Topo designs bags.

• Author: Peterson, Eric
• Position: COLORADO COOL STUFF

Jedd Rose, Erik Gore and Mark Hansen decided to launch Topo Designs on the way back to the Front Range from a ski trip in 2008.

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"We wanted a daily carry bag that wasn't leather with an old ski town feel but could still dress up for the workplace," Hansen says.

The result, the heavy-duty, made-in-Colorado, over-the-shoulder Mountain Bag, took off in Japan, leading to Topo Designs backpacks, which led in turn to more growth.

"In January, we got our first big order and have been trying to keep up ever...