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>>About Uphill

A Brief History

Uphill Corporation is a backpack and sport luggage manufacturer which began in 1980. Our founder grew up working alongside his father in a fabric retailing business which eventually grew to 184 stores in the western United States. During these years, working alongside his father, he gained a great deal of practical business knowledge such as the principles of "The customer is King" and "Quality always comes First." Joe's wife, Shelli, was a highly talented designer and seamstress. She grew up working alongside her mother in a custom drapery business and also worked for a clothing and ski apparel manufacturer.

The Inspiration

In 1980, Joe was a student at the University of Utah, waiting to begin a Master of Business Administration program. Shelli was a housewife, taking care of their two small children. On campus, Joe noticed that many of his fellow students were complaining about the performance and quality of the backpacks they were carrying. He decided that between himself and his talented wife, the two of them could make something better.

Getting Started

Joe proposed the idea of designing a better quality backpack to Shelli and said if she could design it and make it, he would sell it. They felt that students would benefit from a better way to carry their books and they also could provide extra income for their impoverished student family. Shelli took on the task with great enthusiasm, and in a few days Joe walked out of a major department store with an order for 100 packs. With a pair of scissors, a roll of fabric, a rented industrial sewing machine and the kitchen table, the two of them began Uphill Corporation.

Joe cut the packs out by hand while Shelli sewed them. When the bags were delivered several days later, the buyer admitted his surprise at receiving their order so quickly. (Joe didn't dare to tell them that the store was their first and only customer). The next day, Joe went to a local, major university bookstore, this store purchased 400 backpacks. Joe and Shelli decided after again cutting all these out by hand and sewing them up in the basement that they had better get serious.

Uphill Today

The business has grown every year since those days to today -- where Uphill Corporation products are sold and manufactured throughout the United States, as well as internationally. The company maintains the "personal touch, family run" atmosphere of those early years. We continue to adhere to a policy, set before Joe and Shelli began, of producing nothing but TOP QUALITY products that are attractive, rugged and fully warranted to serve the purchaser over a period of many years, not just a few months.