Mary Anderson (business executive)

Mary Gertrude Anderson (née Gaiser; December 7, 1909 – March 27, 2017) was an American business executive, known for co-founding REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) in 1938 with her husband, Lloyd Anderson.

[1] As avid mountaineers in Seattle, Washington, they saw a need for quality gear so created a consumer cooperative company that is one of the largest recreational equipment retailers.

[2][3] They were inducted into the Cooperative Business Association's Hall of Fame in 1993.

[4] In honor of her 100th birthday in 2009, December 7 was "Mary Anderson Day" in Washington state and the city of Seattle.

In 1932, she married Lloyd Alva Anderson.