Before there was a President Lincoln, there was Orvis.
This year marks the 150th year in business for the world's leading fly fishing company.
It has come a long way since Charles Orvis first opened his small tackle shop in Manchester, Vermont in 1856.
Today, his namesake, The Orvis Company (www.orvis.com), is the world's most recognized name for quality fishing gear and one of the country's oldest mail order companies.
From its humble beginnings, Orvis has grown to a $250 million dollar a year company with 44 retail stores in the US and UK, and more than 500 dealers worldwide.
Orvis, however, is about more than just fly fishing. Orvis represents a distinctive country lifestyle that includes wing shooting, classic men's and women's apparel, fine home furnishings, and high-quality dog products (including the famous Orvis Dog Nest).
Today Orvis reaches 50 million homes a year through its mail order catalog.
More than three thousand people each year attend Orvis fly fishing and shooting schools, as well as book their once-in-a-lifetime vacations through the Orvis Travel program.
At the heart of The Orvis Company is a commitment to conservation.
In the past 10 years alone, the company has donated more than 10 million dollars – 5 percent of pretax profits – to fish and wildlife habitat conservation nationwide.