Nathan Swartz

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Nathan Swartz
BornJuly 1902
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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Russian Heritage Museum: Nathan Swartz". Russian Heritage Museum. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  2. ^ a b 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.