Key takeaways:
- Pelican International’s restructuring in 2025 led to the split that returned GSI to its founders.
- GSI plans new camp kitchen products including backcountry pizza cooking gear for 2027.
Company buy-backs in the outdoors industry don’t tend to be the norm. And especially not at a time of uncertainty, tariffs, and corporate shakeups.
But for GSI Outdoors founders Don, Ian, and Kathy Scott, the time was right to reacquire the company they created 41 years ago, just four years after they sold it to Pelican International.
Pelican, which got into trouble after a post-pandemic downturn left the company with deep debt, entered court-supervised restructuring in early 2025. By May, a newly formed ownership group of former executives and private investors bought out Pelican’s core assets, keeping watercraft brands like Wilderness Systems and Dagger intact but leaving out GSI.
This strategic split separated the companies and cleared a path for GSI’s founders to step back in and buy their family legacy a year later in May 2026.
“GSI Outdoors has always been more than just a business to us: it is our family’s legacy and a community we have helped build for over 40 years,” said co-founder Don Scott, in a statement. “We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to step back into full ownership and lead this talented team once again. …We couldn’t be more excited to steer the brand’s future on our own terms.”
As the Scotts reassume ownership, they’ve brought in Shawn Hostetter as CEO. Hostetter spent much of his career in leadership roles at Katadyn, where he oversaw outdoor cooking and hard goods products, among others.
As he steps into his new role, he shared some of his goals for the company, his favorite ways to be outdoors, and the GSI products he loves the most.
What led you to join GSI Outdoors and what’s most exciting to you about the path ahead?
GSI CEO Shawn Hostetter: I have been in touch with Don and Ian Scott for quite a few years. I have always been impressed with their company, culture, products and how they do business at GSI Outdoors with high integrity and a commitment to quality and sustainability. …While GSI Outdoors has an incredible 41-year heritage, I am most excited about what it will become as we listen to our customers and bring incredible new innovation to the market, including the camp kitchen and adjacent categories.
GSI is unique in that it’s now newly family-owned, again. What’s your relationship like with the owners in terms of strategic direction and decisions?Â
Shawn Hostetter: The synergy and cultural alignment with Don, Ian and Kathy couldn’t be stronger. We have been doing business the same way in different companies over the years. We take the long view on business and focus on building strong partnerships with our suppliers and outdoor retail customers. We have the same outlook on turning challenges into opportunities. That’s been a huge driver for many years for both me and the Scott family. It’s the deeply motivating and rewarding part about running a business.
What’s your perspective on the state of the outdoor gear industry right now? What are some of the specific hurdles it’s facing as a whole?
Shawn Hostetter: I really believe to my core that the future of the outdoor industry looks bright. The GSI team are all deeply passionate about working in this incredible industry. We are constantly finding new and better ways to address our customer needs and work with our retail partners.
We are seeing new outdoor customer categories emerge, and we are developing products to keep up with their needs and how they engage with the outdoors. We seek to build more collaborations within the industry, especially to get more youth engaged in outdoor activities. One of our biggest concerns is getting the next generation as excited and passionate about the outdoors as we all are.
How would you describe your leadership style, and what’s one example of where it’s been effective?
Shawn Hostetter: I am driven by using the unique strengths and experience each individual brings as we work together as a team, in terms of growth strategies, product development, culture and hyper focus to accomplish our vision.
I believe in Kaizen culture, which is constant improvement in all areas. This focus and drive has allowed the various companies I have led to develop game changing new technologies which drove significant growth, including Katadyn Group’s portfolio brands including AlpineAire, Spectra Watermakers, SteriPen, Optimus, etc.
What does the next 6-12 months look like for GSI?
Shawn Hostetter: GSI will be focusing on continuous improvement in all areas, building on the strong foundation the Scott family has built over the years.
We have already begun several new product innovation projects and new product categories which align with our overall vision for the future of the brand and product line. The new 2027 product lineup is very impressive, including a new way to cook artisan pizzas in the backcountry.
