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The Coleman Company history
The Coleman Company company history timeline
In 1902 requests for his lighting service were so numerous that he decided to move the business to Wichita, Kansas, and establish a permanent headquarters.
In 1914 the company developed the Coleman gasoline lantern for use in inclement weather.
In 1932 the company's sales totaled a mere $3 million, but a small profit was made.
After Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected to the United States presidency in 1932, he launched a massive program for rural electrification, and Coleman was faced with a decline in its market for gasoline stoves and lights.
The first order for 5,000 units was flown to United States forces involved in the November 1942 invasion of North Africa.
At the end of the decade, however, sales for oil heaters and gas floor furnaces alone dropped a whopping 85 percent, and by 1960 the company suffered an overall loss of 70 percent in sales volume.
In 1977 Coleman's success continued unabated, with sales reaching $256 million.
Sheldon Coleman, Jr., replaced his father as chairman of the board in 1988, and only one year later he decided to privatize the company in order to reap an even larger profit--the pension plan of the company was overloaded by approximately $30 million.
Through a comprehensive restructuring of its operations, the company increased productivity significantly in 1991, and Coleman's sales reached $346.1 million by the end of the year.
In 1992 sales increased to $491.9 million, proof that the company's concentration on manufacturing products in growing recreational markets was paying off.
In late 1992 Coleman reacquired the Coleman Powermate line of gasoline-powered electrical generators and high-pressure power washers.
Meanwhile, the 50 millionth Coleman lantern rolled off the assembly line in 1995.
In early 1996 the company expanded its Eastpak division by licensing the Timberland brand for a new line of packs.
In March 1998, with the company verging on a turnaround, Perelman sold his 82 percent stake in Coleman to Sunbeam Corporation for $1.6 billion plus the assumption of about $440 million in debt.
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The Coleman Company competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VF | 1899 | $10.5B | 50,000 | 1,183 |
| Cascade Designs | 1972 | $6.9M | 200 | 11 |
| Hibbett Sports | 1945 | $1.7B | 4,350 | 757 |
| Specialty Retailers Inc | 1988 | $1.6B | 9,946 | - |
| Leatherman | 1983 | $97.0M | 525 | 1 |
| Ashley HomeStore | 1945 | $4.7B | 35,000 | 392 |
| Leggett & Platt | 1883 | $4.4B | 20,000 | 110 |
| Bass Pro Shops | 1971 | $6.5B | 40,000 | 956 |
| Wolverine World Wide | 1883 | $1.8B | 3,700 | 96 |
| Marmot | 1974 | $11.0M | 75 | - |
The Coleman Company history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of The Coleman Company, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about The Coleman Company. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at The Coleman Company. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by The Coleman Company. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of The Coleman Company and its employees or that of Zippia.
The Coleman Company may also be known as or be related to Coleman Co Inc, The Coleman Company and The Coleman Company, Inc.