InsideOutdoor | WINTER 2022 27 There’s also never been more solutions and systems available to small businesses to help them run and maximize operations. Indeed, the recent explosion in cloud, virtual and as-a-service offerings place enterprise-like capabilities within reach of even the smallest attackers without the need for enterprise-sized capital expenditures. Eagle Creek’s new independence allows the company to leverage the innovations and emerging technologies specifically created for the current realities without the burden of legacy infrastructures, which must be retired or integrated into, often slowing or prohibiting the pace of transformation. “Every other business I’ve worked in has had many legacy systems that have held back their operations in some way,” said Campbell. “That won’t be the case for us.” “From a people standpoint we’re implementing a digital-first org construct from the start,” he continued, “so it feels like we get to leapfrog what would have been slower change without this restart.” Not that being attached to the resources of a large corporation doesn’t have its advantages, or that Campbell believes there is a need to completely re-invent the wheel. “This brand has done a lot of things right over the years, and we want to be smart about keeping the good stuff while we evaluate how to build for the future,” he said. Even so, Campbell expects Eagle Creeks' independence to also impact its efforts to do good. Quite simply, an organization of 50 or less employees does not face the requirements, legal obligations and capital restrictions of a large, publicly traded institution. “From my perspective, part of bringing Eagle Creek private again was to try and create a company that was both financially strong and also did good in the world,” explained Campbell. “I’ve always been drawn to the challenge of creating businesses that do both.” To be truly successful on the “do good” side of things, Campbell believe a company must be able to take a long view on value creation and how capital structure plays a role in the time horizons considered in a business. “We’ve tried to set Eagle Creek up to be able to make as many of the right decisions as we can when we look five to 10 years down the road rather than five to 10 months,” he continued. “I want to be clear that we definitely don’t have all the right answers here, and we’re going to learn and adapt as we move along this journey.” For the newly independent Eagle Creek, it would seem having the flexibility and forward-thinking of a start-up in today’s environment, combined with experience and existing business of 46-year-old market leader, provides the brand a unique opportunity to build a modern, smart and socially conscious operation and business partner. “For us, it will be more about looking forward as a company,” said Campbell, “than comparing ourselves to how things used to be.” m Brand Watch
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