Outdoor online retailer Backcountry.com announced the launch of Backcountry Garage, a brand incubator platform, with Coalatree, a Utah-based eco-minded gear and apparel brand, marking its first acquisition. JM Fabrizi, president of Coalatree, becomes director of Backcountry Garage.
The Backcountry Garage name references Backcountry’s start 30 years ago, when its Co-f/ounders, Jim Holland and John Brese, began selling avalanche beacons out of a garage.
Backcountry said in a media statement, “This initiative advances Backcountry’s vision to provide the best outdoor gear, curate innovative products, and make them accessible to a growing community of outdoor enthusiasts. It also reflects a commitment to investing in the next generation of brands shaping the outdoor industry. By creating space and support for new builders and tinkerers, Backcountry taps back into its entrepreneurial roots and encourages new voices to enter the fray.”
Kevin Lenau, president of Backcountry, said, “At Backcountry, we believe constant innovation is the most powerful way to improve our customers’ experience outside. Backcountry Garage is how we keep pushing when much of the industry is waiting—partnering with builders and founders who are rethinking how great gear should perform so our community feels the difference every day on the trail, at the crag, and in their own backyards.”
As director of Backcountry Garage, Fabrizi will oversee Coalatree’s next growth phase and establish Backcountry Garage as a “hub for differentiated, community‑focused products and brands that reflect Backcountry’s values of quality, sustainability, and access.”
With this new Backcountry partnership, Coalatree will continue selling through its direct‑to‑consumer site while also offering key styles on Backcountry.com.
“The Coalatree community has helped shape every product we make, from our best‑selling Trailhead Pants to packable layers and 3‑in‑1 Kachula blankets,” said Fabrizi. “Partnering with Backcountry means Coalatree can stay close to that community, obtain feedback on a larger scale, and bring new ideas to life that were too big for Coalatree to tackle alone.
Image courtesy Coalatree
