W.C. Bradley Co. may not be a household name, but their outdoor cooking brands sure are. Their legacy in outdoor cooking dates back to 1948 when they introduced a charcoal grill under the Charbroil name.
While Charbroil continued to grow and cement it’s place in the backyard, W.C Bradley picked up some other brands that are staples in the barbecue world. They acquired the New Braunfels Smoker Company in 1997.
New Braunfels is a defunct brand now, but it’s notable in outdoor cooking lore. Barbecue enthusiasts continue to restore smokers from the brand. It’s also mentioned in Aaron Franklin’s first book where he writes that he had a party where he cooked his first brisket on a New Braunfels Hondo offset smoker.
The New Braunfels acquisition led into W.C. Bradley acquiring Oklahoma Joe’s a year later. That’s another brand that’s unique because it’s one of the only mainstream brands that sells charcoal and wood smokers. They’ve also been one of the most innovative brands recently with an automatically controlled charcoal smoker and one of a kind barrel smoker.
W.C. Bradley’s most recent acquisition built on their portfolio by bringing pellet grills into the mix. They acquired Dansons, most known for the Pit Boss brand, in 2023.
Outdoor Brands, LLC
With those three brands alone, Charbroil, Oklahoma Joe’s, and Pit Boss, W.C. Bradley Co. is in their own league in terms of brand recognition and outdoor cooking versatility. They’re now going to bring them all under one roof to help bring operational synergies across the brands, while preserving their distinct identities.
W.C. Bradley has formed a new entity, Outdoor Brands, LLC, a business-to-business trade brand. It was created to reinforce and strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders, including suppliers, vendors, and retailer customers. It drives efficiency within the brands, and up and downstream.
This launch represents an important step forward. Outdoor Brands, LLC brings greater focus to how we operate in the market and gives us a strong foundation to drive future success without changing what our brands stand for and how our consumers experience them.
Thomas A. Penner, Group President
While the three brands are united under one entity, and will share some branding and marketing, the most important parts of the brands will remain unchanged. They aren’t moving away from the names of the companies, or their commitment to quality, innovation, and customer experience.