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Pelican International Inc has expanded from paddle sports into the world of outdoor cooking. The Quebec-based, 50 year old, family business has acquired GSI Outdoors. The addition, which will likely fuel growth at GSI, will increase competition with brands like Coleman, Camp Chef and Solo Brands.
The acquisition of GSI Outdoors, our third since 2019, allows us to pursue our ambition to be an eco-friendly leader in the outdoor equipment sector by investing in a portfolio of renowned brands that respond to the growing desire of the population to connect more with nature. While our last acquisitions consolidated our leading position in the paddle sports, fishing boats and nautical accessories sector, the integration of GSI Outdoors into our fold allows us to diversify our activities and makes a remarkable entry into a sector that has shown sustained growth for several years which is expected to be maintained for the years to come
Danick Lavoie, President and CEO of Pelican International
Founded by siblings Don, Ian and Kathy in 1985 and based in Spokane, WA, GSI Outdoors got their start selling blue enamel tableware. Business has grown since then and expanded to include other gear, cookware, and popular camp stoves. Recently, they released their award winning Pinnacle Pro Stove, which packs down to just 1.4″.
It was our love of the outdoors and our desire to provide quality products that motivated us to found GSI Outdoors in 1985. Today, our commitment remains the same and in Pelican International we have found the perfect partner to take the company to the next level
Don, Ian, and Kathy Scott, co-founders
Ian and Don Scott will remain at the company under the new ownership structure. Pelican will now have more than 1,100 employees in North America and revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Pelican has three manufacturing locations in North America. Their brand portfolio includes Pelican, Wilderness Systems, Perception, Dagger, Mad River Canoe, Harmony Gear, Advanced Elements, Adventure technology and Boardworks.
Deloitte was the M&A advisor for GSI, with Dentons as legal counsel. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.