By Canadian Press

A closer look at Roots Corp. ahead of its planned initial public offering

Sep 14, 2017 | 12:30 PM

TORONTO — One of Canada’s best-known clothing retailers, Roots Corp., announced on Wednesday its plans to launch an initial public offering of its shares.

Here’s a look at the company known for its leather bags, woolly winter mitts and other outdoor clothes:

1973: The year Michael Budman and Don Green founded the clothing company.

116: The amount of corporate retail stores in Canada. Roots also has stores in the U.S., Taiwan and China, and ships online purchases to more than 50 countries.

$282 million: Roughly the amount of sales the company generated in its 2016 financial year. The company says it plans to grow sales to between $410 million and $450 million in its 2019 financial year.

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29 per cent: Despite being a Canadian-born company inspired by the ruggedness of Algonquin Park, 29 per cent of the company’s sales come from outside our borders.

24: The amount of new Roots stores the company may have by the end of its 2019 financial year. That includes eight- to 10-stores in Canada and 10- to 14-stores in the U.S. The company says it will also expand into new international markets, like Singapore and Malaysia.

1998: The year the company first outfitted the Canadian Olympic team. Its fleece hat from that year was a big hit with celebrities and the general public. Roots continued to outfit the Canadian team several more times.

181: How many so-called leather artisans work at the Roots leather factory in Toronto. Not including seasonal employees, Roots employs more than 2,200 people, most of who work at its stores.

The Canadian Press