1970
Brothers Jim and Greg Thomsen work as joint managers of The Mountain Store in Tarzana, California
established a guide service, called Wilderness Experience, taking teenagers into the Sierra's climbing, skiing, and backpacking
1971
Jim's wife Laurie, driving force behind the kids trips is killed on a solo climb
Greg teaches himself sewing, make sleeping bag straps to sell in the store
1972
receive order from Eiger Mountain Sports for gaiters
receive order from Eiger Mountain Sports to make replica of French Millet canvas packs, but order falls through
but Westridge Mountaineering shop takes the packs instead and the brand is off and running
1973
launch a new manufacturing company with the same name as the outdoor courses: Wilderness Experience
rent 1,000 sq ft shop for their one sewing machine. Outdoor classes pay the rent.
1974
Kris McDivitt, CEO of Patagonia, helps create a Wilderness Experience pack catalogue
enter joint venture with Bill Simon's Snow Lion and independent sales reps, to provide packs to Snow Lion's tents and sleeping bags
1975
use the advertising tagline "We only make backpacks and that's why we're the best."
1978
100 employees and sales reps in 50 US states
convince retailers to switch orders from the now bankrupt Snow Lion
thus moved immediately into manufacture of tents, sleeping bags, technical apparel and sportswear
made this line of non-pack products under the Solo label for several years, before bringing them all under the WE brand
were the third company in the outdoor industry to begin using Gore-Tex
1980
250 employees with three factories (including the 75,000 ft production plant in Chatsworth, California)
1981
completed a public stock offering and listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, a first for a US outdoor company
1983
put $50,000 of R&D into their 1983 Everest Expedition Suit
Jim Thomsen leaves the company
1984
sell 2,000 Expedition suits at $600 each
1986
Greg Thomsen leaves the company, and later helped launch Nike's All Condition Gear (ACG) line, later as Nike's Director of Marketing
Greg sells his Wilderness Experience shares to Garry Wennick
1990
Greg forms new company American Sports Group as a third party contract design and production facility for outdoor industry
1994
Jim Thomsen works for Downers to consolidate their acquisition of Jansport, a brand later purchased by VF Foundation
1995
Greg Thomsen designs a daypack for Jansport to test offshore production, Jansport subsequent move all production to China
1996
Wilderness Experience brand bought by K2 Inc
1997
Dana Gleeson of Dana Design (also owned by K2) has a hand in Wilderness Experience packs,
the K2 Wilderness Experience Moraine pack is selected by Backpacker Magazine for its '97 Editor's Gear Award
1999
Jim Thomsen moves to Europe to expand VF's outdoor brands (particularly Eastpak and Jansport) on the continent
2001
Greg sells American Sports Group to Brentwood and Associates
2002
Greg founds new business, Pacifica, and buys the assets of pack brand Mountainsmith from Chase Bank
2005
Jim retires from VF Foundation
2007
Pacifica is merged with Blackstone Investment Group, Inc.
2008
Greg sells remaining shares in Pacifica to Blackstone
2010
Greg becomes Managing Director of Adidas's new Outdoor division in the USA
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