Turtle Fur Names New CEO
● The Vermont-based company sold a majority stake to Camano Capital last year.
Turtle Fur has a new head honcho.
Last June, Richard Sontag, the owner of the Vermont-based cold-weather accessories brand, sold a majority stake in the business to Minneapolis-based Camano Capital. He said at the time that the plan was to bring in a new chief executive officer to help the brand grow beyond its core competency in headwear.
Now that person is on board, along with two other key hires.
The new CEO is Jim Osgood, who brings more than 30 years of experience to the role, including 15 years as president and CEO of outdoor companies including Klean Kanteen and Cascade Designs Inc. At Turtle Fur, he will be responsible for expanding into new markets and product categories.
“Like so many of us, I've grown up with Turtle Fur. It's been my go-to gear for staying comfortable and cozy on the ski slopes as well as every day when cruising around town,” Osgood said. “It's a privilege for me to be able to combine my passion for the outdoors with driving the growth and stewarding such an iconic brand with which I have a deep, personal connection.”
In addition to leading Turtle Fur, which targets the outdoor and snow sports markets, Osgood serves as board chairman for 1% for the Planet, an environmental organization cofounded by Yvon
Chouinard of Patagonia.
At the same time, Turtle Fur has brought Erika Canfield on board as vice president of marketing and e-communications and Matt Glomski as chief financial officer.
Canfield has more than 20 years of experience in the outdoor and performance sports industries including stints at Outdoor Research and Pacific Market International, which makes Stanley Thermos. At Turtle Fur, she will be responsible for driving brand strategy, expanding the company's customer base and increasing e-commerce sales.
Glomski, who was most recently
CFO at Trina Turk, will oversee the company's finances and analyze its strength and weaknesses.
Sontag, who owned the brand from 2001 to 2022, will continue to serve as a board member.
At the time of the sale last year, Sontag said he realized that his skill set was not current enough to grow the business to its full potential and it was time to pass the reins to others.
Turtle Fur was founded in 1982 by Millie Merrill, who designed the first fleece neck warmer in the basement of a children's store named the Yellow Turtle in Stowe, Vermont. She created the Turtle Fur company and expanded beyond neck warmers into hats and other accessories. When she retired in 2001, she sold the business to Sontag, who had a long history in a family-owned textile business called American Silk Label as well as with a fleece apparel and accessories brand call Nordic Gear. He combined Turtle Fur with Nordic Gear after the purchase.
Turtle Fur last December achieved B Corp certification, a designation for companies that meet social and environmental performance goals.