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Timbuk2

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Timbuk2
FormerlyScumbags
FoundedSan Francisco, California (1989 (1989))
FounderRob Honeycutt
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
,
United States
Key people
Patti Cazzato, CEO[1]
ProductsMessenger bags, Backpacks, Travel bags, Accessories
Websitewww.timbuk2.com

Timbuk2 is a San Francisco, California, United States, based bag manufacturer and marketer. The company produces a variety of pre-made and made-to-order bags.

History

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Timbuk2 was founded in 1989 by bike messenger Rob Honeycutt in a garage in San Francisco's Mission District.[2][3] Honeycutt was fascinated by "just in time" manufacturing and studied the Toyota manufacturing model which led him to develop a bag pattern that was able to accommodate custom orders from independent bike dealers in San Francisco. The company was originally named Scumbags; Honeycutt changed the name to Timbuk2 Designs in 1990.[4] The name Timbuk2 was inspired in part by the American rock band Timbuk3 and the company's swirl logo was designed by Honeycutt and is meant to mimic the rotation of a bike wheel.[5] While its product line has since expanded beyond custom bags, Timbuk2 has continually designed all its custom products in San Francisco's Mission neighborhood since 1989. Manufacturing is no longer taking place in San Francisco. [6] Non-custom products are manufactured in China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.[7]

The company launched its flagship retail store in Hayes Valley, San Francisco in 2006.[8] In 2011, Timbuk2 launched a bicycle share program in its retail stores.[9] In 2013, the Timbuk2 opened a retail location in Seattle, Washington.[10] That same year, the company incorporated recycled Bike to Work banners into messenger bags and donated a portion of the profits to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.[11] Patti Cazzato was appointed to the role of CEO in July 2014.[12] That same year, the company encouraged bag owners to reuse and recycle their bags through its Timbuk2 Life Cycle program.[6]

Timbuk2 also added retail locations in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and Toronto in 2014.[8][13] That same year, Timbuk2 collaborated with Blue Bottle Coffee Company to release a coffee travel kit.[14] As well, the company was ranked as the second largest manufacturer in San Francisco by the San Francisco Business Times.[15]

In July 2016, the company collaborated with the footwear company New Balance to release specially branded products.[16][17] The company opened a flagship store in NoHo, Manhattan in October 2016.[18] In June 2017, the company opened an additional location in Brooklyn.[19] As of 2023, the Manhattan and Brooklyn locations are no longer open.[20]

Ownership

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The company was sold to a venture capital firm in 2005. In 2006 it sold to private equity group TB2 Investors, which owned it until 2019. In August 2019 it was sold to Exemplis, a Los Angeles-based furniture company.[21][22]

References

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  1. ^ "Timbuk2 Appoints Patti Cazzato as Chief Executive Officer" Specialty News. 2014 Jul. 9. Retrieved 2014 Jul. 26
  2. ^ Sarkar, Pia (2004-11-09). "Facing economic reality". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-01-26.
  3. ^ Ally Bogard; Allie Hoffman (January 10, 2017). "On Resilience: How Hitting Entrepreneurial Rock Bottom Gave Timbuk2's CEO New Life". Forbes. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  4. ^ Spring, Melanie (January 30, 2014). "How The Timbuk2 brand Went From Basement to Famous". Entrepreneur. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  5. ^ "Meet Timbuk2" Timbuk2. Retrieved 2014 Jul. 26
  6. ^ a b Fox, MeiMei (March 16, 2017). "How This Female CEO Has Made Environmental Impact A Priority in Her Career". Forbes. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  7. ^ "Timbuk2 About Manufacturing" Retrieved 2016 March 18
  8. ^ a b Pyrah, Alli (September 2, 2014). "San Francisco Bag Company Timbuk2 Breaks Ground on Portland Store". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  9. ^ "Bikeshare" Timbuk2. Retrieved 2014 Jul. 26
  10. ^ "New Store News: Timbuk2". Seattle Magazine. April 18, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  11. ^ Benedict, Tyler (May 3, 2011). "Timbuk2 Recycles Old Bike To Work Banners Into Ltd Edition Messenger Bags". Bikerumor.com. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  12. ^ Shoot, Brittany (July 14, 2014). "New Timbuk2 CEO Patti Cazzato On Her Next Chapter". Fortune. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  13. ^ Jackson, Leigh-Ann (August 21, 2014). "For Chic Cyclists, San Francisco's Timbuk2 opens on Venice Beach". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  14. ^ Ong, Bao (October 14, 2014). "The Portable Blue Bottle". The New York Times Style Magazine. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  15. ^ Revis, Ahavah (August 15, 2014). "Top 25 San Francisco Manufacturers". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  16. ^ Mejia, Zameena (July 15, 2016). "New Balance & Timbuk2 Collaborate On Cycling Collection". Footwear News. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  17. ^ "Timbuk2 and New Balance Join Forces to Ensure Your Bag Matches Your Biking Shoes". Fast Company. July 13, 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  18. ^ "Biker Bag Brand 'Timbuk2' Announces New NoHo Flagship Store". BoweryBoogie. September 21, 2016. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  19. ^ "Timbuk2 to Open Flagship Store in Brooklyn". SGB Media. June 21, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  20. ^ "Timbuk2 Retail Store Locations". Timbuk2. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  21. ^ Narayan, Shwanika (2019-08-14). "San Francisco bag maker Timbuk2 sold to furniture company". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  22. ^ Lee, Adriana (2019-08-15). "Bag Brand Timbuk2 Now Belongs to … a Furniture Maker?". WWD. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
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