Nathan Swartz | |
---|---|
Born | July 1902 |
Died | August 1984 |
Nationality | Ukrainian American |
Occupation | Businessman |
Known for | Founder of Timberland |
Spouse | Married |
Children | 2 sons |
Relatives | Jeffrey Swartz (grandson) |
Nathan Swartz (July 1902 – August 1984) was a Ukrainian-born American shoemaker and businessman, known for founding the Timberland Company.
Nathan Swartz was born to a poor Jewish family in July 1902 in Odessa, Kherson Governorate, the fourth generation of a family of shoemakers.[1] Soon before the First World War, the family migrated to the US.[1]
Swartz started as an apprentice in a New York shoe repair shop. In 1952, he bought a 50% stake in the Abington Shoe Company, in Massachusetts, which later became Timberland.[1][2] He retired in 1968.[3]
Swartz had two sons, Herman and Sidney. Herman led the company from 1968 to 1986, followed by Sidney from 1986 to 1998. In 1998, Sidney's son, Jeffrey Swartz, took over.[4][5] In 2011, Jeffrey sold the company to VF in a $2B deal.[6]
Swartz lost several fingers in an industrial accident.[2]