Columbia Sportswear 10Q 2005 Q1 Quarterly report

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 10-Q

x	QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2005

¨	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from_________ to_________

COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Oregon	0-23939	93-0498284
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification Number)

14375 Northwest Science Park Drive	Portland, Oregon	97229
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

(503) 985-4000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yesx No¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yesx No¨

The number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on May 3, 2005 was 39,997,210.

COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR COMPANY

MARCH 31, 2005

INDEX TO FORM 10-Q


		PAGE NO.
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1 - Financial Statements - Columbia Sportswear Company (Unaudited)

Consolidated Balance Sheets		2

Consolidated Statements of Operations		3

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows		4

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements		5

Item 2 - Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations		10

Item 3 - Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk		22

Item 4 – Controls and Procedures		22

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 2 – Unregistered Sales of Securities and Use of Proceeds		23

Item 6 - Exhibits		23

Signature		24

Item 1 –FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR COMPANY

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)


	March 31, 2005		December 31, 2004
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	157,283	$	130,023
Short-term investments		181,050		160,205
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $7,940 and $7,825, respectively		229,424		267,653
Inventories, net (Note 2)		164,793		165,426
Deferred income taxes		21,297		22,190
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		9,447		10,536

Total current assets		763,294		756,033
Property, plant, and equipment, net		155,267		155,013
Intangibles and other assets (Note 3)		26,055		26,241
Goodwill (Note 3)		12,157		12,157

Total assets	$	956,773	$	949,444

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	69,899	$	78,309
Accrued liabilities		39,171		49,789
Deferred income taxes		1,694		1,763
Income taxes payable		16,246		11,819
Current portion of long-term debt		7,246		5,216

Total current liabilities		134,256		146,896
Long-term debt and other liabilities		13,071		12,636
Deferred income taxes		9,663		9,662

Total liabilities		156,990		169,194
Commitments and contingencies
Shareholders’ Equity:
Preferred stock; 10,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding		—		—
Common stock; 125,000 shares authorized; 40,253 and 40,126 issued and outstanding		166,617		164,317
Retained earnings		595,325		573,988
Accumulated other comprehensive income		37,841		41,945

Total shareholders’ equity		799,783		780,250

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	956,773	$	949,444

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR COMPANY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2005			2004
Net sales	$	245,706		$	206,670
Cost of sales		138,463			112,787

Gross profit		107,243			93,883

Selling, general, and administrative expense		76,791			64,529
Net licensing income		(716	)		(697	)

Income from operations		31,168			30,051

Interest income		(1,797	)		(978	)
Interest expense		390			80

Income before income tax		32,575			30,949

Income tax expense		11,238			10,987

Net income (Note 4)	$	21,337		$	19,962

Earnings per share (Note 5):
Basic	$	0.53		$	0.50
Diluted		0.52			0.49

Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic		40,143			40,318
Diluted		40,659			40,996

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR COMPANY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2005			2004
Cash Provided By (Used In) Operating Activities:
Net income	$	21,337		$	19,962
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		5,742			5,389
Loss on disposal of property, plant, and equipment		69			47
Deferred income taxes		915			787
Tax benefit from employee stock plans		2,324			1,761

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable		35,015			34,973
Inventories		(953	)		(1,381	)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		1,051			(1,514	)
Other assets		126			85
Accounts payable		(2,368	)		(11,840	)
Accrued liabilities		(11,986	)		(10,779	)
Income taxes payable		3,144			1,898
Other liabilities		(26	)		—

Net cash provided by operating activities		54,390			39,388

Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities:
Purchases of short-term investments		(77,745	)		(223,400	)
Sales of short-term investments		56,900			171,850
Capital expenditures		(4,762	)		(11,186	)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant, and equipment		—			5

Net cash used in investing activities		(25,607	)		(62,731	)

Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities:
Proceeds from notes payable		446			7,296
Repayments on notes payable		(446	)		(7,296	)
Repayment of long-term debt		(521	)		(516	)
Proceeds from employee stock plans		5,340			4,044
Repurchase of common stock		(4,514	)		—

Net cash provided by financing activities		305			3,528

Net Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash		(1,828	)		363

Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents		27,260			(19,452	)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Period		130,023			105,476

Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Period	$	157,283		$	86,024

Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information:
Cash paid during the period for interest, net of capitalized interest	$	392		$	81
Cash paid during the period for income taxes		5,194			6,683

Supplemental Disclosures of Non-Cash Financing Activities:
Assumption of long-term debt from property acquisition	$	3,075		$	—

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR COMPANY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

NOTE 1 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of presentation:

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the management of Columbia Sportswear Company (the “Company”) and in the opinion of management contain all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2005, the results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2005 and 2004 and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2005 and 2004. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2005 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“generally accepted accounting principles”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company, however, believes that the disclosures contained in this report comply with the requirements of Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004.

Certain reclassifications of amounts reported in the prior period financial statements have been made to conform to classifications used in the current period financial statements.

Use of estimates:

The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates and assumptions. Some of these estimates relate to revenue recognition, allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory, product warranty, and income taxes.

Cash and cash equivalents:

Cash and cash equivalents are stated at cost and include investments with maturities of three months or less at the date of acquisition. Cash and cash equivalents were $157,283,000 and $130,023,000, at March 31, 2005 and December 31, 2004, respectively, primarily consisting of money market funds and certificates of deposit.

Short-term investments:

Short-term investments consist of variable rate demand notes and obligations and municipal auction rate notes that generally mature up to 30 years from the purchase date. Short-term investments also include par value preferred auction rate securities. Investments with maturities beyond one year may be classified as short-term based on their highly liquid nature and because such marketable securities represent the investment of cash that is available for current operations. All cash and short-term investments are classified as available-for-sale securities and are recorded at fair value with any unrealized gains and losses reported, net of tax, in other comprehensive income. Realized gains or losses are determined based on the specific identification method. The Company has no investments considered to be trading securities. The carrying value of available-for-sale securities approximates fair market value due to their short maturities.

Stock-based compensation:

The Company has elected to follow the accounting provisions of Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25 (“APB 25”), “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees,” for stock-based compensation and to furnish the pro forma disclosures required under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 148, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation – Transition and Disclosure.” No stock-based employee compensation cost is reflected in net income because all options granted under those plans had an exercise price no less than the market value of the underlying common stock on the date of the grant.

The following table illustrates the effect on net income and earnings per share if the Company had applied the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation,” to stock-based compensation (in thousands, except per share amounts):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2005		2004
Net income, as reported	$	21,337	$	19,962
Add: Stock-based employee compensation expense included in reported net income, net of tax		—		—
Deduct: Total stock-based employee compensation expense determined under fair value based method for all awards, net of tax		2,329		2,209

Pro forma net income	$	19,008	$	17,753

Earnings per share—basic
As reported	$	0.53	$	0.50
Pro forma		0.47		0.44
Earnings per share—diluted
As reported	$	0.52	$	0.49
Pro forma		0.47		0.43

The effects of applying SFAS No. 123 in this pro forma disclosure are not necessarily indicative of future amounts.

Product warranty:

Some of our products carry limited warranty provisions for defects in quality and workmanship. A reserve is established at the time of sale to cover estimated warranty costs based on the Company’s history of warranty repairs and replacements. A summary of accrued warranties for the three months ended March 31, 2005 and 2004 is as follows (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2005			2004
Balance at beginning of period	$	9,140		$	8,642
Charged to costs and expenses		1,542			1,277
Claims settled		(1,284	)		(1,286	)

Balance at end of period	$	9,398		$	8,633

Recent Accounting Pronouncements:

In December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued SFAS No. 153, “Exchange of Nonmonetary Assets – An Amendment of Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 29.” SFAS No. 153 eliminates the exception from fair value measurement for nonmonetary exchanges of similar productive assets in paragraph 21(b) of APB Opinion No. 29 and replaces it with an exception for exchanges that do not have commercial substance. SFAS No. 153 specifies that a nonmonetary exchange has commercial substance if the future cash flows of the entity are expected to change significantly as a result of the exchange. SFAS No. 153 is effective for the fiscal periods beginning after June 15, 2005. The Company is evaluating the effect of the adoption of SFAS No. 153 but does not expect the adoption of this statement to have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In December 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 123R, “Share-Based Payment,” a revision of SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock Based Compensation” which supersedes APB Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees.” SFAS No. 123R requires all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, be recognized in the financial statements based on their fair values effective for the first interim or annual period beginning after June 14, 2005, with early adoption encouraged. In April 2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted a rule that amends the effective dates for SFAS No. 123R. The SEC’s new rule allows companies to implement SFAS No. 123R at the beginning of the next fiscal year, instead of the next reporting period, that begins after June 15, 2005. Therefore, the Company will implement SFAS No. 123R in the first quarter of 2006. The pro-forma disclosures previously permitted under SFAS No. 123 will no longer be an alternative to financial statement recognition. The Company is evaluating the impact that SFAS No. 123R will have on its consolidated financial position and earnings per share.

American Jobs Creation Act of 2004.” These staff positions provide accounting guidance on how companies should account for the effects of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (the “Act”) that was signed into law on October 22, 2004. FSP No. 109-1 states that tax relief (special tax deduction for domestic manufacturing) from this legislation should be accounted for as a special deduction instead of a tax rate reduction. FSP 109-2 gives a company additional time to evaluate the effects of the legislation on any plan for reinvestment or repatriation of foreign earnings for purposes of applying SFAS No. 109. The Company is evaluating all U.S. Treasury guidance as well as awaiting anticipated further guidance. The Company expects to complete this evaluation within a reasonable amount of time after additional guidance is published. The Company estimates that the range of possible amounts considered for repatriation under this provision is between $0 and $150 million. The potential range of income tax is subject to various factors and will become determinable once further guidance has been issued.

In November 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 151, “Inventory Costs – An Amendment of Accounting Research Bulletin (“ARB”) No. 43, Chapter 4.” SFAS No. 151 requires abnormal amounts of inventory costs related to idle facility, freight, handling costs and wasted material (spoilage) expenses to be recognized as current period charges. In addition, SFAS No. 151 requires that the allocation of fixed production overheads to the costs of conversion be based on the normal capacity of the production facilities. SFAS No. 151 is effective for the fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2005. The Company believes that the adoption of this statement will not have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

NOTE 2 - INVENTORIES

Inventories are carried at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined using the first-in, first-out method. The Company periodically reviews its inventory for excess, close-out and slow moving items and makes provisions as necessary to properly reflect inventory value.

Inventories consist of the following (in thousands):


	March 31, 2004		December 31, 2004
Raw materials	$	2,481	$	2,905
Work in process		12,107		8,323
Finished goods		150,205		154,198

	$	164,793	$	165,426

NOTE 3 - INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL

The Company adopted SFAS No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets,” effective January 1, 2002. In accordance with SFAS No. 142, certain intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are no longer being amortized and are periodically evaluated for impairment. Certain intangible assets that are determined to have finite lives continue to be amortized over their useful lives. The Company reviews and tests its goodwill and intangible assets for impairment in the fourth quarter of each year and when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may be impaired.

The following table summarizes the Company’s identifiable intangible assets balance (in thousands):


	March 31, 2005					December 31, 2004
	Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization
Intangible assets subject to amortization:
Patents	$	1,200	$	(168	)	$	1,200	$	(147	)

Intangible assets not subject to amortization:
Trademarks and trade names	$	21,971				$	21,971
Goodwill		12,157					12,157

	$	34,128				$	34,128

Amortization expense for intangible assets subject to amortization is estimated to be $84,000 in each of 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Other non-current assets totaled $3,052,000 and $3,217,000 at March 31, 2005 and December 31, 2004, respectively.

NOTE 4 - COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) reported on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets consists of foreign currency translation adjustments and the unrealized gains and losses, net of applicable taxes, on derivative transactions. Comprehensive income, net of related tax effects, is as follows (in thousands):


	Three months ended March 31,
	2005			2004
Net income	$	21,337		$	19,962
Other comprehensive income:
Unrealized derivative holding gains arising during period		2,019			1,792
Reclassification to net income of previously deferred (gains) losses on derivative transactions		1,360			937
Foreign currency translation adjustments		(7,483	)		(2,650	)

Other comprehensive income		(4,104	)		(79	)

Total comprehensive income	$	17,233		$	20,041

Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of related tax effects, consisted of the following (in thousands):


	Foreign currency translation			Unrealized holding gains (losses) on derivative transactions			Accumulated other comprehensive income
Balance at December 31, 2004	$	44,979		$	(3,034	)	$	41,945
Activity for the three months ended March 31, 2005		(7,483	)		3,379			(4,104	)

Balance at March 31, 2005	$	37,496		$	345		$	37,841

NOTE 5 - EARNINGS PER SHARE

SFAS No. 128, “Earnings per Share,” requires dual presentation of basic and diluted earnings per share (“EPS”). Basic EPS is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted EPS reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock.

There were no adjustments to net income in computing diluted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2005 and 2004. A reconciliation of the common shares used in the denominator for computing basic and diluted EPS is as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):


	Three months ended March 31,
	2005		2004
Weighted average common shares outstanding, used in computing basic earnings per share		40,143		40,318
Effect of dilutive stock options		516		678

Weighted-average common shares outstanding, used in computing diluted earnings per share		40,659		40,996

Earnings per share of common stock:
Basic	$	0.53	$	0.50
Diluted		0.52		0.49

Options to purchase an additional 15,500 and -0- shares of common stock were outstanding for the three months ended March 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively, but these shares were excluded in the computation of diluted EPS because their effect would be anti-dilutive.

In April 2004, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $100 million of the Company’s common stock. In January 2005, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $100 million of the Company’s common stock. Shares of the Company’s common stock may be purchased in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions, subject to market conditions. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to acquire any specific number of shares or to acquire shares over any specified period of time. As of March 31, 2005, the Company had repurchased 880,523 shares under this program at an aggregate purchase price of $47.6 million.

NOTE 6- SEGMENT INFORMATION

The Company operates in one industry segment: the design, production, marketing and selling of active outdoor apparel, including outerwear, sportswear, footwear, related accessories and equipment.

The geographic distribution of the Company’s net sales, income before income tax, and identifiable assets are summarized in the following tables (in thousands). In addition to the geographic distribution of net sales, the Company’s net sales by major product line are also summarized below. Inter-geographic net sales, which are recorded at a negotiated mark-up and eliminated in consolidation, are not material.


	Three months ended March 31,
	2005		2004
Net sales to unrelated entities:
United States	$	136,335	$	115,258
Europe		46,589		42,932
Canada		25,867		22,376
Other International		36,915		26,104

	$	245,706	$	206,670

Income (loss) before income tax:
United States	$	11,888	$	15,380
Europe		9,425		9,237
Canada		4,691		(70	)
Other International		4,765		4,534
Interest and other income (expense) and eliminations		1,806		1,868

	$	32,575	$	30,949


	March 31, 2005			December 31, 2004
Assets:
United States	$	842,037		$	835,108
Europe		209,082			215,534
Canada		87,704			89,960
Other International		73,009			82,063

Total identifiable assets		1,211,832			1,222,665
Eliminations and reclassifications		(255,059	)		(273,221	)

Total assets	$	956,773		$	949,444


	Three months ended March 31,
	2005		2004
Net sales to unrelated entities:
Outerwear	$	51,217	$	40,442
Sportswear		132,156		116,965
Footwear		49,847		38,385
Accessories		9,121		8,225
Equipment		3,365		2,653

	$	245,706	$	206,670

NOTE 7 - FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND RISK MANAGEMENT

As part of the Company’s risk management programs, the Company uses a variety of financial instruments, including foreign currency option and forward exchange contracts. The Company does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes.

The Company hedges against the currency risk associated with firmly committed and anticipated transactions for the next twelve months denominated in European euros, Canadian dollars or Japanese yen.

The Company accounts for these instruments as cash flow hedges. In accordance with SFAS No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activity,” as amended, such financial instruments are marked to market with the offset to accumulated other comprehensive income and subsequently recognized as a component of cost of goods sold when the underlying transaction is recognized. Hedge effectiveness is determined by evaluating whether gains and losses on hedges will offset gains and losses on the underlying exposures. Hedge ineffectiveness was not material during the three months ended March 31, 2005 and 2004.

Item 2 –MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

This quarterly report contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include any statements related to our expectations regarding future performance or conditions, including any statements regarding anticipated sales growth across markets, distribution channels, and product categories, access to raw materials and factory capacity, and financing and working capital requirements and resources.

These forward-looking statements, and others we make from time to time, are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements, including the risks described below under the heading “Factors That May Affect Our Business and the Price of Our Common Stock.” We do not undertake any duty to update forward-looking statements after the date they are made or to conform them to actual results or to changes in circumstances or expectations.

The following discussion of our results of operations and liquidity and capital resources, including known trends and uncertainties identified by management, should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Accompanying Notes that appear elsewhere in this quarterly report.

All references to quarters relate to the quarter ended March 31 of the particular year.

Overview

Since our initial public offering in 1998, our net sales have steadily increased from $427.3 million in 1998 to $1,095.3 million in 2004, which equates to a compound annual growth rate of 17.0% for this period. Although we cannot predict future results with certainty, our long-term goal is to capitalize on global market opportunities for each of our key product categories. We are committed to our growth strategies of enhancing the retail productivity of our customers, leveraging our brands in international markets, further developing our product categories, selectively broadening our retail distribution channels and expanding the global awareness of our brands through license agreements. With our well developed sourcing and distribution infrastructure and proven design and product development team, we believe that we are well positioned for future long-term growth.

Highlights for the quarter ended March 31, 2005 are as follows:

•

Our backlog for the fall 2005 selling season as of March 31, 2005 decreased $18.4 million, or 2.8%, to $645.6 million from $664.0 million as of March 31, 2004. Excluding changes in currency exchange rates, fall 2005 backlog decreased $29.6 million, or 4.5%. The decrease in our fall backlog is largely the result of weak outerwear orders in the United States. We attribute the weakness in outerwear orders to poor sell-through during the fall 2004 season due to unseasonably warm weather conditions, increasingly competitive United States outerwear market conditions in both high end and low end branded outerwear, retail consolidation at key customers and the timing of the receipt of orders. Although we cannot predict with certainty any future results, our reported backlog is one indicator of our anticipated sales for the fall 2005 selling season. Many factors, however, could cause actual sales to differ materially from reported future order backlog. Moreover, our fall 2005 backlog is not indicative of, and should not be utilized in forecasting sales beyond the fall 2005 selling season.

•

Net sales increased $39.0 million, or 18.9%, to $245.7 million from $206.7 million for the comparable period in 2004. Excluding changes in currency exchange rates, net sales increased 15.9%. Net sales increased in every geography in which we operate. However, over 50% of the increase in first quarter net sales was the result of increased sales in the United States. First quarter net sales also increased for each of our major product categories.

•

Gross margin decreased 180 basis points to 43.6% from 45.4% in the first quarter of 2004. The decrease was largely the result of an increase in fall 2004 product close-out sales at lower gross margins. Close-out sales increased due to an accumulation of excess outerwear inventory, which primarily resulted from unseasonably warm weather during the fourth quarter of 2004.

•

Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) remained constant as a percentage of net sales at 31.2% in the first quarter of both 2005 and 2004. For full year 2005, we anticipate SG&A expense will increase as a percentage of net sales primarily due to the operating costs associated with our new distribution center in Kentucky as well as incremental personnel costs needed to support our growth strategies. We expect that depreciation and amortization will increase to $24 million in 2005 as we have placed new distribution capital investments in service.

•

Net income increased 6.5% from the comparable period in 2004 to $21.3 million and diluted earnings per share increased to $0.52.

•

During the first quarter, we placed our new distribution center in Henderson County, Kentucky in service, and we have been shipping spring 2005 merchandise through the facility since January. We will begin shipping some Mountain Hardwear^® products from the Kentucky distribution center beginning with the fall 2005 season.

•

In April 2004, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $100 million of our common stock. In January 2005, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of an additional $100 million of our common stock. Shares of our common stock may be purchased in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions, subject to market conditions. The repurchase program does not obligate us to acquire any specific number of shares or to acquire shares over any specified period of time. As of March 31, 2005, we had purchased 880,523 shares of our common stock for approximately $47.6 million.

Results of Operations

Net income increased $1.3 million, or 6.5%, to $21.3 million for the first quarter of 2005 from $20.0 million for the comparable period in 2004. Diluted earnings per share increased $0.03 to $0.52 for the first quarter of 2005 from $0.49 for the comparable period in 2004.

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the percentage relationship to net sales of specified items in our consolidated statements of operations:


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2005		2004
Net sales	100.0	%	100.0	%
Cost of sales	56.4		54.6

Gross profit	43.6		45.4
Selling, general and administrative	31.2		31.2
Net licensing income	(0.3	)	(0.3	)

Income from operations	12.7		14.5
Interest income, net	(0.6	)	(0.5	)

Income before income tax	13.3		15.0
Income tax expense	4.6		5.3

Net income	8.7	%	9.7	%

Quarter Ended March 31, 2005 Compared to Quarter Ended March 31, 2004

Net Sales:Consolidated net sales increased 18.9% to $245.7 million for the first quarter of 2005 from $206.7 million for the comparable period in 2004. The majority of our sales growth was attributable to increased shipments in the United States, particularly shipments of sportswear and footwear. Outerwear sales also increased significantly due to increased sales in our Other International businesses and the United States.

Net sales increased in each major geographic region, led by the United States, followed by our Other International, European and Canadian businesses. Sales growth was attributable to an increase in unit sales volume across all product categories and geographic markets except Japan, where unit sales volume decreased slightly. Although our sales product mix did not change as significantly in the first quarter of 2005, we anticipate our sales product mix to become more heavily weighted toward sportswear and footwear for full year 2005 compared to 2004.

Net sales from outerwear increased $10.8 million, or 26.7%, to $51.2 million for the first quarter of 2005 from $40.4 million for the comparable period in 2004. Sales of outerwear increased in each of our geographic markets led by Other International, followed by the United States, Canada and Europe. The increase in outerwear sales stemmed primarily from increased shipments from our Other International businesses and the United States. Colder weather had a favorable impact on outerwear sales in Japan and Korea while international distributor outerwear sales growth was led by our distributors in Russia and Argentina. Although outerwear sales increased in the United States, we attribute this sales growth to an increase in close-out sales which resulted from excess inventory from our fall 2004 season. Unseasonably warm weather in North America during the fourth quarter of 2004 led to higher than normal outerwear cancellations and excess outerwear inventory at December 31, 2004.

Net sales from sportswear increased $15.2 million, or 13.0%, to $132.2 million for the first quarter of 2005 from $117.0 million for the comparable period in 2004. Sportswear sales growth was led by the United States, followed by Canada, Other International and Europe. The increase in sportswear sales resulted primarily from increased shipments in the United States. Sportswear sales growth in the United States was predominately driven by our men’s product line, particularly shorts, woven and knit tops, pants and sweaters. During the quarter, sportswear sales increased in all sales channels in the United States. Sportswear sales growth in Europe and Other International was much less than the United States and Canada. The cold weather conditions that had a favorable impact on outerwear sales in Japan and Korea had an inverse effect on sportswear sales, whereas sportswear sales to our international distributors increased significantly.

Net sales from footwear increased $11.4 million, or 29.7%, to $49.8 million for the first quarter of 2005 from $38.4 million for the comparable period in 2004. Footwear sales growth was led by the United States, followed by Europe, Other International and Canada. Increased shipments of footwear in the United States represented the majority of the total increase in footwear sales. Footwear sales growth in the United States was achieved within all major sales channels except for the department store channel. The United States sales growth was predominately the result of increased sales from our sandals product lines. Europe’s footwear sales growth was largely achieved through the sports specialty sales channel. Sales of men’s hiking boots and trail shoes sold particularly well in Europe during the quarter.

Net sales from accessories increased $0.9 million, or 11.0%, to $9.1 million for the first quarter of 2005 from $8.2 million for the comparable period in 2004. Accessories sales growth was led by Other International, followed by Canada, Europe and the United States.

Net sales from equipment increased $0.7 million, or 25.9%, to $3.4 million for the first quarter of 2005 from $2.7 million for the comparable period in 2004. The vast majority of equipment sales were generated by sales of Mountain Hardwear products in the United States. However, sales growth was mainly attributable to an increase in Mountain Hardwear equipment sales in international distributor markets.

Net sales in the United States increased $21.0 million, or 18.2%, to $136.3 million for the first quarter of 2005 from $115.3 million for the comparable period in 2004. Net sales growth was led by sportswear, followed by footwear, outerwear, equipment and accessories. Men’s sportswear, particularly shorts, woven and knit tops, pants and sweaters, was the largest component of sportswear sales growth. The increase in footwear sales was the result of continued sales growth in our sandals product lines as well as hiking and trail styles. The increase in outerwear sales was largely due to increased close-out sales.

Europe’s direct net sales increased $3.7 million, or 8.6%, to $46.6 million for the first quarter of 2005 from $42.9 million for the comparable period in 2004. Excluding changes in currency exchange rates, Europe’s net sales increased 1.9%. Net sales growth was led by footwear, followed by outerwear, sportswear, equipment and accessories. Footwear sales increases were largely the result of increased sales in the sports specialty sales channel, particularly the sales of men’s hiking and trail shoes and casual styles.

Canada’s net sales increased $3.5 million, or 15.6%, to $25.9 million for the first quarter of 2005 from $22.4 million for the comparable period in 2004. Excluding changes in currency exchange rates, Canada’s net sales increased 7.1%. Canada’s sales growth was fairly evenly distributed within each product category led by sportswear, followed by outerwear, footwear and accessories. Spring tops, pants and shorts in the Outdoor Issue and GRT lines drove the sportswear growth in the quarter.

Net sales from Other International, which includes our direct business in Japan and Korea and our international distributor markets worldwide, increased $10.8 million, or 41.4%, to $36.9 million for the first quarter of 2005 from $26.1 million for the comparable period in 2004. Excluding changes in currency exchange rates, other international sales increased 36.4%. Sales growth for Other International was largely the result of increased sales from our international distributor based markets; however, our Japanese and Korean direct businesses also achieved sales growth for the quarter. Net sales growth was led by outerwear, followed by footwear, sportswear, accessories and equipment. The increase in outerwear sales was attributable to cold weather conditions in Japan and Korea as well as increased sales to our distributors in Russia and Argentina. Footwear sales growth was driven by increased shipments of trail and casual shoes and hiking boots to our international distributors. Sportswear sales in Japan and Korea were adversely affected by the cold weather conditions that favorably impacted outerwear sales, whereas sportswear sales to our international distributors increased significantly.

Gross Profit:Gross profit, as a percentage of net sales, decreased to 43.6% for the first quarter of 2005 from 45.4% for the comparable period in 2004. The decrease in gross profit was largely attributable to increased close-out sales of fall 2004 product in the United States at lower gross margins. Gross profit was also negatively affected by the sales growth attributable to our international distributors, which generally carry lower margins than our direct markets, causing lower consolidated gross profit. The unfavorable gross profit impact of increased close-out and international distributor sales was partially offset by foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations as foreign currencies in our direct markets appreciated against the U.S. dollar.

Although changes in sales product mix had an unfavorable impact on our gross profit during 2004, product mix had a relatively insignificant impact on gross profit during the first quarter of 2005. In general, our outerwear products carry higher gross margins followed by our accessories, sportswear and footwear products. For the first quarter of 2005, outerwear sales represented 20.8% of total net sales compared to 19.5% of total net sales for the first quarter of 2004. This outerwear increase as a percentage of total sales is partially attributable to increased close-out sales as well as sales growth from Other International. Footwear sales also increased to 20.3% of total net sales for the first quarter of 2005 from 18.6% of total net sales for the comparable period in 2004. Sportswear and accessories decreased as a percentage of total net sales to 53.8% and 3.7% for the first quarter of 2005 compared to 56.6% and 4.0% for the first quarter of 2004, respectively. Despite the nominal impact of product mix in the first quarter of 2005, we anticipate shifts in product sales mix will continue to exert pressure on our gross profits for the remainder of 2005.

The unfavorable impacts on gross profit from increased close-out and international distributor sales were partially offset by the appreciation of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar, particularly the Euro and Canadian dollar. Since our global supply of inventory is generally purchased with U.S. dollars, our foreign businesses have benefited from the decreasing value of the U.S. dollar. This favorable gross profit impact has been most noticeable in our European, Canadian and Japanese businesses.

Our gross profits may not be comparable to those of other companies in our industry because some entities include all of the costs related to their distribution network in cost of sales. Some companies such as ours, however, have chosen to include these expenses as a component of selling, general and administrative expense.

Selling, General and Administrative Expense: SG&A includes all costs associated with our design, marketing, distribution and corporate functions, including depreciation and amortization.

SG&A expense increased $12.3 million, or 19.1%, to $76.8 million for the first quarter of 2005 from $64.5 million for the comparable period in 2004. As a percentage of net sales, SG&A was flat at 31.2% for the first quarter of 2005 and 2004.

Selling expense, including commissions and advertising, increased to 10.5% of net sales for the first quarter of 2005 from 10.1% for the comparable period in 2004. This increase is primarily due to an increase in our United States advertising spending for 2005 to further promote the Columbia brand.

The increase in general and administrative expense was primarily due to increases in personnel related costs. The increase in personnel costs was partially attributable to increased headcount at our corporate and subsidiary offices to support the higher levels of sales as well as increased headcount at our new distribution center in Kentucky. Depreciation and amortization totaled $5.6 million for the first quarter of 2005 compared to $5.4 million for the comparable period in 2004. The increase in depreciation is attributable to depreciation expense from our Kentucky distribution center placed in service in January 2005 partially offset by some assets in the United States becoming fully depreciated in the first quarter of 2004.

SG&A expense is expected to increase as a percentage of net sales in 2005, compared to 2004, primarily due to the operating costs associated with our distribution center in Kentucky, increased advertising and promotional cost and incremental personnel costs. We expect depreciation and amortization to increase to approximately $24 million in 2005 as we have placed new distribution capital investments in service.

Net Licensing Income:As our licensees have gained momentum in the marketplace with the sale of our branded products, our licensing arrangements have produced highly profitable income for the company. We derive net licensing income from income that we earn through licensing our trademarks across a range of categories that complement our current product offerings.

For the first quarter of 2005, we recognized licensing income from 10 licensees. Products distributed by the licensees included socks, packs, leather, eyewear, watches, camping gear, home furnishings and other accessories.

Net licensing income remained flat at $0.7 million for the first quarter of 2005 and 2004. The components of licensing income were led by Columbia licensed socks, followed by camping gear and eyewear products.

Interest (Income) Expense, Net: Interest income was $1.8 million for the first quarter of 2005 compared to $1.0 million for the comparable period in 2004. The increase in interest income was due to the higher cash balance and higher interest rate environment compared to the same period in 2004. Interest expense was $0.4 million for the first quarter of 2005 compared to $0.1 million for the comparable period in 2004. The increase in interest expense was primarily attributable to higher capitalized interest, which reduced interest expense in the first quarter of 2004, related to the construction of the distribution center in Henderson County, Kentucky.

Income Tax Expense: The provision for income taxes increased to $11.2 million for the first quarter of 2005 from $11.0 million for the comparable period in 2004. The reduction in the effective tax rate from 35.5% to 34.5% was due primarily to reductions in international tax expense.

Seasonality of Business

Our business is affected by the general seasonal trends common to the outdoor apparel industry, with sales and profits highest in the third calendar quarter. Our products are marketed on a seasonal basis, with product sales mix weighted substantially toward the fall season. Results of operations in any period should not be considered indicative of the results to be expected for any future period. Sales of our products are subject to substantial cyclical fluctuation and impacts from unseasonable weather conditions. Sales tend to decline in periods of recession or uncertainty regarding future economic prospects that affect consumer spending, particularly on discretionary items. This cyclicality and any related fluctuation in consumer demand could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and financial position.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our primary ongoing funding requirements are to finance working capital and to continue to grow the business. At March 31, 2005, we had total cash equivalents of $157.3 million compared to $130.0 million at December 31, 2004. Cash provided by operating activities was $54.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2005 and $39.4 million for the comparable period in 2004. This change was primarily due to a decrease in accounts payable resulting from payments made for spring 2005 inventory, an increase in net income, and an increase in prepaid and other current assets.

Our primary capital requirements are for working capital, investing activities associated with the expansion of our global operations and general corporate needs. Net cash used in investing activities was $25.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2005 and $62.7 million for the comparable period in 2004. For the 2005 period, net cash used in investing activities primarily consisted of net purchases of short-term investments of $20.8 million and $4.8 million for capital expenditures. For the 2004 period, net cash used in investing activities included net purchases of short-term investments of $51.5 million and capital expenditures of $11.2 million, primarily related to the construction of the distribution center in Kentucky, which began operating in January 2005.

Cash provided by financing activities was $0.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2005 and $3.5 million for the comparable period in 2004. For the 2005 period, net cash provided by financing activities primarily consisted of proceeds from the sale of stock under employee stock plans of $5.3 million, offset by the repurchase of $4.5 million of common stock. For the 2004 period, net cash provided by financing activities primarily consisted of proceeds from the sale of stock under employee stock plans of $4.0 million.

To fund our domestic working capital requirements, we have available unsecured revolving lines of credit with aggregate seasonal limits ranging from approximately $30 million to $75 million, of which $5 million to $50 million is committed. As of March 31, 2005, no balances were outstanding under these lines of credit. Internationally, our subsidiaries have local currency operating lines in place that we guarantee with a combined limit of approximately $60.0 million at March 31, 2005. There were no balances outstanding under these lines of credit at March 31, 2005.

Additionally, we maintain unsecured import lines of credit with a combined limit of approximately $325 million at March 31, 2005, available for issuing documentary letters of credit. At March 31, 2005, outstanding letters of credit totaled $85.1 million.

As we continue our investment in global infrastructure to support our growth, we anticipate that capital expenditures for 2005 will total approximately $40 million, consisting of maintenance capital requirements and distribution and information technology projects. We expect to fund these capital expenditures with existing cash and cash provided by operations. If the need arises for additional expenditures, we may need to seek additional funding. Our ability to obtain additional credit facilities will depend on many factors, including prevailing market conditions, our financial condition, and our ability to negotiate favorable terms and conditions. There is no assurance that financing will be available on terms that are acceptable or favorable to us, if at all.

Our operations are affected by seasonal trends typical in the outdoor apparel industry, and have historically resulted in higher sales and profits in the third calendar quarter. This pattern has resulted primarily from the timing of shipments to wholesale customers for the fall outerwear season. We believe that our liquidity requirements for at least the next 12 months will be adequately covered by existing cash, cash provided by operations and existing short-term borrowing arrangements.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make various estimates and judgments that affect reported amounts of assets, liabilities, sales, cost of sales and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We believe that the estimates, assumptions and judgments involved in the accounting policies described below have the greatest potential impact on our financial

statements, so we consider these to be our critical accounting policies and estimates. Because of the uncertainty inherent in these matters, actual results could differ from the estimates we use in applying the critical accounting policies. We base our ongoing estimates on historical experience and other various assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Many of these critical accounting policies affect working capital account balances, including the policy for revenue recognition, the allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable, the provision for potential excess, close-out and slow moving inventory, product warranty and income taxes.

Management and our independent auditors regularly discuss with our audit committee each of our critical accounting estimates and the development and selection of these accounting estimates and the disclosure about each estimate in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. These discussions typically occur at our quarterly audit committee meetings and include the basis and methodology used in developing and selecting these estimates; the trends in and amounts of these estimates; specific matters affecting the amount of and changes in these estimates, and any other relevant matters related to these estimates, including significant issues concerning accounting principles and financial statement presentation.

Revenue Recognition

We record wholesale and licensed product revenues when title passes and the risks and rewards of ownership have passed to the customer, based on the terms of sale. Title generally passes upon shipment or upon receipt by the customer depending on the country of the sale and the agreement with the customer. Retail store revenues are recorded at the time of sale.

In some countries outside of the United States, predominantly where we sell directly in Western Europe, precise information regarding the date of receipt by the customer is not readily available. In these cases, we estimate the date of receipt by the customer based on historical and expected delivery times by geographic location. We periodically test the accuracy of these estimates based on actual transactions. Delivery times vary by geographic location, generally from one to four days. To date, we have found these estimates to be materially accurate.

Upon shipment, we also provide for estimated sales returns and miscellaneous claims from customers as reductions to revenues. The estimates are based on historical rates of product returns and claims that have ranged from approximately one to two percent of sales. However, actual returns and claims in any future period are inherently uncertain and thus may differ from the estimates. If actual or expected future returns and claims were significantly greater or lower than the reserves that had been established, we would record a reduction or increase to net revenues in the period in which we made such a determination.

Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts Receivable

We make ongoing estimates for the uncollectibility of our accounts receivable and maintain an allowance for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make required payments. In determining the amount of the allowance, we consider our historical level of credit losses and we make judgments about the creditworthiness of customers based on ongoing credit evaluations. We analyze specific customer accounts, customer concentrations, current economic trends, and changes in customer payment terms. Because we cannot predict future changes in the financial stability of our customers, actual future losses from uncollectible accounts may differ from our estimates. If the financial condition of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in their inability to make payments, a larger allowance could be required. If we determine a smaller or larger allowance is appropriate, we would record a credit or a charge to SG&A expense in the period in which we made the determination.

Inventory Obsolescence and Product Warranty

We make ongoing estimates of potential future excess, close-out or slow moving inventory and product warranty costs. We identify our excess inventory, a component of which is planned, and evaluate our purchase commitments, sales forecasts, and historical experience and make provisions as necessary to properly reflect inventory value. When evaluating our reserve for warranty costs, we consider our historical returns rates by season, product mix, current economic trends, and the historical cost to repair, replace, or refund the original sale. If we determine smaller or larger reserves were appropriate, we would record a credit or a charge to cost of sales in the period we made the determination.

Income Taxes

We use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, income tax expense is recognized for the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current year and for deferred tax liabilities and assets for the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in an entity’s financial statements or tax returns. Management must make assumptions, judgments and estimates to determine our current provision for income taxes and also our deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowance to be recorded against a deferred tax asset. Our judgments, assumptions and estimates relative to the current provision for income tax take into account current tax laws, our interpretation of current tax laws and possible outcomes of current and future audits conducted by foreign and domestic tax authorities. Changes in tax law or our interpretation of tax laws and the resolution of current

and future tax audits could significantly impact the amounts provided for income taxes in our consolidated financial statements. Our assumptions, judgments and estimates relative to the value of a deferred tax asset take into account predictions of the amount and category of future taxable income. Actual operating results and the underlying amount and category of income in future years could render our current assumptions, judgments and estimates of recoverable net deferred taxes inaccurate. Any of the assumptions, judgments and estimates mentioned above could cause our actual income tax obligations to differ from our estimates, thus materially affecting our financial position and results of operations.

On a quarterly basis, we estimate what our effective tax rate will be for the full fiscal year and record a quarterly income tax provision in accordance with the anticipated effective rate. As the calendar year progresses, we periodically refine our estimate based on actual events and earnings by jurisdiction during the year. This ongoing estimation process can result in changes to our expected effective tax rate for the full calendar year. When this occurs, we adjust the income tax provision during the quarter in which the change in estimate occurs so that the year-to-date provision equals the expected annual effective tax rate.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 153, “Exchange of Nonmonetary Assets – An Amendment of Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 29.” SFAS No. 153 eliminates the exception from fair value measurement for nonmonetary exchanges of similar productive assets in paragraph 21(b) of APB Opinion No. 29 and replaces it with an exception for exchanges that do not have commercial substance. SFAS No. 153 specifies that a nonmonetary exchange has commercial substance if the future cash flows of the entity are expected to change significantly as a result of the exchange. SFAS No. 153 is effective for the fiscal periods beginning after June 15, 2005. Management is evaluating the effect of the adoption of SFAS No. 153 but does not expect the adoption of this statement to have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In December 2004, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position (“FSP”) No. 109-1, “Application of FASB Statement No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, to the Tax Deduction on Qualified Production Activities Provided by the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004,” and FSP No. 109-2, “Accounting and Disclosure Guidance for the Foreign Earnings Repatriation Provision within the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004.” These staff positions provide accounting guidance on how companies should account for the effects of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (the “Act”) that was signed into law on October 22, 2004. FSP No. 109-1 states that tax relief (special tax deduction for domestic manufacturing) from this legislation should be accounted for as a special deduction instead of a tax rate reduction. FSP 109-2 gives a company additional time to evaluate the effects of the legislation on any plan for reinvestment or repatriation of foreign earnings for purposes of applying SFAS No. 109. Management is evaluating all U.S. Treasury guidance as well as awaiting anticipated further guidance. Management expects to complete this evaluation within a reasonable amount of time after additional guidance is published. Management estimates that the range of possible amounts considered for repatriation under this provision is between $0 and $150 million. The potential range of income tax is subject to various factors and will become determinable once further guidance has been issued.

In November 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 151, “Inventory Costs – An Amendment of Accounting Research Bulletin (“ARB”) No. 43, Chapter 4.” SFAS No. 151 requires abnormal amounts of inventory costs related to idle facility, freight, handling costs and wasted material (spoilage) expenses to be recognized as current period charges. In addition, SFAS No. 151 requires that the allocation of fixed production overheads to the costs of conversion be based on the normal capacity of the production facilities. SFAS No. 151 is effective for the fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2005. Management believes that the adoption of this statement will not have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Factors That May Affect Our Business and the Price of Our Common Stock

We May be Adversely Affected by Weather Conditions

Our business is adversely affected by unseasonable weather conditions. Sales of our outerwear and cold weather footwear are dependent in part on the weather and may decline in years in which weather conditions do not favor the use of these products. For example, in 2004, unseasonably warm weather in the United States caused customers to delay, and in some cases reduce or cancel, orders for our outerwear, which had an adverse effect on our net sales and profitability. Periods of unseasonably warm weather in the fall or winter or unseasonably cold or wet weather in the spring could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We May be Adversely Affected by an Economic Downturn or Economic Uncertainty

Sales of our products are subject to substantial cyclical fluctuation. Consumer demand for our products may not reach our growth targets, or may decline, when there is an economic downturn or economic uncertainty in our key markets, particularly markets in North America and Europe. Weakness in the Japanese economy, for example, has limited growth opportunities in recent years, and a slower economy in the United States in 2002 and 2003 created additional uncertainties for our customers and our business. In addition, continued volatility in the global oil markets has resulted in rising fuel prices, which many shipping companies are passing on to their customers. Our shipping costs have continued to increase over the past several years, and we expect these increases to continue. Because we price our products to our customers in advance, we may not be able to pass these increased costs on to our customers. Rising oil prices and interest rates may also adversely affect consumer demand. Our sensitivity to economic cycles and any related fluctuation in consumer demand and rising shipping costs could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our International Operations Involve Many Risks

We are subject to the risks generally associated with doing business abroad. These risks include foreign governmental laws and regulations, foreign consumer preferences, political unrest, disruptions or delays in shipments and changes in economic conditions in countries in which we manufacture or sell products. In addition, disease outbreaks, terrorist acts and U.S. military operations have increased the risks of doing business abroad. These factors, among others, could affect our ability to sell products in international markets, our ability to manufacture products or procure materials, and our cost of doing business. If any of these or other factors make the conduct of business in a particular country undesirable or impractical, our business could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, many of our imported products are subject to duties, tariffs or quotas that affect the cost and quantity of various types of goods imported into the United States or into our other sales markets. The countries in which our products are produced or sold may eliminate, adjust or impose new quotas, duties, tariffs or other restrictions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We May be Adversely Affected by the Financial Health of Retailers

We extend credit to our customers based on an assessment of a customer’s financial circumstances, generally without requiring collateral. To assist in the scheduling of production and the shipping of seasonal products, we offer customers discounts for placing pre-season orders and extended payment terms for taking delivery before the peak shipping season. These extended payment terms increase our exposure to the risk of uncollectible receivables. In addition, we face increased risk of order reduction or cancellation when dealing with financially ailing retailers or retailers struggling with economic uncertainty. Some of our significant customers have experienced financial difficulties in the past, which in turn have had an adverse effect on our business, and we believe that retailers are being more cautious than usual with orders as a result of weakness in the retail economy. A slowing economy in our key markets could have an adverse effect on the financial health of our customers, which could in turn have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We Operate in Very Competitive Markets

The markets for outerwear, sportswear, rugged footwear, tents and sleeping bags are highly competitive, as are the markets for our licensed products. In each of our geographic markets, we face significant competition from global and regional branded apparel and footwear companies. In many instances, retailers who are our customers pose our most significant competitive threat by marketing apparel, footwear and equipment under their own labels. We also compete with other companies for the production capacity of independent manufacturers that produce our products and for import quota capacity. Many of our competitors are significantly larger and have substantially greater financial, distribution, marketing and other resources and have achieved greater recognition for their

products than we have. Increased competition could result in reductions in display areas in retail locations, reductions in sales, or reductions in our profit margins, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We May be Adversely Affected by Retailer Consolidation

When retailers combine their operations through mergers, acquisitions, or other transactions, their consolidated order volume may decrease while their bargaining power and the competitive threat they pose by marketing products under their own label may increase. Some of our significant customers have consolidated their operations in the past, which in turn has had a negative impact on our business. We expect retailer consolidation to continue, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We Face Risks Associated with Consumer Preferences and Fashion Trends

Changes in consumer preferences or consumer interest in outdoor activities could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, although we believe that our products have not been significantly affected by past fashion trends, changes in fashion trends could have a greater impact as we expand our offerings to include more product categories in more geographic areas. We also face risks because our business requires us to anticipate consumer preferences. Our decisions about product designs often are made far in advance of consumer acceptance. Although we try to manage our inventory risk through early order commitments by retailers, we must generally place production orders with manufacturers before we have received all of a season’s orders, and orders may be cancelled by retailers before shipment. If we fail to anticipate accurately and respond to consumer preferences, we could experience lower sales, excess inventories and lower profit margins, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our Success Depends on Our Use of Proprietary Rights

Our registered and common law trademarks have significant value and are important to our ability to create and sustain demand for our products. We also place significant value on our trade dress, the overall appearance and image of our products. From time to time, we discover products that are counterfeit reproductions of our products, design “knock offs,” or otherwise infringe on our proprietary rights. Counterfeiting activities typically increase as brand recognition increases, especially in markets outside the United States. If we are unsuccessful in challenging a party’s products on the basis of trademark or design infringement, continued sales of these products could adversely affect our sales and our brand and result in the shift of consumer preference away from our products. The actions we take to establish and protect trademarks and other proprietary rights may not be adequate to prevent imitation of our products by others or to prevent others from seeking to block sales of our products as violations of proprietary rights. Additionally, in markets outside of the United States, it may be more difficult for us to establish our proprietary rights and to successfully challenge use of those rights by other parties. Actions or decisions in the management of our intellectual property portfolio may affect the strength of the brand, which may in turn have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Although we have not been materially inhibited from selling products in connection with trademark and trade dress disputes, as we extend our brand into new product categories and new product lines and expand the geographic scope of our marketing, we could become subject to litigation based on allegations of the infringement of intellectual property rights of third parties. Future litigation also may be necessary to defend us against such claims or to enforce and protect our intellectual property rights. Any intellectual property litigation could be costly and could divert management’s attention from the operation of our business. Adverse determinations in any litigation could result in the loss of our proprietary rights, subject us to significant liabilities or require us to seek licenses from third parties, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. Any intellectual property litigation could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our Success Depends on Our Distribution Facilities

Our ability to meet customer expectations, manage inventory, complete sales and achieve objectives for operating efficiencies depends on the proper operation of our existing distribution facilities, the development or expansion of additional distribution capabilities and the timely performance of services by third parties (including those involved in shipping product to and from our distribution facilities). In the United States, we rely primarily on our distribution centers in Portland, Oregon and Robards, Kentucky; in Canada, we rely primarily on our distribution center in Strathroy, Ontario; and in Europe we rely primarily on our distribution center in Cambrai, France.

The implementation and performance of our Kentucky distribution facility is subject to many risks generally associated with transition and startup activities, including the risk that the new distribution facility may not successfully handle distribution activities

and the risk that the transition may be disruptive to our business. Our distribution facilities in the United States and France are highly automated, which means that their operations are complicated and may be subject to a number of risks related to computer viruses, the proper operation of software and hardware, electronic or power interruptions, or other system failures. Risks associated with upgrading or expanding these facilities may significantly disrupt our operations.

Our distribution facilities could also be interrupted by disasters, such as earthquakes (which are known to occur in the Northwestern United States) or fires. We maintain business interruption insurance, but it may not adequately protect us from the adverse effect that could be caused by significant disruptions in our distribution facilities.

Our Success Depends on Our Information Systems

Our business is increasingly reliant on information technology. Information systems are used in all stages of our production cycle, from design to distribution, and are used as a method of communication between employees, our subsidiaries overseas, as well as our customers. We also rely on our information systems to allocate resources and forecast operating results. System failures or service interruptions may occur as the result of a number of factors, including computer viruses, hacking or other unlawful activities by third parties, disasters, or failure to properly protect, repair or maintain systems. Any interruption of critical business information systems may have a material adverse affect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our Success Depends on Our Growth Strategies

We face many challenges in implementing our growth strategies. For example, our expansion into international markets involves countries where we have little sales or distribution experience and where our brand is not yet widely known. Expanding our product categories involves, among other things, gaining experience with new products, gaining consumer acceptance, and establishing and protecting intellectual property rights. Increasing sales to department stores, and improving the sales productivity of our customers, will each depend on various factors, including strength of our brand name, competitive conditions, our ability to manage increased sales and future expansion, the availability of desirable locations and the negotiation of terms with retailers. Future terms with customers may be less favorable to us than those under which we now operate. Large retailers in particular increasingly seek to transfer various costs of business to their vendors, such as the cost of lost profits from product price markdowns.

To implement our business strategy, we must manage growth effectively. We need to continue to change various aspects of our business, to maintain and enhance our information systems and operations to respond to increased demand and to attract, retain and manage qualified personnel. Growth could place an increasing strain on management, financial, product design, marketing, distribution and other resources, and we could experience operating difficulties. For example, in recent years, we have undertaken a number of new initiatives that require significant management attention and corporate resources, including the development or expansion of distribution facilities on two continents, the acquisition, rejuvenation and expansion of the Sorel® brand, and the acquisition, integration and expansion of Mountain Hardwear, Inc. This growth involves many risks and uncertainties that, if not managed effectively, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We May be Adversely Affected by Currency Exchange Rate Fluctuations

We generally purchase products in U.S. dollars. However, the cost of these products sourced overseas may be affected by changes in the value of the relevant currencies. Price increases caused by currency exchange rate fluctuations could make our products less competitive or have an adverse effect on our margins. Our international revenues and expenses generally are derived from sales and operations in foreign currencies, and these revenues and expenses could be materially affected by currency fluctuations, including amounts recorded in foreign currencies and translated into U.S. dollars for consolidated financial reporting. Currency exchange rate fluctuations could also disrupt the business of the independent manufacturers that produce our products by making their purchases of raw materials more expensive and more difficult to finance. Foreign currency fluctuations could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We May be Adversely Affected by Labor Disruptions

Our business depends on our ability to source and distribute products in a timely manner. Labor disputes at factories, shipping ports, transportation carriers, or distribution centers create significant risks for our business, particularly if these disputes result in work slowdowns, lockouts, strikes, or other disruptions during our peak manufacturing and importing seasons, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, potentially resulting in cancelled orders by customers, unanticipated inventory accumulation, and reduced revenues and earnings.

We Depend on Independent Manufacturers

Our products are produced by independent manufacturers worldwide. We do not operate or own any production facilities. Although we enter into a number of purchase order commitments each season, we do not have long-term contracts with some manufacturers. We therefore face risks that manufacturing operations will fail to perform as expected or that our competitors will gain production or quota capacities that we need for our business. If a manufacturer fails to ship orders in a timely manner or to meet our standards, we could miss delivery deadlines, which could result in cancellation of orders, refusal to accept deliveries or a reduction in purchase prices, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Reliance on independent manufacturers also creates quality control risks. A failure in our quality control program could result in diminished product quality, which may have a material adverse affect on our results of operations and financial condition.

In an effort to ensure that our independent manufacturers operate with safe, ethical and humane working conditions, we regularly monitor factories and we enforce our requirements that each manufacturer agree to comply with ourStandards of Manufacturing Practicesand applicable laws and regulations, but we do not control these vendors or their labor practices. If a manufacturer violates labor or other laws, or engages in practices that are not generally accepted as ethical in our key markets, it could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We Depend on Key Suppliers

Some of the materials that we use may be available, in the short-term, from only one source or a very limited number of sources. For example, some specialty fabrics are manufactured to our specification by one source or a few sources. From time to time, we have experienced difficulty satisfying our raw material and finished goods requirements. Although we believe that we could identify and qualify additional factories to produce these materials, the unavailability of some existing manufacturers for supply of these materials could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our Advance Purchases of Products May Result in Excess Inventories

To minimize our purchasing costs, the time necessary to fill customer orders and the risk of non-delivery, we place orders for our products with manufacturers prior to receiving all of our customers’ orders and maintain an inventory of various products that we anticipate will be in greater demand. We may not be able to sell the products we have ordered from manufacturers or that we have in our inventory. Customers are allowed to cancel an order prior to shipment with sufficient notice. Inventory levels in excess of customer demand may result in inventory write-downs and the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We Depend on Key Personnel

Our future success will depend in part on the continued service of key personnel, particularly Timothy Boyle, our President and Chief Executive Officer, and Gertrude Boyle, our Chairman and widely recognized advertising spokesperson. Our future success will also depend on our ability to attract and retain key managers, designers, sales people and others. We face intense competition for these individuals worldwide, and there is a significant concentration of well-funded apparel and footwear competitors in and around Portland, Oregon (including NIKE, Inc. and adidas-Salomon AG). We may not be able to attract or retain these employees, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our Business Is Affected by Seasonality

Our results of operations have fluctuated and are likely to fluctuate significantly from period to period. Our products are marketed on a seasonal basis, with a product sales mix now weighted substantially toward the fall season. Our results of operations for the quarter ended September 30 in the past have been much stronger than the results for the other quarters. This seasonality, along with other factors that are beyond our control, including general economic conditions, changes in consumer preferences, weather conditions, availability of import quotas and currency exchange rate fluctuations, could adversely affect our business and cause our results of operations to fluctuate. Our operating margins are also sensitive to a number of factors that are beyond our control, including shifts in product sales mix, geographic sales trends, and currency exchange rate fluctuations, all of which we expect to continue as we expand our product offerings and geographic penetration. Results of operations in any period should not be considered indicative of the results to be expected for any future period.

We Face Risks of Product Liability and Warranty Claims

Our products are used in outdoor activities, sometimes in severe conditions. Although we have not experienced any significant expense as the result of product recalls or product liability claims, recalls or these types of claims could occur in the future and have a material adverse effect on our business. Some of our products carry limited warranties for defects in quality and workmanship. We maintain a warranty reserve for future warranty claims, but the actual costs of servicing future warranty claims could exceed the reserve and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our Common Stock Price May Be Volatile

The price of our common stock has fluctuated substantially since our initial public offering. Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market, which has experienced and is likely to continue to experience significant price and volume fluctuations that could adversely affect the market price of our common stock without regard to our operating performance. We also believe factors such as fluctuations in financial results, variances from financial market expectations, changes in earnings estimates by analysts, or announcements by us or competitors may cause the market price of the common stock to fluctuate, perhaps substantially.

Insiders Control a Majority of Our Common Stock and Could Sell Shares

Three shareholders— Timothy Boyle, Gertrude Boyle and Sarah Bany— beneficially own a majority of our common stock. As a result, if acting together, they can effectively control matters requiring shareholder approval without the cooperation of other shareholders. Shares held by these three insiders are available for resale, subject to the requirements of, and the rules under, the Securities Act of 1933. The sale or prospect of the sale of a substantial number of these shares could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.

Item 3 –QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

There has not been any material change in the market risk disclosure contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004.

Item 4 –CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Our management has evaluated, under the supervision and with the participation of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Based on that evaluation, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer have concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this report, our disclosure controls and procedures are effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is (1) recorded, processed, summarized and reported in a timely manner, and (2) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2005 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 2 –UNREGISTERED SALES OF SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities


Period	Total Number of Shares Purchased	Average Price Paid per Share		Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs⁽¹⁾	Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs
January 1, 2005 to January 31, 2005	82,167	$	54.94	82,167	$	152,424,000
February 1, 2005 to February 28, 2005	—		—	—		—
March 1, 2005 to March 31, 2005	—		—	—		—

Total	82,167	$	54.94	82,167	$	152,424,000

⁽¹⁾

Item 6 –EXHIBITS

(a)

Exhibits


31.1		Rule 13a-14(a) Certification of Timothy P. Boyle, President and Chief Executive Officer

31.2		Rule 13a-14(a) Certification of Bryan L. Timm, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

32.1		Section 1350 Certification of Timothy P. Boyle, President and Chief Executive Officer

32.2		Section 1350 Certification of Bryan L. Timm, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


				COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR COMPANY

Date: May 6, 2005				/s/ BRYAN L. TIMM
				Bryan L. Timm
				Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

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Readability	H.S. freshman Good

Columbia Sportswear (COLM) 10-Q2005 Q1 Quarterly report

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