Under-the-radar Sioux Falls wholesaler grows big presence in outdoor apparel industry

From a new headquarters in northeast Sioux Falls, a homegrown success story quietly has become a major player in the outdoor apparel industry.

Head into Scheels or Dick’s Sporting Goods this time of year and it wouldn’t be hard to find a pair of snow pants or a jacket designed and manufactured through Outdoor Gear Inc., a Sioux Falls-based family business that now counts decades of success.

Sold under the names Boulder Gear, Rawik and Outdoor Gear, “we think an outdoor adventure should be attainable for everyone, regardless of experience or income level,” president Adam Garry said. “Whatever it is, we want you warm and dry doing it.”

Garry’s father, Jeff, founded the business in 1999 after serving as director of sportswear at Raven Industries and ultimately purchasing the division.

“At the time, they were building private-label apparel for the likes of Cabela’s and Land’s End,” Garry said. “A lot of that was being done at manufacturing plants in South Dakota in the 1990s until they got out of that business.”

Jeff Garry “thought Sioux Falls was a wonderful place to do business,” his son said. “Some of his colleagues from Raven came with him to the new company, and they set out to provide feature-rich, value-driven winter apparel.”

Jeff was able to grow the business for eight years before passing away of a heart attack at age 51.

Adam Garry, who had graduated from O’Gorman High School before going to college in Colorado – simultaneously indulging his own love of winter sports – had returned a few years prior and was sales manager of the company at the time of his father’s death.

“Suddenly, I became president of the company,” he said. “My mom, Julie, was in leadership at Citibank and transitioned into an active CEO role with Outdoor Gear.”

It was the peak of their selling season.

“He had taken me on the road with him from the beginning to meet our key accounts, so his relationships really became my relationships,” Garry said of his father. “So much of this is a relationship business.”

Julie still serves as CEO from the Sioux Falls headquarters, while Adam helps lead from a company office in Kansas City. “We believe our success is attributed to the dedication and expertise of our team, who consistently goes above and beyond for our customers.”

While Outdoor Gear operated for years from an office/warehouse on the east side of Sioux Falls, in early 2023 the company moved to a new 55,000-square-foot headquarters in the Sioux Falls Development Foundation’s Park VIII in northeast Sioux Falls.

“It was really out of necessity of growth,” Garry said.

“We’ve doubled our warehouse space and invested in racking and technology to improve efficiency and make it a better work experience for our team.”

The team loves the natural light in the new space, plus a break room big enough for group luncheons and an open area that accommodates meetings with the entire sales team from across the country.

The 16-person team almost doubles in size during peak shipping season.

“And our new space gives us the opportunity for a second phase because we have the land available as we continue to grow,” Garry said. “It’s been great. We’re settled in and have figured out how to make it as efficient as possible, so we’re looking forward to the future and the opportunity for continued growth.”

Outdoor Gear is “a really unique company,” said Dean Dziedzic, vice president of economic development for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

“It’s a tight-knit, family operation, and they’ve been extremely good to work with. We’re thrilled to have them at Park VIII. They’re a great fit there.”

The company had looked for existing space without luck, Garry said.

“We were incredibly limited until we stumbled on the Development Foundation. The relationship with Dean has been awesome, and having never purchased raw land before, we had no idea the opportunities that existed by locating in one of the development parks,” he said. “He was instrumental in helping guide us through the process.”

The Park VIII location makes logistical sense, too, Garry said.

“It’s a real advantage to be right off I-90 and near Veterans Parkway,” he said. “We’re consistently receiving product and shipping to retailers, so it’s been a great benefit for our trucking team.”

The company’s internal design team engages with independent designers to produce all its own designs and works with manufacturers in Vietnam, China and Indonesia.

Products under its primary brand, Boulder Gear, can be found at the nation’s largest sporting goods retailers, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Scheels and REI, along with independent ski shops.

“It’s everything from men, women’s and kids’ ski pants and jackets to puffy jackets and vests, fleece and handwear,” Garry said.

“We also have a small spring-summer line of basic packable rainwear and continue to look for opportunities to grow that market. But we specialize in feature-rich, value-driven technical apparel for winter.”

Additionally, some apparel is available online through the company’s website, bouldergear.com.

“Wholesale is our main focus, ” Garry said. “We see our website as a resource for the consumer to get awesome knowledge about the product and find their local retailer so you can try the products on and feel it in person.”

The biggest competitor “is Mother Nature,” he added.

“We try to match our product to the evolving winter conditions, and that includes more layering and transitional pieces in the assortment. But winter sports are popular, and cost is one barrier to entry when it comes to learning to ski or snowboard. So we want to make sure our product is built to withstand the test of time and for the outdoor experience whether that is hitting the slopes, sledding, ice fishing, walking the dog or shoveling the driveway.”

The overarching goal “is to be feature-rich and value-driven in all our products,” he added. “That’s both for our customer – the retail store – and the end consumer who uses the product.”

Forward Sioux Falls is a joint venture between the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation and is widely respected as the premier economic driver for the Sioux Falls region. To learn more and connect, click here.