Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, a national organization dedicated to the health and growth of specialty outdoor retail, welcomed five new members this month. The additions grow its network to 104 independent retailers.
The coalition now also boasts 223 specialty retail stores in 45 states.
“As we add more independently owned retailers to our network, it strengthens the work we do in helping all of our members run their businesses more effectively,” said Maile Spung, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance board chair and the owner of Ute Mountaineer and Neptune Mountaineering. “We’re excited to welcome this group of five proven retailers to our network. As we grow, so does our ability to share information and learn from one another, which helps us all serve our communities better.”
The new retailer members include:
- Down Wind Sports, which has locations in Houghton, Munising and Marquette, M.I.. It is owned by Bill Thompson, Todd King, Arni Ronis, Nic Dobbs and Matt Abbotts.
- Granite Sports, which is located in Hill City, S.D. and owned by Lisa and Pat Wiederhold.
- Sherpers, situated in Hales Corners, Port Washington and Oconomowoc, W.I.. It is owned by Nathan Scherper.
- The Trail House of Frederick, M.D., owned by Drennan and Catie Hicks.
- WheelzUp Adventures of Cumberland, M.D., owned by Mandela and Jaime Echefu.
The retailers will join the rest of the Grassroots retailer and vendor network at the Connect retail buying show, Jun. 9-12 in Reno, N.V.. There, 148 retail businesses and 147 exhibitors will gather for line showings supporting order-writing for Spring 2026. Those figures include guest retailers and exhibitors.
