Leadership

In 1950, Ralph Atwood embarked in the business of providing personal safety protection products to the workers of America. His unique experience as a graduate of the University of Arkansas, the Razorback quarterback for several football seasons as well as a World War II officer in Europe until 1945, dictated that the secret to success was to provide a product of uncompromising quality in order to survive. With this in mind, he brought to the American Marketplace only products of superior quality whereby offering the day-to-day value that our workforce deserves.

In the 60’s & 70’s, Ralph’s two sons ‘came on board’ after obtaining college degrees; one from the University of Oregon and the other from Oregon State University. During this time, the theme of the 1960’s & 1970’s provided the grassroots for the launch of the service industry, as we know it today. The sons’ education in marketing and accounting, along with the initiation of the service aspect as a focal point within the business world, added the goal of optimal service for the customer as an equal dictate to quality, which created a directive for success. This success has proven secondary only to the value that our customers enjoy.

The 80’s unveiled the concept of multiple, rather than specialized sources for customers to choose from as options to obtain their personal protective products. Roy Hyden’s 20+ years of successful marketing experience, in both the industrial and retail trade, made it a natural fit to augment into the solid business foundation as provided by Ralph. Today, Roy’s marketing expertise spans four decades, where he is truly recognized as an icon by his peers in the Northwest retail marketplace.

Bruce Thede joined the Watershed group in 1990. His background in high tech garment design combined with a flair for simplicity when it comes to manufacturing, provided ‘the icing on the cake’ for Watershed to solidify the foundation for the distinct quality inherent within the Watershed product line. Bruce’s specialized gift, centering on design creativity, gives our customers a product whose value they can trust as proven over time.

Today, this leadership group has a combined experience record of successfully operating within the American marketplace for a period of time exceeding 180 years. Realizing that the most important assets of a company are the employees, these founders have formed a highly skilled management group to operate the daily Watershed operations, with their eyes continually set on providing a product of unparalleled value that our customers deserve.