About Burton Snowboards | Founder, Owner, Jobs, & Purpose

About Burton

In 1977, Jake Burton Carpenter founded Burton Snowboards out of his Vermont barn and dedicated the rest of his life to snowboarding. He was our founder, the soul of snowboarding, the one who gave us the sport we all love so much.

Since its founding, Burton has played a pivotal role in growing snowboarding from a backyard hobby to a world-class sport by creating groundbreaking products, supporting a team of top snowboarders, and pushing resorts to allow snowboarding. Today, Burton designs and manufactures industry-leading products for snowboarding and the outdoors. As a sustainability leader within the outdoor and winter sports industries, Burton is the world's first snowboard company to become a certified B Corporation®. Privately held and owned by Donna Carpenter, Burton's headquarters are in Burlington, Vermont with offices in Austria, Japan, Australia, Canada and China.

Jake and Donna Carpenter on mountain posing for a photo

Jake + Donna

Few company founders have made an impact quite like Jake + Donna Carpenter’s.

Jake Burton Carpenter and Donna posing with some Burton Safari Snowboards in the 1980s

In 1981, Jake moved from Londonderry to a farm in Manchester, Vermont. The barn was the factory, the living room was the store, the basement was the warehouse, and the bedroom was the office.On that New Year’s Eve, Jake met his future wife Donna Gaston at the Mill Tavern Inn. They married just a year later, and she became integral to the process of building Burton and introducing snowboarding to the world.

Early on, Jake told interviewers that his goal in life was to “make the best snowboarding equipment in the world.” As both Burton and snowboarding took off, his goals evolved to include another mantra: “Have as much fun as possible.” Jake passed in 2019, but Donna continues to serve the community and the brand as chair of the board, and owner. Their legacy continues to grow alongside Burton’s global community, season after season, with every new product line, every unforgettable experience, and every day spent pushing progression while having as much fun as possible.

OUR FUTURE TRACKS

PURPOSE

At Burton, sustainability has become a part of everything we do. We have a responsibility to the sport we pioneered, and to the people and environment that sustain it. Our commitment is to make Burton as respected for our environmental and social impact as we are for our products.

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VISIT US

Since its start, Burton has grown significantly, positively impacting the world on and off the mountain. We have offices and stores across the globe, including North America, Europe, and Asia.

Even though we are worldwide, we call Burlington, Vermont, home. It’s one of the most livable and dynamic small cities in the country, and home to our global headquarters and research and development hub, Craig’s Prototype Facility.

Visit HQ Find a Store

Burton Archivist, Todd Kohlman, leads a tour at Burton HQ

ALL THINGS BURTON

From Burton Team updates to learning a new skill or how to maintain your gear, don't miss a turn.

Burton Blog

Burton employee builds a Burton snowboard

WORK FOR US

At Burton, we're a dedicated group of riders (and riders at heart) who infuse a passion, drive for growth, and innovative spirit into everything we do – on and off the mountain.

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