Gander Mountain Company Profile

Gander Mountain Company Inc.

Summary
Gander Mountain Company Inc. operates a retail network of outdoor specialty stores for hunting, fishing, camping, marine, and outdoor lifestyle products and services. It offers outdoor equipment, technical apparel, and rugged casual wear and footwear, as well as firearms, boating products, auto TV products, and gifts and recreation products. The company also operates as catalog and Internet based retailer of products for boating and other water sports enthusiasts. The company was formerly known as Gander Mountain, L.L.C. Gander Mountain Company Inc. was founded in 1960 and is based in St. Paul, Minnesota with locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Early History
Gander Mountain, Inc. was founded in 1960 by Robert Sturgis, an avid outdoorsman and lifelong resident of the state of Wisconsin. Living in the town of Wilmot, a rather isolated community within the state, Sturgis, along with his fellow hunters, was unhappy with his inability to get high-quality hunting accessories and equipment without having to drive a hundred miles to the nearest sportsman retail store. As a result, Sturgis decided to open a small store in the center of Wilmot that would market shooting supplies to gun owners and dealers by mail order. Not surprised by the response to his simple marketing techniques, Sturgis soon began to mail catalogs directly to consumers. By 1965, the budding entrepreneur had built an impressive reputation as a supplier of high-quality shooting equipment to hunters across the Midwest.
Sturgis discovered that his mail catalog business was an overwhelming success. He marketed a wide range of products for the serious sportsman, including shotguns, an impressive array of unusual cartridges for high-powered hunting...