Bill Jordan is the creator of the
Realtree and Advantage brands of
camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...
and the host of the ''Monster Bucks'' video series and the ''Realtree Outdoors'' television show. He has made numerous appearances on outdoor television shows and has produced and assisted many up and coming leaders in the hunting industry. His slogan for Realtree being "Family, Friends and the Outdoors" signifying the importance of hunting and fishing in communities across the United States.
Biography
Jordan grew up in a rural home outside of
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it ...
where he was the youngest of three siblings. Jordan's father, Leon, owned a boat dealership close to
Lake Oliver
Lake Oliver is a reservoir on the Chattahoochee River, which lies south of Goat Rock Dam (Goat Rock Lake). The lake is created by the Oliver Dam and Generating Plant, which was completed in 1959 by Georgia Power.
The lake was named for Jame ...
.
Jordan went to
Columbus High School where he was a star athlete in track, basketball, and football. He received a scholarship from the
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi (byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment.
...
for football. Ole Miss appealed to him the most because good hunting and fishing was a short drive away. Jordan graduated from college in 1973, but injuries kept him from doing so.
Camouflage business
In 1986 Jordan decided to design his own camouflage patterns, and did so by trying to mock the bark from a giant oak tree in his parents' front lawn. His breakthrough came at a
SHOT Show
The SHOT Show , which is an acronym for "Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show", is an American annual trade show for the shooting sports, hunting, outdoor recreations and firearm manufacturing industries. The show is owned and sponsored by ...
where his new camouflage patterns were recognized by well-known figures in the hunting industry. They all wanted to know if he could send them a shipment of his products but Jordan had no money or real licensing agreement. The men from these well-known hunting companies and Jordan sat in his booth for hours trying to figure out how to begin producing his camouflage patterns. Finally they worked out an agreement with Walls and Jordan's textile industry that he used. Jordan changed the name of his company, signed an agreement, and Realtree was born.
References
External links
Realtree page about Bill JordanAdvantageCamo page about Bill JordanESPN page on Realtree Outdoors show
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jordan, Bill
Living people
Place of birth missing (living people)
Year of birth missing (living people)
People from Columbus, Georgia