Patagonia founder among America's top 25 leaders
US News has listed Patagonia founder and CEO, Yvon Chouinard, as one of America's top 25 leaders.
The outdoor sports enthusiast started out in business as a self-taught blacksmith in the 1950s, making metal pitons for him and his friends to use as anchors during climbing expeditions. By 1970 his business, Chouinard Equipment was the largest supplier of climbing hardware in the US.
He established Patagonia in the early seventies with the aim of providing insulating clothing that didn’t absorb moisture. Environmental issues were an important part of its business ethics right from the outset. One of its most significant decisions was to use 100% organic cotton across its sportswear offering, leading the way for other major brands to do the same.
"The reason I am in business is I want to protect what I love," Mr Chouinard told the news organisation. "I used to spend 250 days a year sleeping on the ground. I've climbed on every continent. I'm old enough to have seen the destruction."
He added that, despite the global downturn, the company is expecting 2009 to be its best year to-date. Since 1985, Patagonia has donated 1% of its annual sales to grass-roots environmental groups and has encouraged more than 1,200 companies to follow its lead.
