The initials “NRS” stand for Northwest River Supplies. When Bill Parks started the company in Eugene, Oregon in 1972, his primary customers were from around the Pacific North West, and they were mostly fellow river enthusiasts. At the time, the name explained perfectly what our company was about. Over the years, as our employees and customers started branching out into other areas of paddlesports, our company did too. These days, “Northwest River Supplies” doesn’t tell the full story of who we are. Our enthusiasm for paddlesports has grown to include lakes and oceans, and our products are used by paddlers in every part of the world. We shortened our name simply to NRS, to show that we focus on more than just river supplies, and more than just this corner of the world.