Timbuk2
{{Infobox company
| name = Timbuk2
| logo = Timbuk2_Logo.jpg
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| former_name = Scumbags
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| foundation = San Francisco, California ({{Start date|1989}})
| founder = Rob Honeycutt
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| location_city = San Francisco, California
| location_country = United States
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| key_people = Patti Cazzato, CEO[http://www.snewsnet.com/press-release/timbuk2-appoints-patti-cazzato-as-chief-executive-officer "Timbuk2 Appoints Patti Cazzato as Chief Executive Officer"] Specialty News. 2014 Jul. 9. Retrieved 2014 Jul. 26
| products = Messenger bags, Backpacks, Travel bags, Accessories
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| homepage = {{URL|http://www.timbuk2.com}}
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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
Timbuk2 was founded in 1989 by bike messenger Rob Honeycutt in a garage in San Francisco's Mission District.{{cite news | url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/11/09/BUGS59O4MN1.DTL | title = Facing economic reality | date = 2004-11-09 | publisher = San Francisco Chronicle | first = Pia | last = Sarkar | accessdate = 2008-01-26}}{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/bogardandhoffman/2017/01/10/on-resilience-how-hitting-entrepreneurial-rock-bottom-gave-timbuk2s-ceo-new-life/#4833e267aa5a|title=On Resilience: How Hitting Entrepreneurial Rock Bottom Gave Timbuk2's CEO New Life|work=Forbes|author1=Ally Bogard|author2=Allie Hoffman|date=January 10, 2017|access-date=August 6, 2017}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/231079|title=How The Timbuk2 brand Went From Basement to Famous|publisher=Entrepreneur|first=Melanie|last=Spring|date=January 30, 2014|access-date=August 6, 2017}} 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.[http://www.timbuk2.com/content/meettimbuk2.html "Meet Timbuk2"] Timbuk2. Retrieved 2014 Jul. 26
Non-custom products are manufactured in China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.[http://www.timbuk2.com/content/about-manufacturing.html "Timbuk2 About Manufacturing"] Retrieved 2016 March 18
The company launched its flagship retail store in Hayes Valley, San Francisco in 2006.{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/real-estate-daily/2014/09/san-francisco-bag-company-timbuk2-breaks-ground.html|title=San Francisco Bag Company Timbuk2 Breaks Ground on Portland Store|publisher=Portland Business Journal|first=Alli|last=Pyrah|date=September 2, 2014|access-date=August 6, 2017}} In 2011, Timbuk2 launched a bicycle share program in its retail stores.[http://www.timbuk2.com/content/bikeshare.html "Bikeshare"] Timbuk2. Retrieved 2014 Jul. 26 In 2013, the Timbuk2 opened a retail location in Seattle, Washington.{{cite web|url=http://www.seattlemag.com/new-store-news-timbuk2|title=New Store News: Timbuk2|publisher=Seattle Magazine|date=April 18, 2013|access-date=August 6, 2017}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.bikerumor.com/2011/05/03/timbuk2-recycles-old-bike-to-work-banners-into-ltd-edition-messenger-bags/|title=Timbuk2 Recycles Old Bike To Work Banners Into Ltd Edition Messenger Bags|publisher=Bikerumor.com|first=Tyler|last=Benedict|date=May 3, 2011|access-date=August 6, 2017}} Patti Cazzato was appointed to the role of CEO in July 2014.{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2014/07/14/timbuk2-patti-cazzato/|title=New Timbuk2 CEO Patti Cazzato On Her Next Chapter|publisher=Fortune|first=Brittany|last=Shoot|date=July 14, 2014|access-date=August 6, 2017}} That same year, the company encouraged bag owners to reuse and recycle their bags through its Timbuk2 Life Cycle program.{{cite web |last=Fox |first=MeiMei |date=March 16, 2017 |title=How This Female CEO Has Made Environmental Impact A Priority in Her Career |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/meimeifox/2017/03/16/how-this-female-ceo-has-made-environmental-impact-a-priority-in-her-career/#705d4c1474c1 |access-date=August 6, 2017 |work=Forbes}}
Timbuk2 also added retail locations in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and Toronto in 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/fashion/alltherage/la-ar-san-francisco-timbuk2-opens-in-venice-20140821-story.html|title=For Chic Cyclists, San Francisco's Timbuk2 opens on Venice Beach|work=Los Angeles Times|first=Leigh-Ann|last=Jackson|date=August 21, 2014|access-date=August 6, 2017}} That same year, Timbuk2 collaborated with Blue Bottle Coffee Company to release a coffee travel kit.{{cite web|url=http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/blue-bottle-coffee-timbuk2-kit/?mcubz=1|title=The Portable Blue Bottle|publisher=The New York Times Style Magazine|first=Bao|last=Ong|date=October 14, 2014|access-date=August 6, 2017}} As well, the company was ranked as the second largest manufacturer in San Francisco by the San Francisco Business Times.{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/subscriber-only/2014/08/15/sf-manufacturers.html|title=Top 25 San Francisco Manufacturers|publisher=San Francisco Business Times|first=Ahavah|last=Revis|date=August 15, 2014|access-date=August 6, 2017}}
In July 2016, the company collaborated with the footwear company New Balance to release specially branded products.{{cite web|url=http://footwearnews.com/2016/focus/athletic-outdoor/new-balance-timbuk2-cycling-sneaker-collaboration-240423/|title=New Balance & Timbuk2 Collaborate On Cycling Collection|publisher=Footwear News|first=Zameena|last=Mejia|date=July 15, 2016|access-date=August 6, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://news.fastcompany.com/timbuk2-and-new-balance-join-forces-to-ensure-your-bag-matches-your-biking-shoes-4013673|title=Timbuk2 and New Balance Join Forces to Ensure Your Bag Matches Your Biking Shoes|publisher=Fast Company|date=July 13, 2016|access-date=August 6, 2017}} The company opened a flagship store in NoHo, Manhattan in October 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.boweryboogie.com/2016/09/biker-bag-brand-timbuk2-announces-new-noho-flagship-store/|title=Biker Bag Brand 'Timbuk2' Announces New NoHo Flagship Store|publisher=BoweryBoogie|date=September 21, 2016|access-date=August 6, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812062826/https://boweryboogie.com/2016/09/biker-bag-brand-timbuk2-announces-new-noho-flagship-store/|archive-date=August 12, 2022}} In June 2017, the company opened an additional location in Brooklyn.{{cite web|url=https://sgbonline.com/timbuk2-to-open-flagship-store-in-brooklyn/|title=Timbuk2 to Open Flagship Store in Brooklyn|publisher=SGB Media|date=June 21, 2017|access-date=August 6, 2017}} As of 2023, the Manhattan and Brooklyn locations are no longer open.{{cite web|url=https://www.timbuk2.com/pages/store-locations|title=Timbuk2 Retail Store Locations|publisher=Timbuk2|access-date=March 15, 2023}}
Ownership
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.{{Cite news |last=Narayan |first=Shwanika |date=2019-08-14 |title=San Francisco bag maker Timbuk2 sold to furniture company |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/San-Francisco-bag-maker-Timbuk2-sold-to-furniture-14304051.php |access-date=2024-08-08 |work=San Francisco Chronicle}}{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Adriana |date=2019-08-15 |title=Bag Brand Timbuk2 Now Belongs to … a Furniture Maker? |url=https://wwd.com/feature/timbuk2-exemplis-sale-1203240166/ |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}
References
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