The newest business move by the MeatEater team involves a game call company out of Washington.
MeatEater is adding to their family of companies with another direct-to-consumer retail acquisition.
This time it's Phelps Game Calls, a leader in the call manufacturing industry, which will continue to be independently run by founder Jason Phelps, now with the help and support of MeatEater, Inc. through marketing, distribution, customer service, and content assistance. It's the first time MeatEater has become the owner of a game call company.
Jason has been a guest of the popular MeatEater podcast, and his skill as an elk caller and his penchant for good stories won over backcountry hunters and backyard outdoorsmen alike, and almost instantly.
"I've been friends with Jason for years. I'm deeply inspired by the elbow grease and tenacity that he put into building his business," said MeatEater founder Steven Rinella. "The MeatEater audience loves him, too. He's a fan favorite, and his products are deeply respected by skilled hunters. I'm thrilled that our friendship and mutual respect has blossomed into a business partnership."
Phelps Game Calls produces elk calls, turkey calls, predator calls, deer calls, and other custom game calls. Their elk bugles are among the most popular, and the brand has recently ventured into the apparel and accessory product markets.
According to their company history, Phelps Game Calls was founded "with the goal of making the most realistic and easy to use calls available."
The CEO of MeatEater, Inc., Dan Chumbler, will serve as overseer to the incorporation of Phelps Game Calls and will be at the head of overall business strategy and growth plans. Phelps Game Calls will remain headquartered in Pe Ell, Washington and Jason will assume the role as general manager. Here's what he had to say about the acquisition:
"There's no brand more trusted in the outdoors space than MeatEater and no one in the hunting community who has more power to showcase quality products than Steve and the rest of the MeatEater crew. It took twelve years, a few mistakes, and a lot of hard work and determination, but we have built Phelps Game Calls into an industry leader, and now with the stellar management team and massive built-in audience at MeatEater, we can scale the business like never before." — Jason Phelps of Phelps Game Calls
The acquisition followed MeatEater's other recent additions of outdoors and hunting apparel company First Lite and outdoor gear company FHF Gear. Still ran out of Bozeman, Montana, the MeatEater network includes a Netflix series, a website with consistent video, audio, and written content, books, podcasts, guns and ammo collaborations, and more, plus a collection of experienced sportsmen and women (think Remi Warren of Apex Predator, Mark Kenyon of Wired to Hunt, and the like) working to promote the learning experience of hunting, fishing, and harvesting wild game, as well as maintaining and increasing access to public lands.
They're informing the wider outdoorsman community on wildlife, habitat, and conservation facts and trends, while providing a resource that is welcoming and encouraging the use of our natural resources to the fullest extent.
And now, they providing a smart way to learn about and acquire elk calls, not to mention other wild game calls and calling strategy. You can follow Phelps Game Calls on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
NEXT: ARCHERY ELK HUNTING GETS A LITTLE TOUGHER WHEN YOU'RE AN ARROW SHORT
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