Nathan Swartz
BornJuly 1902
Odessa, Russian Empire
DiedAugust 1984
NationalityUkrainian
American
OccupationBusinessman
Known forFounder of Timberland
SpouseMarried
Children2 sons
RelativesJeffrey Swartz (grandson)

Nathan Swartz (July 1902 – August 1984) was a Ukrainian-born American shoemaker and businessman, known for founding the Timberland Company.

Early life

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]

Career

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]

Family

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]

Trivia

Swartz lost several fingers in an industrial accident.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Russian Heritage Museum: Nathan Swartz". Russian Heritage Museum. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  2. 1 2 Clark, Andrew (Mar 18, 2010). "Timberland boss Jeffrey Swartz puts the boot in – over his own failures". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  3. ↑ "The Timberland Company". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  4. ↑ Schechter, Asher (Mar 16, 2012). "Meet the Jewish Billionaire Who Studies Torah Every Morning". Haaretz. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  5. ↑ "Sidney W. Swartz: Executive Profile & Biography". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  6. ↑ de la Merced, Michael J. (2011). "VF Corporation to Buy Timberland". The New York Times.


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