GSI Outdoors acquired a start-up company that designs outdoor cutlery, Thrive. The new addition to GSI’s portfolio will be trademarked, marketed, and distributed as a stand-alone brand under the GSI Outdoors umbrella. As part of the deal, Mike Glavin, former owner of Thrive, will join GSI Outdoors as director of sales and marketing. Thrive was first introduced at the 2005 summer Outdoor Retailer show.

“We were already impressed with Thrive’s business model and initial product offering, and when we heard that Mike was involved, we knew we had the perfect fit,” said GSI’s co-owner, Don Scott. “The addition of a proven industry veteran to our management team will help launch us into a new and exciting time for our brand, and Thrive outdoor cutlery will add a new dimension to our product line.”

Glavin joins the company with many years experience in the outdoors. Prior to Thrive, he was Vice President of Marketing for Mountainsmith and Director of Sales and Marketing for MSR. “I’m excited to join the GSI team,” Glavin said. “The brand is unsurpassed in its category, and my goal will be to make sure that the outdoor market knows this.”