Maine Outdoor Brands

What Maine Outdoor Brands does

Maine Outdoor Brands (MOB) is a nonprofit, member-driven alliance founded in 2017 and headquartered in Portland, Maine, that aggregates the state's outdoor recreation value chain—product makers, experience providers, retailers, and nonprofit/association organizations—under a single organizational umbrella. The alliance serves the broader Maine outdoor recreation economy, valued at $3.0–$3.4 billion, with founding partners including Blaze Partners, L.L.Bean, and the Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation (Maine DECD). MOB operates a WordPress-based website with member login portal, a filterable brand directory, an Adventure Local Maine activity/season index, a members-only 'basecamp' resource database, and a Shopify-powered online store (maineoutdoorbrands.shop) launched in November 2025 with approximately 200 products from 25 member brands.

MOB's revenue model is built primarily on tiered annual membership dues ($200–$4,000 per member, scaled to company revenue band and member type: product/service brand, local retailer, or nonprofit/association) and a corporate Supporter sponsorship program structured around Trailhead, Treeline, and Summit tiers. Emerging transaction-based revenue streams include the MOB Shop online store (Shopify) and the MOB Shop branding program, which aggregates 25+ member brands into co-branded displays at REI and is expanding to additional nationwide retailers after a $45,000 pilot. The organization has 1–10 employees (Brian Threlkeld serves as Membership Director), 200+ member/supporting brands across the ecosystem, and reported a $150,000 grant from the Maine Technology Institute in January 2023.

Name

Maine Outdoor Brands

Legal name

Maine Outdoor Brands

Website

https://maineoutdoorbrands.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Maine Outdoor Brands is a nonprofit, member-driven alliance founded in 2017 that aggregates Maine's outdoor product makers, retailers, experience providers, and nonprofits to strengthen the state's $3 billion outdoor recreation economy through membership, sponsorships, and emerging retail channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor industry trade association

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Adventure Multi-Category Retail (CRAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Travel & Services Membership Clubs (Ancillary Services-Led) (CRAEADAK)

Keywords

• Outdoor industry alliance
• Outdoor brand network
• Trade association membership
• Outdoor recreation economy
• Brand collective

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues (Product/Service Brands): Tiered annual dues for product/service brand members based on revenue: <$500K = $300/yr; $500K–$1M = $400/yr; $1M–$2.5M = $600/yr; $2.5M–$5M = $1,000/yr; $5M–$10M = $1,200/yr; $10M–$20M = $2,000/yr; $20M–$100M = $4,000/yr.
2. Membership Dues (Local Outdoor Retailers): Tiered annual dues for local retailers: <$1M revenue = $200/yr; >$1M = $300/yr.
3. Membership Dues (Non-Profit/Association): Tiered annual dues for non-profits/associations: <$500K = $200/yr; $500K–$2M = $300/yr; >$2M = $500/yr.
4. Supporter Sponsorships: Sponsorship program with levels including Trailhead, Treeline, and Summit, generating revenue from businesses aligning with MOB's mission. Includes discounted Summit Sponsorship of annual Maine Outdoor Economy Summit.
5. MOB Online Store (maineoutdoorbrands.shop): New e-commerce revenue stream launched for holiday shopping season featuring ~200 products from 25 member brands, including limited-edition collaborations and member-branded merch.
6. Retail Channel Sales (MOB Shop branding program): Branded display program sold through retailers like REI; pilot generated $45,000 in sales with expansion to additional nationwide locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Maine Outdoor Brands operates a member-driven alliance for Maine's outdoor recreation industry, offering tiered annual memberships (Product/Service Brand, Local Outdoor Retailer, Non-Profit/Association) and a corporate Supporter program (Trailhead, Treeline, Summit). Members receive collaborative marketing, networking, advocacy, trade show discounts, pro-deals, job board access, and a members-only 'basecamp' resource database. The organization also runs a Shopify-based online store (maineoutdoorbrands.shop) retailing products from 25 member brands and a retail branding program (MOB Shop) distributed through retailers such as REI.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Adventure Local Maine: An index and program of Maine Outdoor Brands members offering local gear, retailers, and guides for outdoor activities across all four seasons in Maine.
• MOB Shop

Products and services

• MOB Membership Program Tiered annual membership alliance for Maine-based outdoor product makers, experience providers, retailers, and non-profit/association organizations, with revenue-based dues (Product/Service Brand: $300-$4,000/yr; Local Outdoor Retailer: $200-$300/yr; Non-Profit/Association: $200-$500/yr). Members receive networking, collaborative marketing, advocacy, trade show discounts, pro-deals, the members-only 'basecamp' resource database, the MOB Job Board, and inclusion in the Holiday Gift Guide.
• Adventure Local Maine Searchable, season-filterable directory of MOB member gear makers, retailers, and guide services across Maine, filterable by activity (camping, paddling, climbing, biking, snow sports, fishing, boating, rafting, surfing, hiking, kids, outdoor lifestyle, nonprofit) and season (spring, summer, fall, winter). Made possible with the support of the Maine Office of Tourism.
• MOB Shop Online Store Shopify-based e-commerce storefront launched in November 2025 featuring approximately 200 products from 25 Maine member brands, including limited-edition collaborations, MOB-branded merchandise, apparel, accessories, and outdoor gear. The accompanying MOB Shop branding program places co-branded product displays at retailers such as REI.
• MOB Job Board and Workforce Hub Filterable job board integrated with member brand career sites, segmented into Outdoor Education/Tourism/Hospitality, Recreation Infrastructure & Urban Planning, Gear/Equipment/Innovation, Media/Marketing/Storytelling, and Conservation & Stewardship, plus a Career Industry Newsletter and 'Day on the Job' workforce storytelling profiles.
• Corporate Supporter / Sponsorship Program Tiered corporate sponsorship program (Trailhead, Treeline, Summit) for mission-aligned businesses and organizations seeking brand visibility, networking, and strategic marketing alignment with Maine's outdoor recreation economy. Supporters are presented at MOB Talks and MOB Scene events and gain MOB newsletter visibility and discounted Summit Sponsorship of the annual Maine Outdoor Economy Summit.

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation (Maine Department of Economic and Community Development)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Partner of Maine Outdoor Brands. MOB works 'in partnership with the Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation' to empower outdoor businesses and strengthen Maine's outdoor recreation economy. The Office of Outdoor Recreation leverages Maine's outdoor recreation heritage to grow the outdoor recreation economy and build Maine's outdoor recreation brand.
• Blaze PartnersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Partner of Maine Outdoor Brands. Jim Hauptman of Blaze Partners states the firm was responsible for founding Maine Outdoor Brands in 2017 and has provided 'unwavering' support since. Blaze Partners is described as responsible for founding the organization.
• L.L.BeanflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Partner of Maine Outdoor Brands; outdoor lifestyle brand with retail stores nationwide. Designed to help people experience the restorative power of the outdoors, with gear field-tested since 1912. Listed as Founding Partner on MOB website.
• REIcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSummit Supporter and retail distribution partner for the MOB Shop branding program. Pilot phase at REI generated $45,000 in sales promoting Maine-made outdoor gear and apparel; program is expanding to more locations nationwide.
• University of Maine (Orono)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummit Supporter of MOB; flagship public land-grant research university in Orono, Maine, established 1865. Supporters gain MOB visibility, networking, strategic marketing, and Summit Sponsorship discounts.
• Maine Technology InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummit Supporter of MOB; listed among top-tier supporters on MOB homepage with mission alignment around Maine's outdoor recreation economy.
• Visit Maine (Maine Office of Tourism)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSummit Supporter of MOB; provides marketing collaboration. Also sponsors the 'Adventure Local Maine' program, which is 'made possible with the support of the Maine Office of Tourism'.
• Bernstein ShurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTree Line Supporter; Bernstein Shur has been an 'avid sponsor of Maine Outdoor Brands from the start, which continues our longstanding commitment to supporting Maine's land, water, and wildlife'.
• Cross AgencycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTree Line Supporter; marketing agency aligning with MOB's mission to strengthen Maine's outdoor recreation economy.
• ShipRightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTree Line Supporter; mission-aligned business providing strategic marketing and networking support to MOB.
• Best of Maine MediacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTree Line Supporter; media partner supporting MOB's mission to strengthen Maine's outdoor recreation economy.
• University of New England College of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered at both College and Program level with MOB. UNE's College of Business formally launched in 2023 with an Outdoor Business Innovation undergraduate business degree that 'fits very well with Maine Outdoor Brands mandate'.
• University of Maine at FarmingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummit Supporter; public liberal arts college and founding member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, supporting MOB's education and stewardship mission.
• New England Ocean ClusterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummit Supporter and Trailhead Supporter of MOB; cluster-based collaboration partner.
• MXH MarketingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTree Line Supporter; marketing agency providing strategic marketing support.
• Words From the Woods LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSummit Supporter; mission-aligned small business supporting MOB.
• MOT Partners (motpartners.com)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummit Supporter; strategic business partner.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Grassroots Outdoor Alliance: Independent retail alliance serving ~160 specialty outdoor retailers and brand partners with a similar coalition-based model of shared marketing, trade-show presence, and advocacy. Directly comparable to MOB because both aggregate independent outdoor businesses under a single umbrella and monetize via dues and sponsorships.
• Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA): Industry association serving marine retailers and dealers with membership dues, advocacy, education, and a member directory. Directly comparable to MOB's retail-member and brand-member structure and its tiered dues + sponsorship revenue model.

Broad incumbents

• Outdoor Industry Association (OIA): National trade association for the outdoor industry with advocacy, research, and trade-show programs. Comparable to MOB as the dominant national industry body that regional alliances like MOB effectively complement or compete with for member mindshare and dues dollars.
• Snowsports Industries America (SIA): National trade association for the snow sports industry representing brands, retailers, and resorts. Comparable to MOB because it operates a similar industry-alliance business model for a sub-segment of the outdoor recreation economy (skiing/snowboarding), providing benchmarks on dues structure, sponsorship tiers, and advocacy value.
• Outdoor Recreation Roundtable: National coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations and businesses focused on federal policy advocacy. Comparable to MOB as a higher-level umbrella doing the policy/advocacy work that MOB performs at the state level for Maine's outdoor industry.
• American Sportfishing Association (ASA): National trade association representing the sportfishing industry with advocacy, research, and member services. Comparable to MOB because it covers a vertical segment (fishing) of the outdoor recreation economy with a similar member-alliance business model.
• PeopleForBikes: National bicycle industry trade association and advocacy organization serving brands, retailers, and riders. Comparable to MOB because it operates as an industry coalition funded by dues and sponsorships to deliver advocacy, research, and marketing programs to outdoor-industry members.

Regional players

• New Hampshire Made: New Hampshire-based nonprofit coalition promoting locally made products with a member directory, branding program, and marketing support. Directly comparable to MOB as a regional 'made in [state]' alliance with similar directory, dues, and state-level economic-development positioning.
• Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility: Vermont-based business membership alliance promoting responsible and sustainable business practices with tiered membership and advocacy. Comparable to MOB as a regional business alliance using tiered dues and sponsorships to aggregate state-based companies around a shared economic-development mission.
• Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office: State-government office that partners with Colorado's outdoor industry on economic-development and advocacy initiatives. Comparable to MOB because MOB's Founding Partnership with the Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation mirrors Colorado's public-sector model of supporting an outdoor industry cluster.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MEOutdoorBrands
• Facebookfacebook.com/maineoutdoorbrands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maine-outdoor-brands
• Instagraminstagram.com/maineoutdoorbrands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maine Outdoor Brands