| In 1918, Timberland founder Nathan Swartz began his shoe-making career in Boston, Massachusetts, as an apprentice stitcher. In 1952, Swartz bought half an interest in The Abington Shoe Company in Boston, mainly doing contract work for other manufacturers. In 1955, he bought the remaining interest and brought his sons into the company. In 1960, the Swartz family introduced the then innovative injection-molding technology into the footwear industry. This enabled the production of virtually waterproof boots by connecting the soles to the leather uppers without stitching. In 1973, the brand name "Timberland" was introduced for the waterproof leather boots produced by the company. Because the boot proved to be very popular, the company name was officially changed to The Timberland Company. In 1978 and 1979, Timberland added casual and boat shoes to its boots product line. In the 1980s, the company expanded internationally - first into the Italian market and, later, to many other countries. Sidney Swartz, one of the founder's sons, took the helm at the company (he still serves as Chairman). Under his leadership, Timberland started to become a lifestyle brand and added clothing and women's shoes to its products. Throughout the 1990s, the Timberland Company added more product lines such as backpacks, watches, and kids' footwear. In 1998, the Timberland PRO series of "Workboots for the Professional" was launched to further expand into the lifestyle market. Jeffrey Swartz stepped up to become Chief Executive Officer of the company and brand his grandfather and father had started. In December 2006, the company acquired howies, the Welsh clothing company |
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