Camp Chef was sold to investment firm SVP in the fall of 2024 with the rest of the outdoor brands under Revelyst. They have been relatively quiet on the innovation front since then.
They only grill releases they’ve had are additions to their Gridiron griddle line. They’ve also expanded their marketing relationship with Camp Chef fan, Guy Fieri.
Camp Chef sits under the Outdoor Performance arm of Revelyst, and while new products have been sparce, the broader organization has been retooling. Revelyst brought on a new CFO, they opened a new innovation center for Outdoor Performance, and now the division has brought on a new president.
Revelyst has named Dave Mellon as President of Simms Fishing Products and Revelyst Outdoor Performance. He was appointed on May 18th, and is in the process of relocating to Bozeman, MT, the location of the innovation center.
Dave brings a rare combination of global operating expertise, financial acumen and authentic outdoor brand leadership, including direct experience in the angling business with Simms. He understands the technical performance consumer, the importance of our retailers and the necessity of building strong teams and strong brands. Dave is exceptionally well-positioned to lead Simms and Revelyst Outdoor Performance as we continue to strengthen the platform and pursue meaningful long-term growth opportunities.
Eric Nyman, CEO of Revelyst
According to Revelyst, Dave Mellon will focus on “strengthening Simms’ and the Outdoor Performance brands’ omni-channel strategy, with a particular emphasis on deepening partnerships with specialty retail customers and accelerating product innovation”.
That statement shows what has been a core strategy of Camp Chef. They have seemingly focused more on gaining retail space in sporting goods and outdoor recreation stores, rather than competing in patio with other grill brands at hardware retailers.
A good example of this is their partnership with Bass Pro and Cabela’s. They white label Cabela’s branded pellet grills, and they also have a store-in-a-store at Bass Pro. Selling into stores like Bass Pro is complementary to the other brands under the Outdoor Performance umbrellas, and it mirrors the branding they’ve built with Camp Chef.
I’m excited to join Revelyst, Simms and the Outdoor Performance platform at such an important time. Revelyst has assembled a compelling portfolio of authentic, performance-led brands with strong foundations and significant potential. I look forward to partnering with the leadership team and brand organizations to sharpen execution, deepen consumer connection and build durable platforms for long-term success.
Dave Mellon, President of Simms Fishing Products and Revelyst Outdoor Performance
Dave Mellon has a background in building consumer brands. His most recent role was as CEO within Kian Capital’s private-equity portfolio. He also was a VP of Marketing and Product at Simms from 2012 to 2014, so it’s a bit of a homecoming for him.