Leigh Perkins, the man who turned Orvis into an internationally renown sporting goods company, has died. He was 93.
Perkins, who bought Orvis in 1965, died in Monticello, Florida.
His story is one of passion for the outdoors, a keen business sense and a man who found a way to turn his passions into his work.
He built a dream into a legacy in fishing, hunting and conservation.
It has been reported that Perkins was still hunting and fishing more than 250 days every year into his 90s.
Simon Perkins, the son of former Orvis CEO Leigh “Perk” Perkins, is the grandson of Leigh Perkins.
Simon is the current president of Orvis and the third generation of Perkins leadership over more than a half-century.
“To many of us, my grandfather was a visionary, a pioneer, a lover of the outdoors, of fish, of birds, of dogs, and someone who passionately believed in protecting our natural resources for future generations,” Simon Perkins said. “Professionally, he was ahead of his time in many ways. From introducing fly-fishing schools in the mid-60s to committing corporate profits to protecting habit and species, his fingerprints will exist on the outdoor and conservation worlds for a long time. Personally, he taught me many valuable lessons, starting with the simple and yet powerful idea of ‘You always learn more by listening than you do talking.’”
Perkins earned a degree from Williams College in 1950, and worked a variety of jobs for the next 15 years including in the iron mines and as a salesman for a company that made gas welding and cutting equipment.
But Perkins wanted to build something of his own. He had been a customer of Orvis in Manchester since his college days just south in Massachusetts.
Perkins became the owner of Orvis on Jan. 1, 1965, becoming the president, merchandiser, art director, and product developer.
He also took phone calls and read customer letters, a custom still in practice at Orvis to ensure customers were satisfied, or why they weren’t.
He took the business, founded more than a century earlier by Charles Orvis, from a business with 20 employees and a half million in sales to a global enterprise with more than 700 employees and sales of more than $90 million.
A year after buying Orvis, he launched the nation’s first fly-fishing school, likely a first in the nation.
Tom Rosenbauer, the Fly Fishing Outreach and Education and Lead Enthusiast at Orvis, has worked for Orvis for more than three decades and has developed an international reputation for his knowledge of all things fly fishing. He is a renowned angler, author, teacher, and podcaster.
Rosenbauer said Perkins’ launch of the fly-fishing school was groundbreaking in those days.
“[It] must have been one of the first outdoor schools for adults of its kind,” Rosenbauer said. “Kids got that kind of stuff at summer camp, but it was groundbreaking for adults and the industry.”
Later, Orvis added a wingshooting school.
Perkins was strongly dedicated to conservation, founding the Orvis-Perkins Foundation that has donated millions of dollars to habitat restoration and wildlife conservation.
He helped pioneer the 5 percent for the environment movement supporting groups like Trout Unlimited, the Ruffed Grouse Society, the Nature Conservancy and the Atlantic Salmon Federation.
Rosenbauer said Perkins’ conservation work will be his lasting legacy.
“Of course, Leigh had an impact on the fly-fishing industry from a product or market perspective. You would expect that,” Rosenbauer said. “But I think his greatest and most lasting contribution was his dedication to conservation before it was cool or popular.”
In 1992 he was honored with the Chevron Conservation Award and in 2016, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust named Leigh Sportsman of Year, honoring his conservation work and dedication to the preservation of the fish and waters he so loved.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that Leigh Perkins was a friend to anglers everywhere,” said Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops and a long-time friend of Perkins. “Leigh was a lifelong conservationist. Through his generosity and clear-headed advocacy, he was an inspiration to all of us who care about the outdoors. He was one of our heroes.”
And, Rosenbauer added, it wasn’t because it was good for business.
“It was not a cynical business decision,” Rosenbauer said. “Back in the 60s and 70s, most fly fishers didn’t give much thought to the environment, as long as there were trout in a stream or birds to shoot. Leigh did it because he wanted to be a steward of this world he loved, and if the company didn’t make enough profits in a year to support a project, he would reach into his own pocket, quietly, without telling a single customer or even his employees.”
Leigh Perkins is survived by his wife, Anne; children, Perk Perkins, David Perkins, Molly Perkins and Melissa McAvoy; stepchildren Penny Mesic, Annie Ireland, and Jamie Ireland; 11 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
“At the end of the day, he was one of the best damn anglers and hunters I’ve ever met, who loved Vermont and loved to share his passion with me, my brother Charley, my cousin Hannah so many others,” Simon Perkins said. “He will be greatly missed.”
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