Who Owns RTIC And Where Are The Coolers Made?
The cooler market would not seem to be particularly open to new products and brands, with the likes of traditional names like Igloo and Coleman long serving as the major players. Yet, over the course of the last decade or so, not only have electric coolers become popular options for camping consumers, but a couple of relatively new brands have emerged as fairly legitimate competitors to the more traditional cooler factions. Yeti is, perhaps, the biggest faction to burst onto the cooler scene, but RTIC is a brand that’s fast making a name for itself too.
If you’re unfamiliar with the brand, RTIC coolers can currently be found for sale through numerous big box stores like Target and Walmart, as well as online retail outlets like Amazon. Yes, the company also operates its own online storefront if you’re interested. There, it sells coolers of all shapes, sizes, and makes, along with a range of other outdoor focused offerings. The brand’s market presence is actually pretty impressive, given that RTIC has only been around since 2014, with the operation coming into being in Katy, Texas that year.
While the company was owned by Texas locals in its early days, that is no longer the case. And in reality, that was only true for the company’s foundational years, with an outside private equity firm taking control of RTIC in 2020. That firm is the Chicago-based Wind Point Partners, though the terms of that sale have not been disclosed as of this writing.
RTIC coolers are made overseas
If you’re keeping track, yes, RTIC’s origins essentially makes Texas the epicenter of the modern cooler scene, with both Igloo and Yeti also calling The Lone Star State home. Surprisingly, RTIC’s corporate headquarters is even located just down the road from Igloo in the Houston suburb of Katy. Unlike Igloo or Yeti, however, RTIC does not manufacture any of its coolers in the state of Texas. In fact, RTIC does not make any of its coolers in the United States.
Rather, RTIC claims to manufacture its popular coolers almost exclusively in Asia, noting it currently operates facilities in China, Cambodia, and Thailand. As for why RTIC makes its coolers outside the United States, the company notes that the corporate logic is the same as with any number of major businesses who make their products overseas, as doing so has, traditionally, been a savvy way to keep production costs low, and thus pass potential savings on to consumers.
Of course, if you’re among the consumer base that is hardcore about purchasing products that can legitimately bear the good old “Made in America” badge, that likely means that RTIC is not the cooler brand for you. If you do insist on American made for your brand of choice, Igloo is, perhaps, the better option, as some 95% of its cooler offerings are reportedly made in U.S. facilities. But if you’d prefer to utilize a durable, well-regarded cooler from one of the new kids on the scene for your next beach trip, barbecue, or camping sojourn, RTIC should more than suit your needs.
