GSM Outdoors
Company Overview
GSM Outdoors is a leader in the enthusiast sportsman and rugged outdoor industry that supplies a wide range of branded consumables, accessories, gear, and app-based subscription services.
GSM Outdoors’ culture of innovation and history of first-to-market product launches, rigorous quality control, and customer responsiveness have earned it a reputation as the partner of choice for both brick-and-mortar and online retailers in the enthusiast sportsman and rugged outdoor categories. The Company sells through a diverse mix of channels, including online retailers, sporting goods stores, mass merchants, outdoorsman retailers, farm and fleet stores, and dealers/distributors across the U.S. and Canada.
Partner Details
Sector: Consumer Products & Services
Video Case Study
Growth Opportunity
When Gridiron partnered with GSM Outdoors in 2020, they saw significant potential to expand market leadership in the Active Lifestyle and Outdoor Enthusiast sector. The company was well-positioned for growth through strategic acquisitions, digital transformation, and product innovation. GSM’s strong brand portfolio and customer-focused approach provided a solid foundation for expanding into new markets while enhancing customer engagement through digital capabilities.
Gridiron Advantage
GSM leveraged Gridiron’s expertise across three key areas: strategic partnerships, M&A execution, and digital transformation. Gridiron’s relationship-driven approach and cultural alignment with GSM’s “In it to win it” philosophy enabled strong collaboration. Gridiron’s deep expertise in the active lifestyle and enthusiast space helped identify strategic acquisition targets in adjacent markets while supporting the development of subscription services and digital capabilities to enhance customer engagement.
Winning Together.
Through the partnership with Gridiron, GSM more than doubled EBITDA since 20201 while transforming from a traditional outdoor products company into a digital-enabled, outdoor enthusiast market leader. The company completed 18 acquisitions and expanded into fishing and other rugged outdoor categories to build a portfolio of over 50 brands2 while successfully launched hundreds of new products. Additionally, GSM developed a digital platform serving more than 5 million users3, establishing a scalable foundation across cellular app subscriptions and eCommerce capabilities. The partnership with Gridiron created a strong platform for future growth, expanding GSM’s reach across the outdoor enthusiast market.
1As of exit, August 2024
2Between 2020 -2024
3As of exit, August 2024
“With Gridiron support we’ve not only grown our business – we’ve revolutionized it. Their expertise and resources helped to grow our subscription business and add digital app capabilities to fully support our customers.”
Eddie Castro
GSM Outdoors
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