Filson has brought a veteran of the outdoors industry on board as its new chief.
The Seattle-based outdoor apparel and accessories brand, division of Bedrock Manufacturing Co., has named Tim Bantle president. Bantle served most recently as chief executive officer of Eddie Bauer and has also held leadership roles at The North Face, Timberland and other well-known outdoors brands.
At Filson, he will be charged with leading the next phase of growth for the 128-year-old heritage brand.
“Tim has an exceptional track record of developing strategic plans that drive long-term, sustainable growth while preserving the unique heritage of each brand he has led,” said Steve Katzman, chief executive officer of Bedrock. “We are thrilled to welcome Tim to the Filson team and look forward to his leadership in guiding this iconic brand into new opportunities for growth and innovation.”
Bantle, whose last day at Eddie Bauer was on Friday and who started at Filson on Monday, said he “had a wonderful time at Eddie Bauer working on the rebrand and the integration into SPARC.” In 2021, Authentic Brands Group and SPARC, its joint venture with Simon Properties, acquired Eddie Bauer from the PSEB Group, an operating group owned by Golden Gate Capital. Just last week, SPARC named Ken Ohashi, the CEO of Brooks Brothers and part of its portfolio, to become brand CEO of both Brooks Brothers and Eddie Bauer as well as part of a new company it created with JCPenney, Brookfield Corp. and Shein named Catalyst Brands.
From Bantle’s perspective, he said when Filson reached out to see if he was interested in coming on board, he was immediately swayed by the brand’s reputation and “product integrity.” It didn’t hurt that it is also based in Seattle where Eddie Bauer is headquartered so he didn’t have to relocate. “Filson is an extremely legendary brand in the Seattle market,” he said. “It’s in a pristine state with deep product roots and great retail stores.”
He believes that the time is right for Filson to break out. “It’s a premium brand with outdoor and workwear heritage which is timely in today’s culture. It’s been growing well and it’s set up for a nice period of growth.” Although it’s still early days, he said he believes there are “two vectors” of growth for the brand: domestic and international wholesale. Filson has a small business outside the U.S. now and Bantle believes its aesthetic will resonate around the world with hunting, fishing and sporting goods retailers as well as department stores.
Bantle knows a lot about those markets thanks to his 20-plus years of experience in the outdoor space. Before joining Eddie Bauer in the fall of 2022, he served as general manager of VF Canada, where he oversaw The North Face, Vans, Timberland, and Smartwool. He also held senior executive positions at The North Face, where he served as global general manager for the lifestyle business unit; Black Diamond Equipment, where he served as managing director; and Patagonia, where he spearheaded the launch of several key product lines, including the Nano Puff, Down Sweater, and Black Hole franchises.
Bedrock pointed to Bantle’s experience in Europe, Canada, and Asia as key to the hire, adding that one of his key missions will be to introduce Filson to untapped domestic and international markets while staying true to its deep heritage and dedication to high quality craftsmanship.
“With its beautifully curated product portfolio and immersive retail experiences, Filson represents a strong foundation for growth,” Bantle said. “I’m excited to collaborate with the team to bring Filson’s deep authenticity and distinctive products to a broader audience across the U.S. and around the world.”
Filson has 16 retail locations around the world — 11 in the U.S., two in Canada, one in Japan, and two in Italy. Bedrock was established in 2005 and also owns the Shinola brand.
