When it comes to playing outside, autumn is truly the most wonderful time of the year.

Opportunities abound for anyone who likes to hunt, fish, cycle, and even ski or snowboard now that flakes are falling and lifts are spinning. In some areas of the country, it’s possible to do them all on the same day.

No matter the activity, and no matter the location, Vista Outdoor Inc.’s brands have the gear that outdoor enthusiasts need to follow their passion and create unforgettable experiences. 

Below, we’ve included a few choice products for your favorite outdoor sports. Whether you’re a retailer looking to stock your store’s shelves with the newest must-have gear or a consumer looking for that perfect gift to buy yourself or someone else, the products in Vista Outdoor’s portfolio will keep you adventuring this autumn and beyond.

Bell Helmets took many of the same features from its popular XR Spherical helmet—including its “Deep Road” fit, ample venting, Fidlock buckle, Ionic+ antimicrobial comfort padding—to build the Falcon family of bike helmets that are both utilitarian and economic. Constructed with integrated Mips Evolve technology, these helmets were designed for day, night, dirt, pavement, and any two-wheel adventure you can throw at it. When the Falcons are released in January, they will include the Falcon XRV (with a visor) and Falcon XR (without a visor). The Falcon family’s features and options will perform in all conditions, making these helmets truly a one-and-done solution for your ride. .

Bushnell recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of the advent of the laser rangefinder for hunters. To commemorate that milestone, Bushnell has unveiled the Broadhead Laser Rangefinder, the most precise laser rangefinder of its era. At its core, the Broadhead is tailored around short-range accuracy for archers who need to know exact distances. The Broadhead’s 0.3-yard accuracy has been tested to deliver consistent ranges on any target, such as 3D targets and animal hides, regardless of lighting or reflectivity. And combined with +/- one-degree angle accuracy, it leaves no doubt about a bowhunter’s precise range to target. .

CamelBak knows you want to spend winter days shredding down the slopes, not worrying about your water supply, personal items, food, and more. The brand’s new line of Snow Hydration Packs—tłó±đ , , and —will leave you free to carve your place on the mountain. All three packs can carry your helmet and the two larger packs, SnoBlast and Powderhound, also can carry your skis or snowboard. CamelBak’s new SnowShield technology is built into the body of all packs, keeping your pack—and all its contents—clean and dry. The Therminator Harness surrounds your hydration tube with high-performance insulation to prevent your water from freezing, and the Lift Access Harness provides quick access to all your essentials. .

Camp Chef has kicked it up a notch—yet again—with the release of its Woodwind Pro, a new wood pellet grill that speaks to control freaks and carefree cooks alike. If your dream grill includes more smoke and more bold flavor, then you’ll love playing around with the newly invented Smoke Box, which allows you to cook with wood pellets, wood chunks, wood chips, and even charcoal, and use the damper value to tailor your heat output. Try your hand at new methods such as cold smoking using the Fan Only Mode. Want something a little more casual? Simply fill your hopper and fire it up the pellet grill for that signature mild smoke taste. .

Fox Racing recently announced its first product launch off the bike with the debut of men’s and women’s performance training apparel. The collection’s designs place athlete needs first, ensuring this apparel exceeds demands when training at their best, with features focused on mobility, breathability, and moisture wicking. With the launch of the performance training collection, Fox puts its 40-year history of design innovation to work but shifts its focus to create the most technically proficient training gear on the planet. The new collection gives athletes the opportunity to perform at their highest in preparation for whatever sport. .

Giro Sport Design teamed up with another iconic brand, guitar and amp maker Fender, to create the Giro x Fender collection of ski goggles. For decades, the connection between music and the mountain lifestyle has run deep. This connection is not surprising. Both endeavors are dynamic forms of human creativity. Maybe more importantly, both pursuits are emotional experiences that put us in a state of flow. So Giro was beyond stoked to connect with one of the most amazing music brands of all time, Fender, to create a collection of goggles that celebrates the connection these two cultures share. This collab includes three models—, , and —with various lens and strap options. .

QuietKat Electric Bikes has debuted the Ibex, available now only at . The new QuietKat Ibex represents the latest in full-suspension electric bicycles for hunting, fishing, camping, overlanding, and tactical applications. The all-new Ibex earned its name trekking over the highest peaks and steepest terrain. Built for life above the tree line, the Ibex deploys 4.8” CST Tires and the upgraded FireLink 4-Bar suspension in the rear, giving you 130mm of travel to command rocky and rugged terrain. Going off the grid? The Bafang Ultra-Drive motor delivers incredible power and performance while the massive 21ah battery provides extra range to push further into the backcountry. .

Simms Fishing Products’ multi-award winning G3 Guide Stockingfoot Wader leans into its 20-year design and development history to yield the most performance-driven G3 to date. Compared to its predecessor, the new G3 boasts a 7.5 percent increase in tongue tear strength, a 23 percent increase in standard puncture resistance, an 84 percent increase in pinhole puncture resistance, all while increasing breathability by 33 percent. Built with a highly breathable 3-layer GORE-TEX Pro Shell upper, the secret to these radical increases in durability and performance is an all-new 4-layer GORE-TEX Pro Shell fabric package found in the lower portion of the wader. The G3 is available in men’s and women’s. .

Stone Glacier’s newest tent, the Sky Solus, is an ultralight, four-season, freestanding shelter specialized for the solo alpine hunter. Built to withstand brutal mountain weather but incredibly nimble for pitching in steep, ultra-tight terrain, the Sky Solus crosses the line between a tent and a bivy to give hunters the perfect shelter for pursuing big game deep into the backcountry. The Solus combines innovative WebTruss construction with a compact footprint and a sleek profile to create a weatherproof fortress that can easily be pitched tight to windbreaks, in bony alpine pockets, and on steep slopes. The Solus maximizes usable space to provide ample room inside the tent for gear, sleeping, and sitting up to change layers. .

Drop us an email to learn more about Vista Outdoor and our brands. Media Contact: Eric Smith: 901-573-9156, media.relations@vistaoutdoor.com.

Vista Outdoor (NYSE: VSTO) is the parent company of more than three dozen renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products. We serve a broad and diverse range of consumers around the globe, including outdoor enthusiasts, golfers, cyclists, backyard grillers, campers, hunters, recreational shooters, athletes, as well as law enforcement and military professionals. Vista Outdoor products are sold at leading retailers and distributors across North America and worldwide. For news and information, visit our website at .

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With two transformative acquisitions announced in less than a month, the Vista Outdoor Inc. team has been busy this summer as the company continued to refine and reshape its vast portfolio.

In July, the Anoka, Minnesota-based parent company of more than three dozen outdoor and sporting products brands signed definitive agreements to acquire Irvine, California-based Fox Racing for $590 million and Bozeman, Montana-based Simms Fishing Products for $193 million.

Fox Racing will boost Vista Outdoor’s action sports cred, and Simms gives Vista Outdoor an industry-leading platform brand in the fishing space. Equally important, the brands will stay true to their roots as leaders in their respective categories.

These latest market-shifting deals are further proof that Vista Outdoor, with its growing array of powerhouse brands, is the acquirer of choice in the outdoor industry. Moreover, the newest assets are sure to be foundational for Vista Outdoor’s next chapter, announced a few months ago and coming into focus with each strategic maneuver.

On May 5, the multibillion-dollar corporation announced it would separate into two independent, publicly traded companies—Outdoor Products and Sporting Products, each of which will operate under new names and stock tickers beginning in 2023. Fox Racing and Simms will join CamelBak, Bushnell, Bell, Giro, QuietKat, and more in the Outdoor Products company, to be named later this year.

To better understand how Vista Outdoor will leverage these newest portfolio members to become one of the industry’s largest, most diversified outdoor recreation companies, and to see how these brands will flourish under the Vista Outdoor banner, here’s a closer look at each deal and what they’ll mean in the short and long terms.

Simms: A Trophy Acquisition

Vista landed a keeper in late July when it .

Founded in 1980 and acquired in 1993 by K.C. Walsh, its current Executive Chairman, Simms is now one of the outdoor industry’s most iconic and innovative fishing gear and apparel companies. It is also a purpose-driven brand that resonates with consumers across the globe. The company’s products are used by more than 8,500 Simms-sponsored fishing professionals and are distributed through specialty retail stores, both domestically and internationally, and directly to consumers through simmsfishing.com.

After the acquisition closes, Simms will continue to be based in Montana, where it will produce the quality apparel and gear that customers have grown to know and love for the last 30 years, and will remain focused on conservation efforts. But the brand will also become the first asset in Vista Outdoor’s new fishing platform, which is sure to delight fishing enthusiasts around the world as the sport and category grow.

“Simms will be a central plank in our long-term growth strategy and will be the anchor of our new fishing platform within Outdoor Products,” said Chris Metz, Vista’s CEO. “Fishing, particularly fly fishing where Simms has its roots, is a natural adjacency to our Outdoor Products business, and Simms serves an enthusiast consumer demographic that has proven to be largely recession-resistant over time. With a beloved, household name brand like Simms leading the way, we believe that we can create a fishing platform that serves the 55 million-plus anglers while delivering long-term growth and value for our shareholders for years to come.”

Joining Vista Outdoor not only gives the parent company a sought-after fishing platform but will help Simms, whose annual revenue is now $110 million, create more brand loyalists by increasing its production, sales, and customer base. (.)

“Simms Fishing Products has become the most exciting brand in sport fishing, driving product innovation with our award-winning apparel, outerwear, footwear, and accessories,” Walsh said. “Through our high-performance products, we encourage anglers to spend more time on the water—while advocating for healthy fisheries, responsible use, and clean water. We are thrilled to be joining the Vista Outdoor family of brands. It is hard to imagine a better partner for Simms. Vista Outdoor is committed to helping us build continued momentum through operational expertise, access to growth capital, and their Supply Chain and Digital Centers of Excellence.”

Full Speed Ahead with Fox Racing 

Vista Outdoor on July 6 announced it had —where it will be well-positioned alongside Bell Helmets, Giro, Blackburn, Krash, Copilot, and Raskullz. The acquisition adds yet another global icon to its already legendary lineup of action sports brands.

“The addition of Fox Racing to our portfolio will allow us to target multiple consumer demographics across mountain and road biking, skiing/snowboarding, and powersports,” Metz said. “We expect that Fox Racing and our legacy teams will find multiple opportunities to leverage core competencies, enhance supply chain efficiency and resiliency, and better serve our customers and consumers to drive future growth. We believe that the combined platform will make each business stronger and more profitable tomorrow than they are today while allowing us to continue to deliver long-term returns for shareholders.”

The deal, which adds approximately $350 million in revenue and $55 million in EBITDA, also gives Fox Racing plenty of runway to scale production while remaining true to its 50-year legacy as a leading voice in the motocross and adventure community. Keeping that “founder’s mentality” was critical for Fox Racing before it decided to join the Vista Outdoor family. (.)

“Together we can leverage the heritage of our leading brands, enjoy new supply chain synergies, expand our deep and established channels and target an expanded customer base,” said Jeffrey McGuane, CEO of Fox Racing, who will continue to lead the company following the closing of the acquisition. “Combined with enhanced access to capital for innovation and scale, we believe this transaction is a win-win for all involved. Vista Outdoor’s leadership team has proven they have an effective, repeatable acquisition model, making Vista Outdoor the clear acquirer of choice for Fox Racing. It is not often that an acquired company can remain true to its culture and customer base, while also tapping into the benefits of Vista Outdoor’s Centers of Excellence, vast retail partnerships, innovation engines, and a leadership team that enables a founder’s mentality and results-driven culture. Needless to say, we are thrilled about this next chapter for Fox Racing.”

More Change on the Horizon

The next chapter for Vista Outdoor’s Outdoor Products company will include a fresh name, stock ticker, logo, and more. One change has already been announced. The new company plans to establish its corporate headquarters in Bozeman, a town that serves as the home base not only for Simms but another Vista brand, Stone Glacier, as well as a key hub for the outdoor industry. Yet another Vista brand Blackhawk, though based in Virginia, operates a manufacturing facility in nearby Manhattan, Montana.

Moreover, the , now in its second year, is looking to tap into the company’s newest brands to expand its grant partnerships with nonprofits that promote conservation, outdoor access, and other causes that unite the company’s diverse portfolio of brands and customers.

“The cultural alignment of Fox and Simms meshes well with our existing ethos and philosophy as it relates to conservation access and getting more people into the outdoors,” said Fred Ferguson, Vista Outdoor’s VP of Public Affairs and Communications and President of the Vista Outdoor Foundation. “The Foundation Board met recently to map out our calendar year 2022. Our giving cycle is not yet solidified, but we do expect to make grants and issue funding to outdoor nonprofits this year. Before that happens, we’ll take the time to solicit feedback from Fox and Simms and incorporate that into our 2022 strategy.”

Vista Outdoor reported first-quarter earnings for its fiscal year 2023 on July 27. for the report, including commentary from CEO Chris Metz and CFO Sudhanshu Priyadarshi on the period’s financial performance and the company’s latest acquisitions. Drop us an email to learn more about Vista Outdoor and our brands. Media Contact: Eric Smith: 901-573-9156, media.relations@vistaoutdoor.com.

Vista Outdoor (NYSE: VSTO) is the parent company of more than three dozen renowned brands that design, manufacture, and market sporting and outdoor products. We serve a broad and diverse range of consumers around the globe, including outdoor enthusiasts, golfers, cyclists, backyard grillers, campers, hunters, recreational shooters, athletes, as well as law enforcement, and military professionals. Vista Outdoor products are sold at leading retailers and distributors across North America and worldwide. For news and information, visit our website at .

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(NYSE: VSTO) has entered into an agreement to purchase for $540 million with the potential for an additional $50 million earnout based on Fox Racing’s financial performance, both companies jointly announced Wednesday. The purchase brings Fox Racing into Vista Outdoor Inc.’s stable of now 40 outdoor and shooting sport brands that include Camp Chef, CamelBak, Blackburn, Bushnell, and Remington.

Publicly traded Vista Outdoor Inc. in revenue for fiscal year 2022, a growth of 36.8 percent over fiscal year 2021.

“Fox Racing is an ideal fit for our portfolio with a reputation for high quality helmets, protective gear and apparel for motocross and mountain biking,” said Chris Metz, Vista Outdoor CEO, in a . “Motocross and mountain biking are growing and familiar categories for Vista Outdoor. Fox Racing is synergistic to our existing action sports business unit, which includes Bell Helmets, Giro, Blackburn, Krash, Copilot, and Raskullz. The addition of Fox Racing to our portfolio will allow us to target multiple consumer demographics across mountain and road biking, skiing/snowboarding, and powersports.”

Metz further said the acquisition of Fox Racing continues “the successful implementation of our strategy to use accretive acquisitions to expand our leadership position and ability to capitalize on long-term growth opportunities in outdoor recreation.”

Fox Racing was started by Santa Clara University physicist Dr. Geoff Fox in 1974 and is known as an industry leader in protective gear, apparel and accessories for motocross and mountain biking. Fox Racing grew its net sales by a compound annual growth rate of approximately 20 percent from 2019 to 2021, and is expected to top that growth for 2022. (Fox Racing Shox under Fox Factory Holding Corp. is a separate company started by Geoff’s brother, Bob Fox, in 1978 and is not part of the sale.)

, the CEO of Fox Racing, will continue to lead the company following the closing of the acquisition, as will all of Fox Racing’s leadership team.

“We’re excited to join the Vista Outdoor family,” McGuane said in a press release. “Together we can leverage the heritage of our leading brands, enjoy new supply chain synergies, expand our deep and established channels, and target an expanded customer base. Combined with enhanced access to capital for innovation and scale, we believe this transaction is a win-win for all involved. It is not often that an acquired company can remain true to its culture and customer base, while also tapping into the benefits of Vista Outdoor’s centers of excellence, vast retail partnerships, innovation engines, and a leadership team that enables a founder’s mentality and results-driven culture. Needless to say, we are thrilled about this next chapter for Fox Racing.”

Fox Racing will be included in the new Outdoor Products company formed when Vista Outdoor splits into two separate businesses next year, a move it in May.

For the 2022 calendar year, Fox Racing’s full-year net sales and adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) are expected to be approximately $350 million and $55 million, respectively. Vista Outdoor expects the transaction to be immediately accretive to earnings, excluding transaction costs, transition costs, and inventory step-up.

Vista also reported today that it expects to finance the Fox Racing acquisition through a combination of a $600 million asset-based revolving credit facility, which will replace Vista Outdoor’s existing asset-based revolving credit facility, and a $350 million secured term loan facility. 

Vista expects to close the transaction in the second fiscal quarter of 2023, subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.

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A seismic shift is underway at Vista Outdoor Inc., the Anoka, Minnesota-based parent company of 39 renowned outdoor and sporting product brands. On May 5, the multibillion-dollar corporation announced it would separate into two independent, publicly traded companies—Outdoor Products and Sporting Products, each of which will operate under new names and stock tickers beginning in 2023.

In the coming months, Vista Outdoor will provide more details on what this move will entail, but in the meantime, it’s business as usual for the company’s brands—and “business as usual” this time of year means trade show season and displaying the latest gear from those brands’ award-winning production and design teams.

From the recent Grassroots Connect, Outdoor Retailer Summer market, and OutDoor by ISPO to next month’s Big Gear Show, there’s no shortage of chances to see the amazing outdoor apparel and equipment making the rounds on this summer’s trade show circuit.

But for members of the outdoor trade world who haven’t gotten the chance to admire the latest offerings from Vista Outdoor’s portfolio of iconic outdoor brands—or who have but want to learn more—here’s the rundown on the hottest gear from Bell, CamelBak, Camp Chef, Giro, QuietKat, and Stone Glacier:

Bell Helmets in April announced its all-new XR Spherical helmet, a gravel-focused cycling helmet that offers unmatched protection to riders by using a new outer shell shape and spherical technology, powered by the MipsÂź ball-and-socket design, to redirect rotational impact forces. This do-it-all helmet blends the ventilation of a road helmet with the deep coverage of a mountain bike helmet. .

CamelBak, the global leader in award-winning personal hydration products, recently added three new products to its Horizon Drinkware collection—tłó±đ Can Cooler (three sizes), Straw Tumbler (two sizes), and Tall Mug (one size). The newly released products complement CamelBak’s already robust line of Horizon Drinkware and give consumers added options for enjoying their favorite beverages with the quality features CamelBak is known for, including 18/8 stainless steel, non-slip silicone pads on the base, and a powder-coat finish. .

Camp Chef, long renowned for industry-leading innovation, has brought another groundbreaking grill to the market. The Apex Grill, now available, combines the best of the ever-popular wood pellet grill with the time-tested option of using propane to get the job done quickly. In one unit, and in a single chamber, a griller will be able to switch fuel sources with a press of a button. So whether it’s a quick cook of grilled chicken or a well-earned smoke ring on a brisket, it will be grilling like never before. .

Giro Sport Design, the cycling world’s design leader, has announced the release of Insurgent Spherical, a bike helmet built to deliver the protection that top riders demand as they redefine what is possible in progressive mountain biking. Built around the advanced protection of Spherical Technology powered by Mips¼, the Insurgent has been designed for optimum ventilation, comfort, and performance. .

QuietKat Electric Bikes, the leader in off-road electric bikes, announced at the Easter Jeep Safari the addition of the Jeep¼ eBike Rubicon model, featuring a 21ah battery, which provides an additional 45 percent more range than the brand’s original Jeep eBike. Premium components include an inverted suspension fork, wide-range gearing, and 6” of suspension travel both front and rear. The fat 4.8” tires and powerful electric motor can conquer the steepest and most rugged terrain. .

Stone Glacier, the newest brand in Vista Outdoor’s expansive portfolio, is proud to tout the Chilkoot 32Âș quilt, a sleep system that’s highly packable, lightweight, and designed for early-to mid-season backcountry hunts. With a focus on warmth-to-weight ratio, the Chilkoot 32° quilt utilizes industry-leading materials to achieve an overall weight and temperature rating that is second to none. When space, weight, and warmth are critical, the Chilkoot 32Âș should be in your hunting pack. .

Drop us an email to learn more about Vista Outdoor and our brands. And look for deeper dives on big changes happening at the company—tłó±đ upcoming separation and new M&A announcements—plus updated brand news in future installments of șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Business Journal’s Partnership Program. Media Contact: Eric Smith: 901-573-9156, media.relations@vistaoutdoor.com

About Vista Outdoor Inc.

Vista Outdoor (NYSE: VSTO) is the parent company of more than three dozen renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products. We serve a broad and diverse range of consumers around the globe, including outdoor enthusiasts, golfers, cyclists, backyard grillers, campers, hunters, recreational shooters, athletes, as well as law enforcement and military professionals. Vista Outdoor products are sold at leading retailers and distributors across North America and worldwide. For news and information, visit our website at .

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Starting next year, Vista Outdoor as we’ve known it will cease to exist. The parent company of CamelBak, Giro, and Camp Chef announced today that in 2023 it will spin its outdoor and “sporting”—i.e. ammunition—segments off into separate companies. Chris Metz, Vista’s current CEO, will lead the outdoor business after the split; Jason Vanderbrink, the current president of sporting products, will step into the chief executive role at the ammunition business. Both companies will be publicly traded and renamed following the separation.

According to a published today, the decision was handed down by Vista’s board of directors, which unanimously approved the split. “Following a thorough assessment of Vista Outdoor’s businesses, operations, and value-creation opportunities, the board determined that a spinoff of its Outdoor Products business would unlock significant value,” said Michael Callahan, the company’s chairman, in the release.

Added Metz, “As a result of the separation, our Outdoor Products and Sporting Products businesses will have resources, management teams, and capital allocation priorities tailored to their respective strategic goals. We are confident that this increased focus will better allow each company to deliver long-term value for its shareholders, employees, customers, and other stakeholders.”

The move comes at a moment of sales strength for Vista. On an earnings call this morning, the company reported healthy growth in its 2022 fiscal year (FY22), which ended March 31. According to Metz and others on the call, sales in Vista’s Sporting Products division increased 55 percent in FY22, with the Outdoor Products division seeing an 18 percent boost.

“The fourth quarter marked our seventh straight quarter of record-breaking financial results,” Metz said on the call. “Underlying demand in outdoor recreation remains strong, despite the current macroeconomic headwinds, and we begin fiscal 2023 with positive momentum, from our balance sheet to our leverage ratio to our powerhouse portfolio of brands.”

In addition to “unlocking value” at the company’s two divisions, the move will also distance the group’s outdoor brands from its hunting assets. In the wake of the Parkland shooting 2018, retailers REI and MEC stopped ordering Vista products because of the company’s ownership of a firearms manufacturer. Vista sold that brand, Savage Arms, and eventually REI welcomed them back. Still, the boycott by the nation’s largest outdoor retail chain sent ripples through the industry. “REI does not sell guns,” the company said in a statement at the time. While nothing about the temporary break with REI was mentioned in today’s announcement, Metz did last year that the importance of a good relationship with REI “goes beyond” the top line. “It’s more about the halo effect that REI provides to our brands,” Metz said.

Vista concluded its announcement today with a heathy measure of optimism about the future of both new companies. Specific to the outdoor business, the company said that it expects the new entity to “serve consumers in a diverse and fast-growing set of categories, representing an estimated $30 billion domestic market in its core and immediately adjacent end markets, with an estimated total global addressable market in excess of $100 billion.”

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Vista Outdoor Inc. is among the outdoor-focused public companies that have benefited from a surge in more people venturing outside to hike, bike, hunt, fish, or ski. The Anoka, Minnesota-based corporation—whose portfolio includes CamelBak, Camp Chef, Bell, Giro, QuietKat, and others—has been riding an impressive growth streak as outdoor consumers buy products from its suite of brands.

Now, the company is leveraging that success with the launch of the Vista Outdoor Corporate Foundation. Vista Outdoor is making an initial contribution of $3 million to the foundation, which next month will begin accepting funding requests from nonprofit organizations for a range of grants.

Vista said the foundation, whose board of directors will include representatives from across the Vista organization, will partner with “nonprofits that support conservation, outdoor access and other causes aligned with Vista Outdoor’s purpose, vision, and commitments.”

To learn more about the Vista Outdoor Corporate Foundation, șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Business Journal spoke with Fred Ferguson, Vista’s vice president of public affairs and communications, and Dylan Ramsey, the company’s general counsel and corporate secretary who also will serve as the initial chairman of the foundation’s board of directors. Here’s what they shared.

Why the foundation and why now?

Dylan Ramsey: Like any company, there are pressures to scale back or scale up partnerships depending on how the business is doing, which is reasonable since we’re a public company with investors. By setting aside some money now in a good year, we feel like we can make longer-term commitments to our partners. That’s the animating force behind setting up a foundation. We can link arms with our partners to make a long-term impact.

Fred Ferguson: Since our September 2019 Investor Day, a lot of change has happened with the company. We had just come off a divestiture of one of our larger businesses and had begun the transformation of Vista Outdoor. Our CEO, Chris Metz, challenged but also encouraged us to do more. It’s been this culture change since that investor day where this idea of doing well so we can do good has caught fire. This past year has been a successful one financially, but as you’re seeing with the foundation, it’s allowed us to lean into that purposeful philosophy that we all share. Doing good in business and doing good in the community are not mutually exclusive.

The foundation doesn’t begin accepting applications in July, but has there already been some response to the unveiling of the charity?

FF: The phone calls are starting to heat up, as expected and as welcomed. We’re hearing from people we already know, but the exciting part is we’re hearing from people we don’t know. One of the planks of the foundation is “how do we expand access?” To do that, we must be willing and able to talk to people we haven’t historically spoken with. That’s a goal for the entire board as we roll out the foundation. If we can bring new people into outdoor sports and outdoor recreation, that will be a long-term measure of success that we’ll grade ourselves against.

Can you share a bit more about the types of nonprofits the foundation will support?

DR: Vista Outdoor is something of a big tent for the outdoors. We have products that serve hunters, hikers, bikers, skiers—anything that you can do in the outdoors, we have a product that you can use. Our vision for the foundation is similar. We want to find those common-ground causes, the ones that unite all outdoor enthusiasts. That could mean protecting open space, getting kids off screens and outside, expanding access, diversifying outdoor sports. These are causes that all outdoor enthusiasts, all our customers, all our employees can find some common ground on and agree on. They’re good for our industry, they’re good for our business, they’re good for our people. That’s where we want to put our weight. Our brands will continue to have their specific charitable partnerships where they want to build their brand and build their partnerships with groups that are more narrowly focused, but for the corporate brand, we are looking for those common ground causes.

Is there another corporate foundation that inspired this move?

DR: Vista is a bit unique, and I wouldn’t say that we looked to anyone for a direct model, but we were inspired by some of our peers like VF Corporation’s and REI Co-op’s foundations that have done some fantastic work. However, I think this will be unique. It will be a very “Vista-flavored” foundation in our criteria and who we partner with.

When does Vista Outdoor plan to kick in additional funding—and how much—for the foundation?

DR: We haven’t come out with an explicit kind of number for Vista’s ongoing support for the foundation. I think that will be something we evaluate from year to year, depending on business conditions and other factors. We feel the initial grant of $3 million is a good start, and it allows us to make some longer-term commitments to some of our partners. That $3 million will go a long way, but it’s not going to last forever. 

Are you able to provide a grant amount range for applicants?

FF: We’re going to play it by ear and see how the applications come in and then make decisions about amounts, especially in this first year. We don’t want to have criteria that are so rigid that we close ourselves off, but at the same time, we realize that that specificity helps the grantees. We’re going to grow into that.

DR: It will be based on the needs and merits of the grant requests that we have. We’re going to take those requests one at a time. We have certain minimums from the 501(c)3 regs that we must distribute 5 percent of the foundation, but I think we’ll exceed that. The value here is not in what we give this year. It’s not about giving a partner $10,000 or $50,000 this year. It’s about committing to giving a partner that amount for the next five years, and then working together over those five years to achieve some goals together. It gives our partners a little more assurance that this tool will be there for them.

So the foundation is a long-term plan for Vista?

DR: Absolutely. This $3 million is us setting aside a nest egg for long-term partnerships, but I don’t think anybody here imagines that’s going to be the last contribution Vista makes to the foundation. The foundation will be the primary vehicle for our charitable partnerships going forward. This is Vista’s institutional commitment to help serve those causes that we all care about.

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Vista Outdoor Inc. is betting big on the e-bike boom.

The publicly traded company—whose outdoor portfolio includes CamelBak, Bell, Giro, Camp Chef, and others—on Wednesday morning announced it has acquired QuietKat, an Eagle, Colorado-based maker of off-road electric bikes.

Vista announced the news before its virtual Investor Day presentation, where the Anoka, Minnesota-based company also said it had acquired Venor, a hunt-inspired female athleisure brand formed five years ago by Angie Erickson and based in Vista’s hometown (the company relocated from Farmington, Utah, in 2018). 

The financial terms of the deals weren’t disclosed, but Vista has high hopes for its newest assets.

“Both of these acquisitions, we believe, are going to be winners for us,” said Vista CEO Chris Metz. 

QuietKat’s co-founders are twin brothers Jake and Justin Roach. Vista said the company employs approximately 45 people, all of whom are expected to remain with the brand post-acquisition. 

“QuietKat is led by two extremely creative and passionate founders who will continue to lead the company,” Metz said. “E-bikes are arguably the fastest-growing space within all of outdoor products and will continue to grow for many years to come. QuietKat is still small, but they are the share leaders in their space and growing exponentially with unbelievable upside that can benefit from Vista strengths. QuietKat has built the No. 1 share position with a terrific product lineup that’s supported by super creative marketing and customer service. It is also a terrific cultural fit for our company.”

Metz added that QuietKat will serve as a “platform for Vista to grow in the e-bike space.”

Vista said the Venor brand is about a lifestyle that’s “anchored in adventure, community, and empowering women to live their best outdoor lives.” Metz said Wednesday morning that Kelly Reisdorf, chief investor relations and communications officer, will expand her role and lead Venor as its general manager.

Vista’s Winding Mergers and Acquisition Road

These moves follow a few years of portfolio rightsizing for Vista Outdoor. In the summer of 2018, the company sold its BollĂ©, CĂ©bĂ©, and Serengeti assets—aka, the “eyewear brands”—to a private equity fund. 

A year later, in July 2019, Vista Outdoor famously, and finally, unloaded its firearms business, Savage Arms. The company had faced the loss of a significant sales channel when REI Co-op and MEC in 2018 announced they would stop selling products from Vista’s outdoor brands as long as the company owned and operated a gun maker. That announcement was in direct response to the shooting in Parkland, Florida.

When Vista sold Savage Arms for $170 million, the company was back in REI’s good graces and has since returned to the co-op’s shelves. (When the divestment happened, Metz denied the move was related to the co-op’s but rather a needed portfolio adjustment due to a host of issues related to the firearms industry.)

Vista continued to execute its M&A strategy in October 2020 when the company doubled down on its ammunition assets by acquiring certain assets related to Remington Outdoor Co.’s ammunition and accessories businesses for $81.4 million.

After the QuietKat and Venor deals, what’s next? We’ll ask Metz in a Q&A that will be published this week, and we’ll also have in-depth reports on the company’s outdoor brands and its new corporate foundation in the coming days.

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When Durrell Smith leaves his house to go hunting, shotgun and dogs in tow, he pens a note to his wife with his GPS coordinates. 

It’s responsible hunting. It’s also one of the many precautions he takes as a Black man hunting alone in southern Georgia, like leaving the field long before dark, and answering a few extra questions from other hunters wondering what he’s really doing out there. 

“It’s the issue of familiarity,” he said. “It’s not that we don’t know other minorities go outdoors, it’s the fact that a lot of mainstream culture is not used to seeing others in their space.”

Until more Black, Indigenous, and other people of color’s faces become prevalent in hunting companies’ marketing, outreach, and internal efforts, diversity experts say those attitudes will continue. And the outdoor industry desperately needs hunting and fishing to embrace those faces.

For one thing, the hunting and fishing industries carry weight in Washington. They align often with powerful pro-Second Amendment groups like the National Rifle Association, and conservation organizations like Trout Unlimited or Ducks Unlimited. The industries also get a political leg up on the outdoor industry from their conservation contributions: Every $36 fishing license or $10 conservation stamp goes to support habitat projects or pays a biologist’s salary. Federal taxes on hunting and fishing equipment pump millions of dollars into state wildlife agency coffers. Experts fear that, without those dollars, critical wildlife research and public land maintenance efforts could fall apart. Another concern: Without hunt and fish, land managers might be forced to institute a backpack tax or hiking licenses to make up the lost revenue. Both those policies inhibit access for first-time outdoorists and could undermine some of the outdoor industry’s fledgling DEI efforts. 

For many outdoor companies, the murder of George Floyd was another call to action as executives realize BIPOC outdoor enthusiasts are a growing part of the market, and they can’t be ignored, persecuted, or avoided anymore. But hunting and fishing companies have felt forced to choose: go all in and reach out to groups that aren’t part of their traditionally white, male base, or play it safe and try to wait out the racial reckoning. Some brands, like Orvis, chose the former, signing pledges and hiring BIPOC experts for training. Many didn’t.

So hunters like Durrell, founder of the popular Gun Dog Notebook podcast, started a group called the Minority Outdoor Alliance as a way to promote and increase BIPOC participation in the outdoors. Opportunities to support the existing BIPOC hunting community exist, he said, but, like in the outdoor industry, hunting companies have been reluctant to not only talk, but put money on the table. 

That’s the issue Eric Morris ran into when he launched his Nontypical Outdoorsman show in 2019, an effort to highlight more of the hunters of color he’d seen go unrepresented in mainstream hunting shows.

“TV shows are risky,” brands told him when he reached out for sponsors. “Most fail in the first year.” They told him he’d have to prove himself before they would commit a dollar. 

Morris decided to try. Outdoor companies were talking about diversity, he knew. They’d sign on, he thought.

His first season, which he launched on The Pursuit Channel using largely his own savings, featured episodes on turkey hunting and accessing public land, and included interviews with two Black veterans. More than 60,000 households tuned in for each episode, far above his initial goal of 40,000—high for a new show. When he reached out to find sponsors for season two, though, only one company—Thorogood Boots—stepped up.

“I drank the Kool-Aid and thought people would be serious about increasing diversity,” Morris said. “I think there are some [brands] that believe there is not a market among the minority community, but there is. From my experience, sometimes people get too bogged down in the politics and red tape and bureaucracy of diversity and not going out and just doing it.”

The Fishing Industry Tackles Inclusivity

Even before COVID hit and many Americans took to the water, the number of people grabbing fishing rods and reels in this country had been climbing.

But back in 2013, when leadership at the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) sat down and dug into their numbers, they saw a disturbing trend. 

“We started to realize that Hispanic participation, which is the fastest growing demographic [in the country], was flat,” said Stephanie Vatalaro, the organization’s senior vice president of marketing and communications. 

The group started Vamos A Pescar, a national marketing campaign aimed at offering education and information to the country’s Hispanic communities. And whether or not that helped the cause, Hispanic anglers are now the fastest growing demographic, according to a 2019 report by the RBFF.

About a decade ago, executives at Orvis, one of the nation’s oldest and largest fly-fishing and wing-shooting companies, had a similar moment. The company saw its fly-fishing sales were growing, but its customer base was shrinking. 

“We saw things that weren’t looking great in our future,” said Orvis CEO Simon Perkins. The brand understood its primarily white, male core supporters; they were easy to market to. But Orvis executives also realized the brand was becoming less relevant with each passing year. They knew they needed to learn how to talk to other audiences if they wanted to survive. The evolution hasn’t been easy. 

“These conversations are uncomfortable,” Perkins said. “If you’re going to grow a business or industry, you have to always be working really hard to listen outside that echo chamber, and that takes time and effort and resources.”

Orvis then started a program called 50/50 On the Water meant to increase gender parity in fly fishing. 

In mid-2019, long before Justice June, Orvis reached out to the nonprofit Brown Folks Fishing to figure out how to improve its diversity efforts. 

Orvis has since signed the group’s Angling for All pledge, a commitment to identify and eliminate barriers to racial diversity in fishing, and hired Erica Nelson and Sydney Clark, co-founders of REAL Consulting, to help it evolve and reach new audiences in a meaningful way.

But Orvis’s process is far from the norm in the nation’s fishing industry, said Nelson, a Navajo angler and Brown Folks Fishing ambassador. 

“I don’t think companies know how to respond,” Nelson said. “If we open the doors to being inclusive to all, white people in general think there’s not enough for them. Somehow they think they will be pushed out.” But that fear is unfounded, in her view.

Hunting Struggles to Keep Up

As much as fly fishing’s base has traditionally been white men, hunting has struggled even more to increase representation. In 2016, 90 percent of hunters 16 years and older in the country were male and 97 percent were white, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s most recent National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, a trove of data collected every five years. And they’re aging.

Yet despite efforts by state agencies and nonprofits to increase participation, BIPOC hunters rarely see themselves reflected in marketing from companies.

That’s what Jimmy Flatt, co-founder of Hunters of Color, is trying to solve. If 96 percent of hunters are white right now, and the country is becoming more diverse, that whole hunting-funded pool of conservation dollars is in jeopardy. Companies need to begin recognizing, promoting, and fostering BIPOC hunters—and fast. But right now, the hunting industry as a whole is “handcuffed” by seeing the 96 percent number, Flatt says: Brands look at that data and believe they should cater only to the majority. 

That’s one reason calls for racial and gender equality sometimes fall on deaf ears. Take Bass Pro Shops, a leading hunting and fishing retailer. In defiance of calls for gender equity, the company is currently selling a T-shirt with a graphic of a woman yelling at a man with the word “problem” underneath. The next graphic is a man sitting alone in a tree stand with a bow with the word “solved.”  

Gender diversity has become less of a sticking point among hunting brands in recent years. Vista Outdoor, which owns about 40 brands from CamelBak to Remington firearms, for example, sponsors the Wyoming Women’s Antelope Hunt, an effort to bring more women into hunting, and is increasing its educational campaign about safe firearm use, said Kelly Reisdorf, Vista’s chief of investor relations and communications officer. 

Growth in Hunt and Fish Depends on Audience Diversification

Even though fishing’s numbers are headed in a better direction than hunting, advocates all agree that the future of the sport depends on the industry doing a better job representing all current and potential hunters and anglers. 

“A lot of companies are missing out on progress and profits, actually, by continuing to focus on their same target audience they have done for generations,” said Morris, founder of the Nontypical Outdoorsman show.

And it’s not just equity for equity’s sake—inclusion means more ideas and minds solving today’s complex problems, from climate change and invasive species to lack of access, said Wayne Hubbard, founder of Urban American Outdoors, one of the country’s first TV shows to represent diverse hunters and anglers. It also means a stronger voice in voting booths.

While the fishing industry has made some gains in that respect, they might not stick if people don’t see themselves represented. 

“Will [fishing participation] grow even more, or [will there be] a drastic decline because the industry itself is not being inclusive?” said Nelson, of REAL Consulting.

Like outdoor industry companies, hunting brands could re-evaluate their marketing budgets to think of new ways to partner with diversity professionals, Nelson recommends. They should stop being afraid of alienating one group and instead welcome all groups—it’s not a zero-sum game. The hunting and fishing industries as a whole should include more BIPOC voices on their nonprofit boards, she added. They should also be more aware in general: neither survey, the one from the Boating and Fishing Association or the Fish and Wildlife Service list Native American as a demographic, instead using the catchall term “other.”

Not only is that a lack of representation, Nelson said, it’s erasure of the nation’s first hunters and anglers.  

The fishing and hunting industry can and should learn from the steps and missteps in the rest of the outdoor industry, Nelson added. Instead of comparing how the industries are doing, furthering a competitive mindset, our industries should be working together, with each other and with diversity experts. 

Orvis’ Perkins agreed. 

“Issues of diversity and access are inextricably linked to the long term survival of hunting and fishing,” he said. “We are also seeing an increasingly blurred line between core outdoor and fish and hunt. As these industries continue to overlap the outdoor industry’s leadership around diversity will help create the groundswell, and the rest will follow.”

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Outdoor businesses are running out of wiggle room for tariffs on all types of products, as duty after duty gets added to the cost of doing business with China. Some brands are turning to their last resort—raising prices.

“The China tariffs are looking more and more like a giant avalanche that’s trying to bury many outdoor businesses,” said Patricia Rojas-Ungar, vice president of government affairs at Outdoor Industry Association (OIA).

As the trade war with China rages on, new data from OIA reveals that outdoor businesses have paid an additional $2.6 billion in punitive tariffs over the last year, up from $1.3 billion in August to $4.1 billion in September. Additionally, total tariffs paid by American outdoor businesses in a on imports from China exceeded $1 billion for the first time ever in September.

“The impacts to the outdoor businesses and outdoor experience of Americans is threatened by this U.S.-China trade war,” Rojas-Ungar said. “We strongly encourage the Trump administration to come to a trade deal with China and remove all these punitive tariffs so we can get back to focusing on creating new, innovative products and expanding our workforce.”

The Trump administration has called for tariffs on four different lists of goods. The third and fourth lists (4A and 4B) impact the outdoor industry the most. A 15 percent tariff on hiking boots, ski jackets, and more (4A) started on September 1. Another 15 percent increase on a new set of outdoor products on list 4B is expected to go into effect on December 15.

Keen, Vista Outdoor, and Krimson Klover shared about the impacts during a call on Tuesday with OIA. Here’s some of what they said:

On Whether or Not a Trade Deal with China Is Coming

OIA’s Patricia Rojas-Ungar: “We’re hearing a trade deal is imminent, that there may be a rollback of some of the tariffs that were imposed and potentially a delay on December 15. But we can’t count on predictions. These are real life impacts and tariffs are being paid on a day to day basis. We want certainty.”

On the Real-World Impacts of These Tariffs

Krimson Klover COO Gail Ross: “We’ve had three positions we put on hold the minute the tariffs hit in May. We had to eventually fill one of those positions even though there’s so much uncertainty. The other two are on hold indefinitely. We’re all just pitching in and trying to make it happen. There’s certainly an issue with employees and filling positions. The other thing where we feel (tariffs) is cash flow. We have good banking relationships, but this tariff has just thrown our cash flow into a complete bind and banks don’t really understand it…I would say those are the two biggest affects it has had on us.”

Keen global compliance manager Sara Bowersox: “The biggest impact to us by far of this change in September is to our domestic production. Keen has a hometown factory in Portland, Oregon. List 4A drove a significant duty cost spike for that site’s American-built program. Items used in domestic production, imported items, jumped from duty rates below 6 percent to duty rates nearly 20 percent with the application of the additional 15 percent duty. This exercise proved that U.S. production is not the ultimate solution. U.S. production uses input from other parts of the world and is therefore not insulated from trade war fallout.”

Vista Outdoor VP of public affairs Fred Ferguson: “Helmets have been whipsawed by the China 301 tariffs. They have been listed, delisted, and listed again. Vista, our coalition of supporters on Capitol Hill, and trade groups believe that safety helmets should not be subjected to list 4 tariffs…The implemented and proposed tariffs are impacting current financial performance, future financial planning, and the overall lack of uncertainty complicates all aspects of business operations. While helmets have been the main topic today, our outdoor cooking, hunting accessories, and hydration products are also being impacted. These supply chains have been established over long periods of time and while we are developing mitigation strategies above and beyond political advocacy, simply relocating operations to meet the political challenges today is not feasible or realistic in the short term. So in closing, the China 301 Tariffs will impact Vista in the range of $15 to $20 million during our current fiscal year—a financial impact that is considered material and has required us to disclose to our employees, shareholders, and other investor analysts.”

On How Tariffs Under This Administration Compare to Other Administrations

Trade partnership vice president Dan Anthony: “There’s two or three iterations of the tariff schedule in any given year. For 2019, they’re on revision number 16 to the tariff schedule…As someone who has to use codes to build databases, it’s a very different scale of changes that we’re trying to monitor.”

On Whether or Not Brands Are Passing Costs onto Customers

Ross: “When the first list (3) dropped in May, our prices were already set in the market. We were about to deliver to our dealers our fall 19 products. We chose to not raise our prices. We were concerned that people would cancel their orders and we’d have a bunch of inventory. In that case, between us and our factories, we absorbed the cost…But for fall 20, which will ship to customers this summer, we did have to raise our prices.”

Ferguson: “In the case of one of our brands, Camp Chef, they have had to raise prices and that has impacted their results, which has led to reduced sales, reduced profitability, and reductions in their workforce. The leader of Camp Chef testified before the USTR last summer that during his entire time at Camp Chef—and he’s been there since the beginning, which is the late ’80s—tłó±đy’ve never had to let anybody go. And he predicted that should these tariffs come into affect, that would probably chance and he was right.”

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“Excuse me. Can you tell me where the CamelBaks are?” I asked a hovering, green-vested employee in a big metro REI store last fall. “We don’t carry CamelBak anymore,” she said. Obviously well-versed, she continued, “Their parent company also owns a semi-automatic rifle manufacturer, and we stopped selling all their brands back in March 2018. But I can show you some other great hydration systems this way.” Of course I knew that REI didn’t carry CamelBak or any other Vista Outdoor brands, and I realized my slip up moment I said it. I broke the news in a viral story when both REI and its Canadian counterpart MEC dropped the hydration company along with Blackburn, Camp Chef, Giro, and Bell, after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

However, a little more than a year later, most of that has changed. Vista sold off its gun making-companies (but still owns ammo brands), so REI welcomed the outdoor brands back to its shelves with open arms. Meanwhile, MEC hasn’t changed its mind yet. And Vista—with numerous hook and bullet brands—continues to be an adamant supporter of the NRA because “it’s the crux of who we are,” CEO Chris Metz said in an interview with American Rifleman (the publication displayed a Savage banner ad at the top of its website Friday).

Business as usual? It is nowadays. The boycott and REI’s immediate reversal illustrates the pressure and responsibility businesses face to take stances on hot-button issues: Patagonia leading the fight for public lands and climate; Unilever and Dove pushing for healthy body image; Dick’s Sporting Goods stopping gun sales.

In fact, consumers are expecting it more and more.

“Years ago, you didn’t really know the company behind a brand,” said Leslie Gaines-Ross, New York-based chief reputation strategist at Weber Shandwick. She researches CEO and consumer activism. “There used to be a very strong belief that the product brand was more important than the parent brand. What we’ve seen today is that the parent brand is just as important, if not more important than the product brand.”

A Recap of the Boycott

In February 2018, Aaron Naparstek, a journalist and cycling advocate, first tweeted about Vista’s ownership of some of his favorite bike brands alongside “America’s largest manufacturer of ammunition.” His tweet came six days after 17 people were killed and 17 others were injured in a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The thread garnered hundreds of likes, retweets, and responses, and it prompted some independent bike retailers to drop Vista brands. Erik Tonkin, owner of Portland, Oregon’s Sellwood Cycle Repair was one of the first.

“When I made the decision, I made a very specific public statement: I will start selling Giro when they are sold off from Vista,” he said. (Since Giro and the other brands are still owned by Vista, Tonkin is continuing to keep them out of his store.)

Mega retailers MEC and REI quickly joined the boycott, amplifying the message. REI specifically halted orders because Vista didn’t “engage in the national conversation about common-sense gun safety” and the co-op didn’t want to help them “profit directly from the sale of guns.”

In May 2018, Vista’s Metz said a transformation plan that included divesting Savage Arms and eyewear brands had been in the works long before the boycott. But it’s unclear if the move was accelerated by the Parkland shooting and the boycott, or both or neither. OBJ reached out to REI, Vista, and CamelBak multiple times over the last year to try to understand how the boycott has impacted business. Our calls were not returned and/or our questions were deflected.

This week, after the $170-million sale of Savage Arms, Vista again declined to answer OBJ’s direct questions, but did say: “We have had productive discussions with REI. Our brands offer some of the most innovative, respected and sought-after products in their respective categories, and we look forward to continuing our dialogue with REI to bring our products back to their shelves.”

Customers Vote With Dollars

In both instances—REI’s boycott and decision to bring Vista back—customers’ reactions were mixed. There were those who were offended, those who applauded the move, and those who didn’t really care. Overall, the aftermath highlighted two things: how splintered hikers and hunters can be despite their crossover and shared appreciation of the outdoors; and how much a company’s response matters.

Drew Youngedyke, who manages communications for a national conservation organization, and also hunts, fishes, bikes, runs, and kayaks, said he appreciates when companies stand up for their values—it’s not something he’s going to punish them for. He said he intentionally rewards Patagonia with his purchases for their public lands stance.

Youngedyke commented on a Facebook post: “Still buy Federal copper [a Vista-owned ammo brand] for my deer rifle, still wear a Giro for my bike commute, still shop at REI for my trail running & backpacking gear. We don’t have to be either/or as hunters & outdoor recreationists, it doesn’t have to be liberal vs conservative. Companies did what they felt was best, now they’re all back together. Why is everyone so upset with that?”

Tonkin, of Sellwood, feels he’s doing what’s best for his shop by sticking to his word and keeping Vista brands out, even though he thinks nobody would notice—and even though he loves their products. He had just ordered $20,000-worth of Vista merchandise before the boycott.

“I’m doing this because I want to spend my corporate dollars intentionally and I don’t want my dollars to go to the NRA,” Tonkin said.

Some might say the boycott didn’t really accomplish anything because Savage Arms is still out there. Tonkin has a different take.

“I think the so-called ‘accomplishment’ was getting those large outdoor industry companies to think critically—and to think out-loud, I’d say—about what they do, how they spend, and with whom they partner,” he said.

Although no one was willing to prove actual numbers to measure the impact, Gaines-Ross says research shows it does affect companies’ bottom lines and reputations. The NPD Group in 2017 reported that CamelBak was one of biggest brands in the hydration market based on dollar sales. Their most recent data from 2018 to 2019 still ranks CamelBak as one of the top five brands. At REI, the hole left by CamelBak and the others was naturally filled by competitors. Around that time, Osprey was relaunching in the hydration category (consisting of lumbar packs and mountain biking packs) and currently holds 39 percent of the market share in hydration, said marketing director Vince Mazzuca.

But, he said, the timing was a coincidence.”We’re not one to capitalize on somebody’s issues like that. We believe that any sort of momentum shift had more to do with the investments we were making and how aggressively we were going after that channel already.”

Regardless, consumers will intentionally stop and start buying based on disagreeing or agreeing with a company. A study by Weber Shandwick found that 83 percent of consumer activists support companies that “do the right thing” by buying from them.

Because of that, companies are trying to balance their values and financial performance, making sure they get it right. It’s tricky and there’s no safe middle ground for companies today. But one thing is for sure.

“Remaining silent can sometimes be the more dangerous spot,” Gaines-Ross said.

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