Colorado's outdoor industry suffering from trade war

State of play: The sunny skies and huge crowds at last week's Outside Festival in Denver camouflaged a dire reality: Tariffs on foreign goods are pushing the outdoor industry to the brink.

Campbell, CEO of Eagle Creek in Steamboat Springs, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, manufactures most of its products in Indonesia and sells them worldwide.

• His costs skyrocketed with the new tariffs forcing him to freeze salaries, leave two positions unfilled and cut other expenses.

Mojica, founder of Outdoor Element, based just outside Denver, finished his best year ever in 2024 but now feels like he's drowning.

• Even though he raised prices for his fire starter gadgets, the profit margin remains slim and he's paused some production. He lost an account, laid off workers and brought in family members as volunteer workers.

Trent Bush leads Artilect, a Boulder-based clothing company that specializes in merino wool grown outside the U.S.

• He's worried about the uncertainty of his business as well as the anti-American sentiment the tariffs have generated. For now, he's just trying to make ends meet.

What they're saying: "When you add that all up, the [impacts of tariffs] mean lower wages, fewer jobs and less spending in the economy," Campbell said at a congressional hearing Friday in Denver hosted by U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper. "I don't think that's what we're aiming for."

• "What felt like a mood swing for my commander in chief now feels like a knife in the back," added Mojica, who worked as a contractor for the U.S. Army and Air Force.
• The industry faces an "unprecedented crisis," Bush emphasized at the hearing.

The other side: Other industries could see benefits from tariffs. And Republican lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans of Thornton, have defended them as necessary to level the playing field for other industries, such as agriculture.

Context: The outdoor industry is especially reliant on the global supply chain for specialized equipment that requires immense skills, particularly waterproof materials and shoes.

• All three business owners said they've worked diligently to onshore production in recent years, but it proved impossible.
• "These goods require years of skill and specialization to produce, and those capabilities do not exist in the U.S. at any level of scale required to make the goods that we produce," Campbell said.

The bottom line: The conversation continued Sunday on the sidelines of the Outside Festival.

• A handful of industry leaders shared stories, largely about confusion regarding the uncertainty of the tariffs. Most are small businesses without large margins to pad their bottom line.
• "The outdoor industry is really hurting right now, it's in a bit of a crisis because of these tariffs," said Conor Hall, Colorado's outdoor recreation industry director.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Mike Mojica was a contractor for (he did not serve in) the U.S. Army and Air Force.