WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
CHUMS
Hurricane, Utah
LOCATION
|
101 S. Main Street
Hurricane, Utah 84737 (435)635-4752 |
37° 10' 30.03" North Latitude, 113° 17' 17.81" West Longitude
37.1750° North Latitude, 113.2883° West Longitude
3,248 feet (990 meters) MSL
Chums (current headquarters)
2424 South 2570 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84119
(800)222-2486
https://www.chums.com
HISTORY
Michael Taggett was a river guide on the Colorado River from about 1978 to 1983. He and his clients werefrequently losing his glasses, so he came up with the idea of a cotton strap to hold them on. It worked well
for him and soon clients took note and began asking where they could get the straps.
So after the 1983 river running season, Mike moved from Moab to Hurricane. Starting with just $60, he bought
a sewing machine and started perfecting his product. He started hiring women from the Hildale-Colorado City
community to sew the straps which he sold. The straps became known as the Cotton Chums and sales took off.
The name, Chum, comes from a Golden Lab pet dog named Chumley.
Manufacturing in the current Hurricane facility began in 1986 and a retail store was opened there in 1993.
New products were developed and added to the Chums line.
In 2002, Mike Taggett sold his interest in the company to the Charles Ferries family.
In 2007, Chums merged with Chisco and opened their Salt Lake City facility.
Chums now has offices in Salt Lake City, Hurricane, and Ketchum ID. And sales outlets have opened all around
the world. Manufacturing is still done in the Hurricane building.
PHOTOS
TBDREFERENCES
https://www.chums.com/about-ushttps://www.chums.com/river-guide
https://www.chums.com/history-timeline
We are not the steel plant'; Hurricane City denies Chums CEO's request to change zoning
Article by Aspen Stoddard, St. George News, 3/8/2020