1970
Yvon Chouinard (as Chouinard Equipment) imports cotton rugby shirts for climbers
sew first pair of Stand Up Shorts
open first retail store, Great Pacific Iron Works in Ventura, California
1972
Patagonia incorporated as Great Pacific Iron Works, about 12 employees
1973
Foamback rainwear launched
1975
debut Pile jackets, which would soon account for over half of all sales
1976
introduce casual 'sportswear' (mostly in cotton), sales pass $2 million USD
1977
Yvon Chouinard profiled in New Yorker magazine
1979
introduce 'no pill' double sided Bunting fleece
1980
release long underwear made of ‘expedition weight’ brushed polypropylene
made first Patagonia Kids clothes - a pile jacket and vest
1981
Patagonia and Chouinard Equipment incorporated within Great Pacific Iron Works
1982
first Patagonia catalog printed
launch Baggies shorts
release Shelled Polypropylene Jackets
1983
sell 237,000 pairs of Baggies Shorts
sales growth increased 140%
1984
debut non-breathable 3 layer (with inner scrim) Sealcoat Rainwear (developed with Mont-Bell of Japan)
sales growth purposely slowed to 35%
Yvon Chouinard closes the doors (for a day) to deliver State of Patagonia Address to 170 staff
Patagonia Environmental Program begins to donate 10% of pre-tax profits to environmental and social activists
1985
replaced entire line of polypropylene underwear with new Capilene polyester
introduced pill resistant Synchilla fleece clothing (Malden’s Polarplus - later known as Polartec)
received over 15 dealer (retail shop) enquiries to stock the brand each week, 700 per year
open first dedicated Patagonia retail store in San Francisco
1986
sales pass $24 million
1988
sales now $96 million
introduce their first waterproof/breathable fabric - H2No Storm (Toray Entrant) in the Storm Jacket
1989
hired consultancy to assess environmental impact of wool. cotton, polyester and nylon (all had problems)
introduce range of 650-750 loft down garments
founding member of Conservation Alliance. (with REI, The North Face and Kelty.) [Now more than 160 member companies]
1991
20% of staff retrenched and products lines slashed by 40%
1993
introduce Gore Fabric shellwear, under branding Super Alpine, Pneumatic and Super Pluma, (Pullover weighs 410 grams)
introduce PCR (post consumer recycled) Synchilla, with 80% recycled drink bottle content
1994
PCR Synchilla wins a Backpacker Magazine Editors Choice Award
1995
Sales approach $154 million
1996
Organic cotton is used in all cotton clothing lines
New York Times praises company for almost 60% women in managerial positions.
1999
introduce Regulator fleece midlayers, developed with Malden Mills (now Polartec) lighter, warmer, more compressible
2002
Yvon Chouinard co-founds 1% For the Planet, with Craig Mathews of Blue Ribbon Flies, (in 2007 700 members and $30 million)
2004
?? Common Threads Garment Recycling Program launched (customers can return garments for recycling)
2005
?? recycled polyester is used in clothing
Yvon Chouinard authors book "Let My People Go Surfing"
2006
development of the Regulator Wetsuit, using recycled polyester, wool and limestone-based neoprene
2007
recycled Nylon 6 is used in clothing
2008
30 stores and $300 million in sales
2009
$330 million in sales, (26 stores, including six 'outlet' locations, in the U.S)
Patagonia, Inc. now