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West Ridge
Designs has been manufacturing bags and accessories since 1972.
The company was founded by Dann and Emiko Morris who designed our
first product, a daypack to carry his stuff around. The design was
so good that while shopping in a local ski shop, he was approached
by the owner and interrogated at length as to where he got the bag
and could he get more. After learning that Dann had designed and
made the bag himself, the owner explained what an IN-VOICE was and
promised to buy all he could produce in a weeks time. Dann
produced 12 bags and an IN-VOICE. The owner bought 10 and paid the
IN-VOICE in cash. Business. American style. Ya gotta love it!
Armed with a
smile, desire, and a basement/garage combo he rented for $26 per
month, Dann put himself to the task of producing his unique
design. Within a year the company had to expand, renting the
second floor of an auto parts warehouse in the Pearl District of
Portland Oregon.
West Ridge
Designs was alive and kicking and selling day packs, ski bags and
gaiters to the local ski shops when it happened. College students
figured out that a daypack was a great way to carry their books
around campus. Dann was then producing his daypacks and selling
them to college bookstores across the country with Emiko at his
side.
Life was good
and Dann decided to resume his art studies that he had put aside
earlier at a local university. While studying art he also received
a practical education in physics. Art students carry a lot of
HEAVY paper. He learned that the weight of the paper in his
cardboard portfolio increased in direct relation to the distance
he had to hoof it from the parking lot to his classroom. In
addition, he learned that a rained-on cardboard portfolio always
separates at the corners when dropped.
The West Ridge
Designs Portfolio was designed from the lessons learned first hand
and can now be found at many, college and university bookstores
and art supply stores across the U.S.
Along with the
success of the new line of products came another move. West Ridge
Designs packed it's collective bags and trekked exactly 1 block to
the NW, settling in the historic Fisk Tire Warehouse.
One fine day,
Dann and Emiko crossed paths with an Apple II. Needless to say,
the com puter was in the bag. Some of you may still have an old Apple
II or Mac SE hanging around in one of our bags, (We still use an
old SE along with an ImageWriter to print barcode labels.) Then
came the laptop cases. Which brings us up to date. 28 years (give
or take a few for Grateful Dead tours) of experience making a full
line of products.
Dann is
known around the place as "Houdini" for his ability to
disappear without a trace, and remains completely unorganized,
although, it is rumored that he has a plan.
Emiko is known
as the "Sun Devil" for her ability to zip around,
handling tasks in a flash of energy. She is, of course, the
antithesis of Dann, organized and reserved. They make a great
team.
Dann, Emiko
and Crew enjoy making the bags and hope that you will enjoy using
them.
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