Who Owns Osprey?

Mike Pfotenhauer founded Osprey in 1974 in Santa Cruz, California, as a small custom pack business. Pfotenhauer had learned to sew as a teenager and began building made-to-order backpacks, selling through word of mouth and early outdoor retail accounts. The company incorporated as Osprey Packs, Inc. and grew alongside the American backpacking boom of the late 1970s and 1980s.

In the early 1990s the company relocated its production and headquarters to southwest Colorado, first to Dolores and later to a purpose-built headquarters in Cortez that opened in 2017. The move put the company closer to the outdoor community it served while manufacturing shifted to partner factories in Vietnam, where Osprey eventually established its own offices and quality operations in Ho Chi Minh City.

Product milestones drove the brand's growth. The Aether and Ariel backpacking series became staples of the long-distance hiking market. The Talon and Tempest daypack lines expanded Osprey into hiking, running, and cycling. The Farpoint and Fairview travel packs, launched in the 2010s, made Osprey a leader in one-bag travel and carry-on backpacking, a segment it still anchors. The company also built a strong position in child carriers with the Poco line and in hydration through reservoir-equipped packs.

Freeman Spogli took the first institutional stake in the company in April 2016. Under that partnership, Osprey accelerated product development, acquired its European distributor to bring European sales in-house, launched a direct-to-consumer site at osprey.com, and expanded internationally until more than half of sales came from outside the United States.

In November 2021 Osprey announced it would sell to Helen of Troy for $414 million in cash. The deal closed in December 2021. Founders Pfotenhauer and Wren retired, and chief executive Layne Rigney continued to lead the brand under the new owner.

Since the acquisition, Osprey has continued to refresh its core lines, including updated Farpoint and Fairview travel packs, new Transporter luggage and duffel designs, and expanded use of recycled fabrics across the range. The brand celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024 with limited edition heritage packs. As of 2026, Osprey remains headquartered in Cortez and holds top rankings in independent travel backpack reviews, including Wirecutter and OutdoorGearLab roundups.