Outdoor fishing and lifestyle apparel brand Marsh Wear is looking to expand to the West Coast.
Founded by Charter Fishing Captain Logan Roberts, Marsh Wear was acquired by technical fishing apparel company AFTCO in 2017.
Roberts answered some questions for SESO about Marsh Wear’s strategy for expanding west, why the brand is working in the Southeast surf market in addition to outdoors, and how parent company AFTCO is supporting the brand’s growth.
Marsh Wear will be exhibiting at Surf Expo in September.
How would you describe Marsh Wear – its current target audience, key categories, regional breakdown, etc.
Marsh Wear Founder Logan Roberts: From the beginning, the brand has been designed for those in pursuit of good times outdoors. Our core demographic enjoys fishing, hunting, music, and surfing.
We are currently in 400-plus retailers nationwide and our business grew 40% in 2024 versus the prior year. And we’re on track to grow 50% in 2025. When it comes to tariffs, we are in a good spot. It’s been a company priority over the last three years to move out of China and diversify our sourcing. Going into this year, we were only producing about 15% of our goods there. We’re also very lucky to be able to have substantial on-hand inventory that allows us to fill and chase orders when a lot of other companies cannot. We expect this to be a reason for growth as things unfold this year.
When it comes to product, we have a well-rounded assortment, but I think the two areas we excel in are fall sportswear and headwear. We launched women’s two years ago and it now represents 17% of our shipments, so that’s growing very fast for us as well.
Photo courtesy of Marsh Wear.
Why is the brand expanding into surf?
Logan Roberts: We’ve found retail success with the East Coast surf scene very organically. With many of these surfers also hunting and fishing when there’s no swell, our look was right up their alley.
So I don’t necessarily see this as “entering” surf; it’s more like packing up the old wagon and heading west. We believe we have a unique value proposition and a story to tell, one that just so happens to align with what’s resonating on the West Coast right now.
For the first time, it feels like the things we grew up on, like camo and workwear, are striking a chord in California beach towns.
Photo courtesy of Marsh Wear.
How are you changing the product and marketing to target the surf market?
Logan Roberts: I think our truly Southeastern heritage and aesthetic is what helps us stand out from the crowd, so we have no intention of watering down what makes us, us.
We are certainly expanding on our ambassadors to help tell our story to the West Coast market and realize we are the new guys in town. We’ve added our buddy, Timmy Reyes, who is a perfect fit for the brand. He is the Marsh Wear guy. He lives out of his truck on Baja surf missions, worked on fishing boats, and is an all-around super well-respected guy.
Also, we are building out a younger crew of guys that we are very excited about growing with and adding some photoshoot locations that will look more familiar to a West Coast customer. But we will maintain our Marsh Wear flare.
Photo courtesy of Marsh Wear.
What will be Marsh Wear’s point of difference in the surf market?
Logan Roberts: Our office in Charleston, SC., is the epicenter of our culture and where we call home. However, we’re extremely lucky to have the support of our parent company, AFTCO, on the West Coast that handles the important back-end parts of the brand. They’re 100% family owned and operated and have been in business since 1958.
AFTCO’s corporate office comprises 100,000 square feet in Santa Ana, Calif. and AFTCO is a premier heritage offshore fishing brand. Their old school approach in terms of family values and prioritizing customer service combined with our youthful edge has been a winning formula.
What do you want surf retailers to know about the brand?
Logan Roberts: We’re incredibly proud of the business we’ve built—one that has grown primarily through the support of independent retailers. Everything about our model is “independents first.”
We don’t play the usual games. No gimmicky “give us your email for 15% off” pop-ups. No discounting inline products over the holidays. We’re intentional and thoughtful about our distribution.
Bottom line: we’re not here to compete with your sales. We’re not a “grow at all costs” kind of company. We’re not trying to take over the world. We’re a family business, and because of that, we understand the heart and hustle that goes into running one. Our goal is to make it easy to do business with us, and our philosophy is simple: just do the right thing.
