Coleman Company

Coleman Company, Inc., is an American company that specializes in outdoor recreation products, especially camping gear.

It was founded by William Coffin Coleman, who began selling gasoline pressure lamps in 1900 in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. He moved to Wichita, Kansas, in 1902.

Coleman is currently owned by Newell Brands. In January 2005, Jarden acquired American Household, Inc, for approximately $845 million. The corporation owned the Coleman Company, and Sunbeam Products, Inc. Brands acquired as part of this acquisition included Coleman, First Alert, Sunbeam, Mr. Coffee, and Oster. For background, in March 1998, Sunbeam Corporation acquired The Coleman Company, Inc. and Coleman Powermate. In December 2002, Sunbeam Corporation filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and canceled its common stock. When it emerged from bankruptcy, Sunbeam changed its name to American Household, Inc., a privately held company.(www.jarden.com).

The Coleman Company's headquarters are in Wichita, and it also has facilities in Texas. There are approximately 3,600 employees but most are not manufacturing jobs. The majority of their goods are now manufactured in China.

Throughout its history, Coleman has produced a wide variety of equipment primarily aimed at the camping and recreational markets. Perhaps their most famous product is the Coleman Lantern, a series of lamps that were originally made to burn gasoline. Current models use Coleman fuel (white gas) or propane and use one or two mantles to produce an intense white light.

Company historians claim that in 1905, the company provided a demonstration for the 1905 Cooper vs. Fairmount football game (now called Sterling College and Wichita State University). Coleman gas lamps were provided to play the first night football game west of the Mississippi River.