Coleman Company Inc.

Private Subsidiary, Headquarters Location
3600 N Hydraulic, Wichita, KS 67219-3812, United States
(800)835-3278, http://www.coleman.com

Primary SIC: Lighting Equipment, Not Elsewhere Classified, Primary NAICS: Other Lighting Equipment Manufacturing
Description: Manufacturing: Camping products. More

The Coleman Company is a leading manufacturer of outdoor recreation gear, including coolers, backpacks, camp stoves, and other camping accessories. These products are sold under the Coleman, Eastpak, and Timberland brand names. The company has sales offices and distribution facilities located in over 20 countries and sell its products worldwide, mainly through mass merchandisers, home centers, and other retail stores. Current sales figures exceed $1 billion dollars annually and the company currently employs more than 4,700. The company was founded in 1900 when William Coffin Coleman was on a leave from Kansas University law school. He was selling typewriters in Alabama to raise money to help him finish his education. He became interested with an especially bright lamp in a store window. Instead of just buying one for personal use, he bought an inventory of 16 lamps and established a sales territory based in Kingsfisher, Oklahoma. Local businesses did not at first want to purchase Coleman's lamps. He discovered that another salesman had been there earlier and had sold them inferior lamps, then skipped town. Coleman offered to sell the townspeople a lighting service instead, guaranteeing the lights. "No light, No pay. One dollar a week" was his slogan. At the end of a week he had 100 customers signed up. And the Coleman Company was on its way. Coleman experiences competition from Brunswick, North Face, Newell Rubbermaid, and many other outdoor recreation equipment manufacturers.