MacNeill Pride Group Broadens Portfolio with Acquisition of GCI Outdoor
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. [May 6, 2021] – MacNeill Pride Group® (MPG), a diversified global designer and manufacturer of outdoor products and sporting goods, has acquired GCI Outdoor(“GCI”), a leading designer of portable, built-to-last outdoor recreation equipment. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. MPG is a portfolio company of Centre Partners.
Founded in 1996, GCI offers high quality outdoor recreation equipment, including portable camping chairs, camp kitchens, waterside chairs and recliners and other outdoor gear. Its iconic line of folding rocking chairs, such as the Freestyle Rocker TM and RoadTrip Rocker TM , are widely sought after by consumers for their comfort, quality and durability, leading GCI Outdoor® to become the #1 brand in the category. GCI holds many exclusive U.S. patents for its innovative design elements and will continue to operate out of its facility in Higganum, CT.
GCI represents another category-leading brand added to a growing MPG portfolio that includes the recently-acquired ORCA, a leading supplier of premium coolers, drinkware and other outdoor accessories; PrideSports, the world’s leading supplier of golf and sports accessories and training tools under the PrideSports® brand; Pride Manufacturing Company LLC, which manufacturers engineered wood products such as golf tees; and MacNeill Engineering, a leading designer of cleats, studs and other footwear components under the CHAMP® and Softspikes® brands.
“GCI Outdoor’s legacy of innovative outdoor chairs, tables and equipment positions MPG as a leader in the recreation market,” said Joe Henderson, President of MPG. “The synergy of GCI Outdoor with our ORCA Coolers and Drinkware brand will expand our footprint in the outdoor recreation space and build on our core value of bringing new products and ideas to market.”
Dan Grace and Jeff Polke, co-Founders and co-Presidents of GCI, stated, “This transaction is a testament to our unrelenting focus on innovation and product design that has clearly resonated with the outdoor recreation community over the past 25 years. When combined with ORCA and MPG’s other outstanding brands, the future of GCI has never been brighter. We could not be more pleased that GCI is joining the Gathr family and we look forward to seeing GCI continue to flourish.”
About MacNeill Pride Group® (MPG)
Headquartered in Nashville, TN with offices across America, Europe, and Asia. MPG, a portfolio company of middle-market private equity firm Centre Partners, is a leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of products that help people enjoy the outdoors. MPG’s well-recognized brands include ORCA™, GCI Outdoor™, PrideSports®, Freestyle Rocker™, RoadTrip Rocker™, CHAMP®, Pride Golf Tee®, and Professional Tee System®, amongst others. About GCI Outdoor Lifelong friends Dan Grace and Jeff Polke founded GCI Outdoor in 1996. Over the last 25 years, they have become one of the outdoor industry’s leading innovators of outdoor recreational gear with products that include chairs, camp tables, stadium seats, canoe seats, and more. Offering high-quality gear to outdoor lovers of all kinds, GCI Outdoor products can be found at over 3,000 stores worldwide and online at www.gcioutdoor.com.
