When Chris Macaulay launched Killara Outdoors in 2019, he didn’t set out to play it safe. He stepped into an industry ripe with opportunity — but also riddled with fragmentation, outdated infrastructure, and brands struggling to scale.

“The outdoor industry is huge — over a trillion dollars in output — but incredibly disjointed,” Chris explains. “You’ve got thousands of niche players, but very few have the systems, capital, or team to go the distance.”

For Chris, that wasn’t a reason to back away. It was the whole reason Killara exists.

Outdated Models, Missed Opportunities

One of the biggest issues Chris saw early on was what he calls the "legacy lag" — brands that were once dominant but never modernized.

“They built great reputations, but never adapted to changes in distribution, e-commerce, or media,” he says. “There’s a massive gap between the demand for outdoor products and the backend systems actually supporting that demand.”

From slow-moving inventory and messy warehouses to fragmented supply chains and underdeveloped leadership teams, the operational hurdles were everywhere.

“You’d be shocked how many brands still don’t know what their cost to ship a product is.”

Complexity Kills Growth

Chris also points to complexity as a major constraint on growth — especially in founder-led businesses.

“You’ve got founders wearing five hats, running everything from purchasing to payroll to social media,” he says. “They’re underwater, and they’re burned out.”

At Killara, the solution is to reduce that complexity with clear systems and infrastructure — without stripping the soul out of the brand.

“We don’t take things over. We step in alongside. We give them the structure to grow and the freedom to focus on what they’re great at.”

Fear of Losing Control

Another common challenge: founders afraid of losing what they’ve built.

“I’ve had plenty of founders tell me, ‘I don’t want some private equity firm gutting my brand.’ And I don’t blame them. That’s not what we do.”

Instead, Chris leads with alignment, emphasizing shared values and long-term vision.

“If we’re not aligned culturally, we don’t do the deal. Period.”

What the Industry Needs Most

Chris believes the outdoor industry needs more than capital. It needs stewardship.

“We don’t just deploy money. We deploy belief, discipline, and real operational expertise,” he says. “This industry needs a platform that builds, not strips. That multiplies value instead of extracting it.”

Over the past five years, Killara has done just that — taking brands that were plateauing and giving them new life through systems, people, and purpose.

If you're running an outdoor brand and facing some of these same roadblocks, you're not alone.

Chris Macaulay and Killara Outdoors are building the platform to help you scale — without losing what made you special.

Visit killara.com to learn more or pitch your brand today.