Western Life & Style
Overland Sheepskin Company is Still Tradin' After All These Years
by DAVID HOFSTEDE
If you've vacationed at some of America's finer ski resorts, the Overland name may already be as familiar as the path to the lift. What began as a one-man operation in 1973, when Jim Leahy set up shop in Taos, New Mexico, with a bale of sheepskins and a sewing machine, has evolved into a company with more than 150 employees and 13 locations in nine states. "We started in Taos and gravitated to some of the nicer resort areas," explains Overland sales manager Jay Flint. "The Leahy family, who founded the business, discovered beautiful little places they liked and opened up shops there. We got very lucky over our 36 years in business that some of those locations turned into pretty big places."
The Overland product line has grown from shearling coats to more than 1,500 styles of premium apparel and home products, including designer leather jackets, fur and fabric coats, UGG Australia boots and footwear, jewelry, and leather handbags. But despite the company's size and breadth, a small family shop atmosphere has remained an important part of the business. "We wanted a relaxed Western look, like coming into your living room to shop," Flint says. "People come to Overland for the quality of our products and the 100 percent customer satisfaction guarantee on everything we sell. There's no time limit on that guarantee - we want you to be happy forever." The company headquarters, located in Fairfield, Iowa, is a four-story, 25,000-square-foot barn where visitors can not only shop but also spend some time with one of the largest llama herds in the Midwest. "They're not used in any of our products," Flint explains. "They're just friends of the family."
•Info: Overland, 2096 Nutmeg Avenue, Fairfield, Iowa, 800.683.7526, www.overland.com.
Issue: December 2009
