In 1976, George launched Powell Corporation to manufacture and sell his skateboarding designs after being laid off from Raychem Corp. Powell formed a small team of skaters to promote his decks and Bones Wheels, employing Ray "Bones" Rodriguez as his top rider. In 1978, Stacy Peralta joined Powell, taking over the in-house skating team and promotional efforts. They soon rebranded the company Powell•Peralta. In 1979, the same year as Alan Gelfand invented the "ollie" trick, Peralta started a skateboarding team called the Bones Brigade. Within a few years, many prolific skaters joined the Bones Brigade, bringing Powell Peralta to fame as one of the most iconic '80s skateboard brands. Around 1991, Stacy Peralta left the company, with Powell carrying the business alone. Two partners rejoined in 2003, starting the "Powell Classic" line and relaunching the iconic "Powell Peralta" brand in 2005.