In the 1960s, Skip Lowell and Murray Pletz, both self-proclaimed hippies and hikers, had an idea. Pletz had entered a contest sponsored by Alcoa Aluminum. He had created a light and comfortable frame for a backpack. Pletz won the competition and with the winnings the two men would embark on an adventure in the world of business, a new kind of adventure for them. They would use the prize money to create a new type of backpack.
They knew from their own experience what kind of product people would need. They needed a backpack that would stand up to the adventure and challenge of hiking. Lowell and Pletz would focus on comfort and functionality. This had to be a product that people could count on, through adventure and exploration. They started by making backpacks out of aluminum frames.
Since neither man knew how to sew, they asked Pletz’s then-girlfriend to sew for them. All three worked in an old transmission repair building. Pletz’s girlfriend, Jan Lewis, sewed up the packages and the guys put the packages into the new aluminum frames. Shortly after starting, Pletz married Jan Lewis and thus the company name became JanSport.
Skip Yowell would test drive each backpack, a road test of sorts (so to speak). He just that he would hike the packs on the trails to ensure durability and functionality. He knew very well, from experience, what standards the product had to meet to meet the needs of his fellow hikers.
They were a success, but this does not compare with the success they would have in the following years. Murray Pletz would leave the company, but Lewis and Yowell continued with the company. The two created a “panel load pack.” Unlike the backpacks of yesteryear, in the early 70’s this new idea would get them their first patent. In 1972, they created a backpack specifically for a Himalayan expedition. With this creation they gained more notoriety.
The Kirshner Company bought JanSport, but the JanSport products flourished. In 1975 they created trail backpacks and day packs, which they still sell today. The company would change hands several times, once in ’82 and another in ’86. In 1996 they launched a backpack with a waterproof bottom. These packs would be great for items like electronics and a safe and easy way for hikers to take music on the trails.
After the “Columbine shootings” in Colorado, they created a clear view package, in an effort to make schools safer.
In 2002, JanSport produced a line of products for professional use. Laptop backpacks, shoulder bags and crossbody backpacks for professional women. Travel bags and carry-on luggage were added to their lines. JanSport offers handbags, luggage, and duffel bags.
JanSport has become known worldwide for its quality and variety of products.
Think about it. Are there old hippies out there? Be creative, dare to dream, you could write your own success story.