summits definitions:...
."
The expedition leader, Nicholas Clinch wrote a letter to Eddie Bauer from Vinson Camp II stating "Our existence in these mountains is one long struggle to stay warm. Everyone agrees that it would be impossible to survive, let alone climb, without our superb Bauer down equipment, which protects us 24 hours a day. My Bauer down jacket is my happiness and security blanket-when I am not wearing it, it is never more than an arm's length away. A large share of the credit for the success of this expedition can be attributed to our Bauer equipment, which is the
finest we have ever seen."
1973 First American Ascent of Dhaulagiri
The American Dhaulagiri Expedition, led by Dr. James Morrissey set out to summit
DhaulagiriDhaulagiri is the seventh highest mountain in the world. It forms the eastern anchor of the Dhaulagiri Himal, a subrange of the Himalaya in the Dhawalagiri Zone of north central Nepal. It lies northwest of Pokhara, an important regional town and tourist center...
, the 7th highest mountain in the world at 8,167 meters (26,795 feet). Eddie Bauer developed the Kara Koram Expedition pants for the Dhaulagiri expedition as well as providing the team with Kara Koram Expedition parkas and sleeping bags. On May 12,
John RoskelleyJohn Roskelley is a noted mountain climber and author from Spokane, Washington, noted as a climber of 8000 meter peaks in Nepal and Pakistan.-Notable ascents:...
and
Louis ReichardtLouis Reichardt is a noted American big-mountain mountaineer, the first American to summit both Everest and K-2. He is also a Professor of Physiology and Biochemistry/Biophysics at UCSF, where he studies neuroscience....
made the first American ascent of Dhaulagiri with Nawang Samden Sherpa. They did so without using supplemental oxygen making Dhaulagiri the highest peak at the time to be summited without bottled oxygen.
Expedition Cotopaxi
Part of the
AndesThe Andes are the world's longest exposed mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America...
Mountain Range in
EcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador , literally, "Republic of the equator") is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America that...
,
CotopaxiCotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 45 kilometres south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in the country, reaching a height of 5,897 m...
is 5,897 meters (19,348 ft) and is an active volcano. In 10-18 October 2008 Eddie Bauer President and CEO Neil Fiske and Eddie Bauer Director of Outerwear Merchandising, Andrew Turner joined Ranier Mountaineering, Inc. (RMI) guides: Peter Whittaker,
Dave HahnDave Hahn is a professional mountain guide, ski patroller, journalist and lecturer. In May 2009 he reached the summit of Mt. Everest for the 11th time - the most for a non-Sherpa climber. Among Hahn’s other notable accomplishments are his world-record 26 summits of Vinson Massif, Antarctica’s...
, Melissa Arnot, Chad Peele, and Seth Waterfall to field test First Ascent round 3 prototype clothing and outerwear. Still photographer, Jake Norton and videographer, Gerry Moffat accompanied the First Ascent team.
Expedition Aconcagua
Cerro Aconcagua, one of the
Seven SummitsThe Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven continents. Summiting all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first postulated as such in the 1980s by Richard Bass .- Seven Summits definitions:...
, is the highest mountain in the Americas and the highest outside Asia. It is located in
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
and is part of the Andes Mountain Range. The climb took place on the 4-24 January 2009. The expedition team was made up of the six Team First Ascent guides from RMI:
Ed ViestursEd Viesturs is one of the world's premier high-altitude mountaineers. He is one of only 18 people to have climbed all eight-thousander peaks.-Early life:...
, Peter Whittaker, Dave Hahn, Melissa Arnot, Chad Peele, and Seth Waterfall as well as Eddie Bauer Director of Outerwear Merchandising, Andrew Turner and videographer Gerry Moffat and still photographer Jake Norton who had accompanied the team on Cotopaxi. The purpose of the climb was to put the First Ascent gear through its final round of field trials. Whittaker, the team leader coordinated the efforts of the Guide team and monitored the performance of the clients who were participating in the climb. After a storm high on the mountain not all the clients were able to make the summit and guide Melissa Arnot lead them down to the lower camps.
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