Industry veteran and well-known product manager and designer Stephen Barnes, along with his partners Bryan Wachs and The Obran Cooperative, are proud to announce the arrival of The Outdoor Rec Co-Op. This Co-Op is designed to provide small-to-medium sized outdoor industry businesses with another option for selling/investment beyond the traditional route of leveraging venture capital firms and private investors. The goal of The Outdoor Rec Co-Op is to reset the acquisition target away from non-endemic funds and to align maturing businesses with an industry organization that shares founding values and places an emphasis on people and brand culture.
By working with The Outdoor Rec Co-Op, owners who are seeking to keep the core spirit of their endeavor alive can bestow their business to a passionate group of experienced leaders, and, more importantly, their current employees.
The Outdoor Rec Co-Op intends to elevate the conversation around the future of outdoor industry brand ownership. By working with The Outdoor Rec Co-Op, owners who are seeking to keep the core spirit of their endeavor alive can bestow their business to a passionate group of experienced leaders, and, more importantly, their current employees.
“We have watched the outdoor industry and many of our beloved brands be acquired by non-endemic holding companies over the years, and it has torn at our heartstrings to see the founding ethics and culture of many of these companies go by the wayside,” states Barnes. “It is our quest to maintain the true soul and ethos of these brands by providing a market value alternative for founders, families, investors & sole proprietors to the traditional sale to PE/VC option.”
Partnering with the established and always creative Obran Cooperative, Barnes and his team hope to change the face and ultimately the endgame of brand ownership in the outdoor industry. Obran Cooperative has a history in the establishment of thriving co-ops in home healthcare, urban renewal real estate, and technology. Part of their efforts on the real estate side have been to create worker housing for many in the service sector, as they have seen the growing need for affordable housing across many segments of the U.S. economy.
To learn more about partnering with the emerging Outdoor Rec Co-Op, please reach out to Co-Op co-founder Stephen Barnes at stephen@outdoorrecco-op.com or via cell at 512-468-6597. Barnes and Wachs will be attending the Winter Outdoor Retailer Trade Show this month to discuss the nature of their platform with industry founders and C-Suite executives. More information coming soon at OutdoorRecCo-Op.com.
If you own an outdoor industry business and are considering your succession planning options, The Outdoor Rec Co-Op brings a culture of humanity and integrity to the concept of business, along with a philosophy of commonality and a shared business culture where everyone benefits. They wish to accelerate the success of the company and drive the revenue back to the employees and the community.
Barnes, after a decade as a mountain guide and pro skier, began his career in outdoor sales and product running a sales agency, and eventually moved into product at Osprey, The North Face, and Sierra Designs/Kelty. He has always had a vision for the future and an innovative streak that has led to some groundbreaking products and solutions for businesses and employees, over the years.
Wachs, currently CEO/Co-founder of QuikrStuff.com and co-founder of MySalesButler.com, has a deep history of building, consulting, and starting a variety of businesses and companies. His approach is focused on customer experience, sales, and marketing, providing cohesive growth strategies, technological advances, and return on investment. Wach’s life goal is to create a value-oriented, employee-owned company providing humane ROI to businesses of all types and sizes through compassionate capitalism, delivered to businesses, large and small.