Who Owns Patagonia?

Chouinard, the rock climber, turned into a billionaire through the success of Patagonia; at his death in 2022, he reorganized Patagonia into two non-profit organizations. The Patagonia Purpose Trust, holding 100% of the voting stocks, defines the company’s strategic direction. And the Holdfast Collective, a non-profit, holds 100% of non-voting stocks, thus getting the brands’ dividends to re-invest into environmental causes.

Aspect	Details	Analysis
Ownership Structure	Patagonia was reorganized into two non-profit organizations after the death of founder Yvon Chouinard:	This unique ownership structure ensures that Patagonia remains committed to its mission and actively contributes to environmental causes.
	– Patagonia Purpose Trust: Holds 100% of the voting stocks, defining the company’s strategic direction.	The Patagonia Purpose Trust is dedicated to protecting and upholding the company’s values and mission.
	– Holdfast Collective: Holds 100% of non-voting stocks, receiving dividends to reinvest in environmental causes.	The Holdfast Collective focuses on fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature.
Business Model	Patagonia operates under a unique business model that prioritizes its values and commitment to environmental and social causes:	Patagonia’s business model is driven by sustainability, activism, and a mission to inspire positive change.
	– Sustainability: Emphasis on sustainability and environmental responsibility in product creation.	Patagonia strives to minimize its environmental impact while delivering high-quality products.
	– Mission-Driven: Dedicated to using its business as a force for positive change and inspiring action on environmental issues.	The company’s mission extends beyond profit to societal and environmental impact.
	– Product Range: Offers outdoor clothing and gear, targeting outdoor enthusiasts and environmentally conscious consumers.	Patagonia’s product range caters to a diverse audience of outdoor enthusiasts and ethical consumers.
	– Activism: Actively engages in environmental and social activism, supporting initiatives and organizations dedicated to conservation and sustainability.	Patagonia is known for its proactive stance on critical environmental and social issues.
Organizational Structure	Patagonia’s organizational structure includes the following key elements:	The organizational structure ensures effective management and decision-making while aligning with the company’s mission.
	– Patagonia Purpose Trust: Defines strategic direction, upholding values and mission.	The Patagonia Purpose Trust plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the company’s core principles.
	– Holdfast Collective: Focuses on environmental causes, reinvesting Patagonia’s profits.	The Holdfast Collective contributes to environmental initiatives by reinvesting the brand’s dividends.
	– Leadership: Likely includes a leadership team comprising executives and directors for day-to-day operations and decision-making.	Effective leadership is essential for executing the company’s mission and goals.
	– Environmental and Social Teams: Dedicated teams focusing on sustainability, activism, and other initiatives.	Specialized teams enable Patagonia to effectively address environmental and social challenges.

As shared by Patagonia, Chouinard wrote a letter to explain his rationale:

As Chouinard explained, he never set to become a businessman:

“I never wanted to be a businessman. I started as a craftsman, making climbing gear for my friends and myself, then got into apparel. As we began to witness the extent of global warming and ecological destruction, and our own contribution to it, Patagonia committed to using our company to change the way business was done.”

Further explaining that, after evaluating all the possible options, of which none worked, Patagonia’s founder decided to organize the company in this manner:

“Here’s how it works: 100% of the company’s voting stock transfers to the Patagonia Purpose Trust, created to protect the company’s values; and 100% of the nonvoting stock had been given to the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature. The funding will come from Patagonia: Each year, the money we make after reinvesting in the business will be distributed as a dividend to help fight the crisis.”

Thus, Patagonia will be owned by two non-profit organizations: the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective.

The Patagonia Purpose Trust will hold 100% of the voting stocks. Thus, the organization will decide the brand’s strategic direction.

On the other hand, the Holdfast Collective focused on environmental causes, will take 100% of non-voting stocks. This means it will take the dividends generated by the brand to re-invest it into environmental causes.

Thus, on the one hand, you get a non-profit (Patagonia Purpose Trust) with the sole scope of keeping Patagonia’s brand on track to its long-term mission.

And on the other hand, you get a non-profit (Holdfast Collective) with the sole scope of re-investing Patagonia’s profits toward environmental causes.

Table of Contents

Ownership Structure of Patagonia:

At the time of his death in 2022, Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, reorganized the company into two non-profit organizations:

Patagonia Purpose Trust: This organization holds 100% of the voting stocks of Patagonia, giving it the power to define the company’s strategic direction. The Patagonia Purpose Trust is dedicated to protecting and upholding the company’s values and mission.
Holdfast Collective: The Holdfast Collective is another non-profit organization that holds 100% of the non-voting stocks of Patagonia. This allows the collective to receive the dividends generated by the brand and reinvest them into environmental causes. The Holdfast Collective’s main focus is to fight the environmental crisis and defend nature.

Business Model of Patagonia:

Patagonia operates under a unique business model that prioritizes its values and commitment to environmental and social causes:

Sustainability: The company places a strong emphasis on sustainability and environmental responsibility, creating high-quality products with minimal impact on the planet.
Mission-Driven: Patagonia is mission-driven, aiming to use its business as a force for positive change and to inspire others to take action on environmental issues.
Product Range: Patagonia offers a range of outdoor clothing and gear, targeting outdoor enthusiasts, climbers, hikers, and environmentally conscious consumers.
Activism: The company actively engages in environmental and social activism, supporting various initiatives and organizations dedicated to conservation and sustainability.

Organizational Structure of Patagonia:

The organizational structure of Patagonia consists of the following key elements:

Patagonia Purpose Trust: As the holder of 100% of the voting stocks, the Patagonia Purpose Trust defines the company’s strategic direction, ensuring that Patagonia stays true to its mission and values.
Holdfast Collective: This non-profit organization holds 100% of the non-voting stocks, and its main focus is to receive dividends from Patagonia and use the funds to invest in environmental causes.
Leadership: The company may have a leadership team comprising executives and directors responsible for day-to-day operations and decision-making.
Environmental and Social Teams: Patagonia likely has dedicated teams that focus on environmental and social initiatives, including sustainability efforts and activism.

Key Takeaways:

Patagonia was reorganized into two non-profit organizations after the death of its founder, Yvon Chouinard.
The Patagonia Purpose Trust holds 100% of the voting stocks and determines the company’s strategic direction, upholding its values and mission.
The Holdfast Collective holds 100% of the non-voting stocks and receives Patagonia’s dividends to reinvest in environmental causes.
Patagonia’s business model prioritizes sustainability, social responsibility, and activism, aiming to make a positive impact on the environment and inspire change.
The unique ownership structure ensures that Patagonia remains committed to its long-term mission while actively contributing to environmental causes through the Holdfast Collective.

Key Highlights on Patagonia’s Reorganization and Its Founder, Yvon Chouinard:

Yvon Chouinard’s Journey: Initially a rock climber, Chouinard transformed into a successful businessman, ultimately becoming a billionaire due to Patagonia’s success.
Chouinard’s Intentions: Despite his business success, Chouinard never aspired to be a businessman. He began as a craftsman, later venturing into apparel. Witnessing the environmental challenges and his brand’s contribution to it, he aimed to redefine the business model to be more eco-friendly.
Reorganization of Patagonia: After Chouinard’s demise in 2022, Patagonia was restructured into two non-profit entities:
- Patagonia Purpose Trust: It possesses 100% of the voting stocks, empowering it to dictate the strategic direction of the company, ensuring alignment with Patagonia’s core values.
- Holdfast Collective: This non-profit body holds all the non-voting stocks, enabling it to channelize dividends from the brand into environmental initiatives.
Patagonia’s Business Model: Patagonia boasts a distinctive business model emphasizing:
- Sustainability: They focus on producing high-quality, eco-friendly products.
- Mission-Driven: The brand aims to leverage its influence to instigate positive environmental change.
- Product Diversity: Catering to outdoor aficionados, the brand offers a plethora of products for climbers, hikers, and eco-aware consumers.
- Activism: Actively involved in environmental and societal activism, the brand supports a myriad of initiatives and organizations championing conservation and sustainability.
Organizational Structure: The core elements encompass:
- The Patagonia Purpose Trust, which commands the strategic direction.
- The Holdfast Collective, which focuses on environmental reinvestments.
- Leadership: Comprising executives and directors managing day-to-day operations.
- Specialized Teams: Dedicated to environmental and societal initiatives.
Conclusion: After Yvon Chouinard’s passing, Patagonia underwent a transformative reorganization. The Patagonia Purpose Trust now oversees the brand’s strategic direction, while the Holdfast Collective channels dividends into environmental endeavors. Patagonia’s unique business approach emphasizes sustainability, societal responsibility, and activism, with the ultimate goal of fostering a positive ecological impact and spurring change. This novel ownership structure guarantees Patagonia’s unwavering commitment to its long-standing mission and active participation in environmental causes via the Holdfast Collective.