Norm Thompson Outfitters
| File:Norm Thompson logo.png | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mail order, retail |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Headquarters | Middleton, Massachusetts, USA 42°35′55″N 70°58′20″W / 42.598672°N 70.972229°W |
Key people | Martin McClanan, president and CEO |
| Products |
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| Revenue | US$ 108.55 million |
Number of employees | 500 |
| Parent | Orchard Brands |
| Website | www.normthompson.com |
Norm Thompson Outfitters operated as a privately held catalog and online retailer with its headquarters in Middleton, Massachusetts, having previously been based in Hillsboro, Oregon until September 2016. The company’s offices were closed following Bluestem’s acquisition of its parent firm, Orchard Brands, in July 2015. Established in 1949 by Norman A. (Norm) Thompson as a mail order business, it expanded to achieve annual revenues of $200 million before being acquired by Golden Gate Capital Partners in 2006. Its assortment includes apparel, gadgets, furniture, kitchenware, and gifts marketed through the Norm Thompson catalog along with the Solutions and Sahalie brands. John Difrancesco held the roles of president and CEO at the time when the company employed around 500 people.
History
The enterprise was founded in 1949 by Norman Anchor Thompson, Sr., a British immigrant who began by selling handmade fly-fishing flies via mail order. Leadership transitioned around 1951 to his son-in-law Peter Alport, an advertising expert who broadened the product selection beyond fishing equipment to include clothing and outdoor goods, introducing the company’s motto "Escape from the ordinary." Under Alport’s guidance, Norm Thompson launched its inaugural retail outlet in Northwest Portland in 1959. After Thompson passed away in 1968, ownership transferred to Parker Pen Company in 1973, which opened a retail location at Portland International Airport in 1975 and phased out fly fishing merchandise by 1977.
In 1981, Parker Pen Company sold Norm Thompson through a leveraged buyout to John Emrick. The company expanded its catalog offerings with the launch of Solutions (focused on home and garden) in 1986 and acquired Early Winters in 1990, which was later renamed Sahalie. Around this period, the Primary Layer sleepwear catalog was introduced as well. An outlet store called Cracker Barrel opened near Portland in 1988. By 1989, annual sales had reached $50 million with mail order accounting for approximately 80% of revenue. The headquarters and distribution center were based in Beaverton, Oregon.
Ron Decker assumed the presidency in 1989 while Emrick continued as chairman and CEO. The company hosted annual warehouse sales generating roughly $1 million each June. In October 1990, an outlet store was established in Lake Oswego, Oregon. That year, Norm Thompson’s catalog earned Catalog of the Year honors from the National Direct Mail Marketing Association. Sales grew to $70 million by 1991. A downtown Portland retail store opened in May 1993 but was shuttered by 1996 due to lack of profitability.
To better serve its customer base—80% of whom resided east of the Mississippi River—Norm Thompson announced in May 1993 that it would relocate its distribution operations from Oregon to Jefferson County, West Virginia. The new $7.5 million facility commenced operations later that year; the Oregon distribution center closed in July 1994 with its property sold to Home Depot. Simultaneously, corporate offices were temporarily moved near Tektronix before construction began on a new $6 million facility in Hillsboro’s Tanasbourne neighborhood in February 1995. This energy-efficient building accommodated approximately 200 employees plus a call center staffed by about 150.
By 1995, sales had climbed to $110 million with a workforce numbering around 400; however, economic challenges led to cutbacks including closure of the downtown store and discontinuation of The Primary Layer catalog in 1996. At that time, catalog sales accounted for roughly 90% of total revenue. Rebecca Jewett took over as president while Emrick remained chairman and CEO. The company received recognition for its environmental initiatives—such as using recycled paper—including Portland’s Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow award in 1997 and induction into the Green Mail Hall of Fame by the Center for a New American Dream in 2004.
In response to security concerns following the anthrax attacks of 2001, Norm Thompson stopped using corn starch on its catalogs. The Hillsboro headquarters expanded by leasing adjoining space in 2005. The original Northwest Portland retail outlet closed in March 2006, leaving two outlet stores plus the airport location operational; annual sales neared $200 million with Sahalie and Solutions as significant divisions.
Golden Gate Capital Partners’ Catalog Holdings acquired Norm Thompson in March 2006; Neale Attenborough succeeded Emrick as CEO. The Hillsboro call center was closed in 2007 with operations consolidated to Pennsylvania; headquarters remained staffed by approximately 150 employees. By 2008, the Portland Airport store had closed and was replaced by Columbia Sportswear.
In May 2016, Norm Thompson announced plans to close its Hillsboro headquarters resulting in layoffs affecting nearly half of its roughly 80 employees there; remaining personnel were relocated to a smaller satellite office nearby.
Operations
Norm Thompson Outfitters maintained its corporate headquarters in Middleton, Massachusetts, complemented by a distribution facility located in Irvine, Pennsylvania. The company specializes in premium merchandise, featuring collections of men's and women's clothing, footwear, gourmet foods, gifts, home furnishings, and kitchen accessories. Women comprise more than 80% of the customer base. The top-selling product lines include the Solutions brand, with the primary Norm Thompson catalog and Sahalie following closely behind.