Confluence Outdoor (formerly known as Confluence Watersports) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

manufacturer of

kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

s, and related accessories. The company comprises eight separate brands which each specialize in paddling sport boats or accessories.

History

American Capital financially sponsored the merger of Wilderness Systems and Mad River Canoe in 1998 to form Confluence Holdings Corporation, known as Confluence Watersports, which it then purchased in 2002. In 2005, Confluence purchased Watermark, acquiring the Dagger, Harmony Gear, Adventure Technology, and Perception brands. The company then acquired Bomber Gear in 2010. Sue Rechner joined the company as CEO in 2007, coming from Victorinox Swiss Army. On April 22, 2014, J.H. Whitney & Company purchased Confluence Holdings Corporation from American Capital. They renamed it Confluence Outdoor and announced plans "to grow the business into a full-service outdoor recreation company." On December 16, 2019, it was announced that Confluence had been acquired by Pelican International, a Canadian manufacturer of kayaks and other outdoor products.

Brands

Confluence Outdoor manages eight separate brands which each specialize in paddling sport boats or accessories.

Adventure Technology

Manufacturer of kayak paddles.

Boardworks Surf

Distributor of imported stand up paddle boards, surf boards, and accessories.

Dagger Kayaks

Manufacturer of recreational, touring, and whitewater kayaks - including the Alchemy, Axiom, Axis, Katana, Jitsu, Mamba, Mambo, Nomad, Torrent, and Zydeco models. Founded in 1988 based on the success of whitewater and touring kayaks designed by Joe Pulliam.

Harmony Gear

Manufacturer of canoe and kayak accessories - including apparel, fishing accessories, life jackets, paddles, and sprayskirts.

Mad River Canoe

Manufacturer of recreational, sporting, touring, and whitewater canoes - including the Adventure, Caption, Destiny, Expedition, Explorer, Freedom, Heritage, Journey, Legend, Malecite, Outrage, Reflection, Synergy, Serenade, models. Mad River Canoe was founded in 1971 by Jim Henry and Kay Henry in

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. The company's Malecite model was created in the Henry's woodshed, becoming their first model and remaining the company's signature model today.

Perception Kayaks

Manufacturer of fishing, recreational, and touring kayaks - including the Carolina, Essence, Expression, Impulse, Prodigy, Tribe, Tribute, and Triumph models. Perception Kayaks was founded by Bill Masters in the early 1970s. The company develops rotational molding of plastic kayaks, reducing the expense and maintenance of kayaks.

Wave Sport Kayaks

Manufacturer of recreational and whitewater kayaks - including the Diesel, Ethos, Fuse, Habitat, Mobius, Project, and Recon models. Founded in 1986 by

Chan Zwanzig Confluence Outdoor (formerly known as Confluence Watersports) is an American manufacturer of kayaks, canoes, and related accessories. The company comprises eight separate brands which each specialize in paddling sport boats or accessories. Histo ...

who started by importing the popular Lazer from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. The company began manufacturing the Lazer themselves by 1988 and began creating its own models in the 1990s. Wave Sport is a licensed brand now based out of the United Kingdom but is not actually manufactured by Confluence Outdoor.

Wilderness Systems

Manufacturer of fishing, recreational, and touring kayaks - including the Aspire, Commander, Focus, Pamlico, Pungo, Ride, Tarpon, Tempest, Tsunami, and Zephyr models.

Andy Zimmerman Andy may refer to: People * Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds * Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pi ...

and John Sheppard founded Wilderness Systems in 1986 in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Operations

The company operates in a single 300,000-square-foot facility in

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...

, which opened in 2011 and as of 2014 employs over 425 people.

References

{{Canoeing and kayaking Kayak manufacturers Sporting goods manufacturers of the United States