Orvis Timeline

	1856 Charles F. Orvis founds The Orvis Company in Manchester, Vermont.
	1874 Charles Orvis invents first ventilated narrow spool fly reel to be mounted upright - prototype for modern fly reels.
	1880 Orvis bamboo rod named best of its weight in the world by leading outdoor writer Ned Buntline.
	1885 Orvis glass Minnow Trap launched. A brisk seller until the 1960s.
	1892 Charles' daughter Mary Orvis Marbury receives national acclaim for Favorite Flies and Their Histories, the world's first illustrated classification and standardization of fishing flies.
	1893 Mary Marbury invited to exhibit Orvis flies and fishing photographs at Chicago World's Fair.
	1939 Orvis purchased by Dudley C. "Duckie" Corkran.
	1940 Wesley Jordan, legendary rod builder, takes over Orvis rod production.
	1942 Orvis joins war effort, producing split bamboo ski poles for U.S. troops.
	1946 Orvis team develops and patents world's first impregnated bamboo rod, making rods completely waterproof and warp-proof.
	1956 100th anniversary. Orvis opens flagship store in Manchester, complete with 10,000 flies and casting pool for testing rods.
	1965 Leigh H. Perkins buys the Orvis Company. Annual sales are $500,000.
	1966 America's first fly fishing school opens at Orvis Manchester, Vermont.
	1967 Orvis introduced the "Zinger" to the world in 1967.
	1969 Orvis is first to produce and market Georgia Fatwood Kindling.
	1971 World's first brown camouflage hunting gear is introduced in Orvis catalog.
	1972 Orvis develops first modern exposed-rim, skeleton frame, superlight fly reel - the CFO®.
	1973 America's first dedicated wingshooting school opens at Orvis Manchester.
	1974 Orvis introduces its first graphite rods.
	1977 Orvis introduces the Dog's Nest® to America.
	1982 Orvis establishes mail order and retail business in England. www.orvis.co.uk
	1984 Orvis introduces Sporting Clays to America via its Houston store. Orvis rod shop, headed by Howard Steere, unveils the Ultra Fine - world's first two-weight graphite rod.
	1986 Orvis-Endorsed Lodges, Outfitters, and Guides Program is created, defining standards of quality and responsibility sportsmen can rely on. Sales reach $50 million annually.
	1987 Orvis introduces first one-weight rod. Orvis opens customer service and distribution center in Roanoke, Virginia.
	1988 Orvis signs on 400th dealer worldwide. Orvis introduces 25-year, unconditional rod guarantee.
	1989 Orvis rods named No. 1 Best Made Product of the U.S. in the 1980s by Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence.
	1990 Orvis purchases Gokey Company, manufacturers of fine hunting boots, shoes, and luggage since 1850. Orvis announces challenge grant to benefit U.S. wetlands by raising more than $200,000 in two years.
	1991 Orvis raises $110,000 to benefit the South Fork of the Snake River in Idaho.
	1992 Leigh H. Perkins names son, Perk Perkins, new President and CEO of The Orvis Company Inc. Orvis raises $163,000 in challenge grant to benefit the Big Blackfoot River in Montana.
	1993 Orvis purchases British Fly Reel. Orvis CFO III disc fly reel wins "Best in Show" at International Fly Tackle Dealer Show. Sales top $100 million annually.
	1994 Orvis initiates $100,000 challenge grant to aid the restoration of Florida Bay.
	1995 Orvis Company introduces the Trident series, the first fly rod to use MVR (Maximum Vibration Reduction) technology. Orvis first appears on the Internet in November 1995 with an informational site including an online version of the Orvis News.
	1998 Orvis introduces the Flex Index system to fly rod design. Orvis launches e-commerce site www.orvis.com in March allowing online purchases of Orvis products for the first time.
	1999 Vortex named "Reel of the Century" by Men's Journal magazine. Orvis online sales jump nearly 400% since initial launch date. Trident TL and Vortex reels are voted "Gray's Best" in 1999 and 2000 respectively by Gray's Sporting Journal magazine. The 1999 Sporting Traditions catalog is named "Catalog of the Year" by Catalog Age
	2000 In 2000, the Orvis Company joined forces with Casting for Recovery to help breast cancer survivors.
	2001 Orvis announces $100,000 challenge grant to help restore Roseate Terns to Muskeget Island in Massachusetts. Orvis and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announce a matching funds campaign to raise $150,000 in support of the efforts to improve the Jefferson River Watershed in Montana.
	2002 Orvis Company introduces the T3 Carbon Fiber Rods. Using materials developed for aerospace technology, the T3 is the lightest, most durable rod ever made. Orvis Sandanona receives recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency for its leading-edge Environmental Stewardship Plan. Orvis joined the Wolf Creek Foundation to provide an incredible 2-to-1 match for the first $10,000 of customer donations to preserve the Pere Marquette River Watershed in Michigan. Orvis initiated a $30,000 matching campaign to help protect long-billed curlew habitats in Montana.
	2003 The Orvis Company introduces the first insect repellent clothing in the world to the U.S. Effective, odorless, easy-to use, Buzz Off clothing revolutionizes insect repellent. Orvis’ four-way matching campaign has raised over $200,000 toward the Deschutes Basin Land Trust’s purchase of habitat critical to restoring salmon populations in central Oregon.
	2004 The First Waders with a full-support, wading shoe attached for more comfort and convenience than any other wader made. The first advance in leader technology in years. Exclusive Orvis Hy-Flote is a specially formulated nylon material with a chambered core that provides more buoyancy than traditional extruded nylon materials, enhancing fly control, casting ease and stealth. Orvis joined forces with Audubon to help save San Francisco Bay's ecosystem that supports over 500 species. Orvis teamed with California Trout (CalTrout) and Trout Unlimited of California (TU) to help protect and restore the native California golden trout in the Golden Trout Wilderness of the Southern Sierra Nevada.
	2005 Orvis, the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, and the Wolf Creek Charitable Foundation join a $100,000 matching campaign to help endangered Whooping cranes reestablish migratory flight paths from Wisconsin to Florida.
	2006 The year that marked the 150th anniversary of The Orvis Company turned out to be a year of many milestones. Orvis fly fishing tackle continued to receive accolades from respected fly fishing magazines, especially for our technologically ground-breaking fly rod, the Zero Gravity.

The Orvis 100% Satisfaction Guarantee: For 150 years, we have offered the strongest return policy in the business. We will refund your money on any purchase that isn't 100% satisfactory. Anytime, for any reason. It's that simple.