In the beginning…
3 friends set out on an adventure. It was summer 2009, we were proud of our small plot kitted out with little more than a selection of tools, a folding table and a gazebo! It was an eye opening experience at a local trade fair, meeting industry professionals who gave us feedback, with many recommending that we should head to the national APF Exhibition that autumn as a springboard for our make or break mission.
At the APF exhibit we were overwhelmed by the product interest and support we received from professionals from across the country. We didn’t know it at the time, but from our humble beginnings our way of doing things was already shaping up.
There’s a reason you might not have heard much about the trio though. As things progressed in the first year so too did the need for dedication to the cause. 2 of the 3 friends decided to focus on their own careers, whilst Outdoor Professional Products founder, Christopher Gottfried, has continued to be the driving force.
Meet the founder…
A man of simple pleasures and true to his word, you’ll find Christopher in the outdoors, living a semi-nomadic life with his wife and 2 daughters. Here’s the story of how, and more importantly why, it all began…
Why?
“I can still remember just how I felt back then in 2009, I was working long hours for a car rental company after finishing uni. The trainee management programme with the shoe-horned thrill of aspiring to run a car rental branch was fading and the only thing on my mind was when and how I could forge my own path. Outdoor Professional Products is perhaps not where it all truly started though. I think I was 10 or 11 when I’d collect conkers to take into school to arrange conker competitions and at age 16 I installed a pool table in the college cafe. So perhaps that entrepreneurial spirit has been within me from the start.
I grew up with 2 older brothers, yet our hobbies and interests are so varied. For me, life is all about waves and trees. My first memories are paddling in the sea at Barry Island and making dens with friends in the local woods. It wasn’t until I was 18 that my passion really took hold rowing, kayaking and white water rafting, with just the sound of a swirling wave making me happy.
I experienced 18 months working for an arb and forestry supplier during my gap year and it was great to be working in the outdoor industry. Life being all about trees took a new meaning too, from tree climbing to learning about best practices for nurturing the outdoors bolstered my love of nature. It was my experience here that would contribute to the launch of Outdoor Professional Products too.
Anyhow, back to summer 2009, I had a vision. I’d spotted some tools that really had a monopoly in the outdoor industry, they were frustratingly expensive but nothing much people could do about it. So I looked to source my own, starting off with the simple pruning saw.”
How?
“To start it was a no brainer to shape Outdoor Professional Products as a distributor and it didn’t take long to drum up interest when I was presenting a performing handsaw that was value for money to rival the monopoly brand. But it took over a year and a half to get things running properly. Sourcing suppliers, product design, international freight services, local couriers, website, marketing, everything. I was learning as I went along and acting like a sponge to absorb every last word of feedback that might be useful. During 2020, access to our product lines became difficult and so Outdoor Professional Products as a retail store online was officially unveiled.
Dedicating myself to a life on the road travelling the UK and Ireland broke me many times in the first few years, but living in Portsmouth the sea would provide me with a late night seafront stroll to loosen the joints and calm the nerves. Every day there was a sense of endless tasks and yet endless possibilities. Starting from scratch, it was full on but it really snowballed from there, growing and gaining momentum along with new products ideas.
Even to this day I’ve learnt to listen and act upon feedback, and trust my gut. We launched a concise range of handsaws to start and despite believing in everything we were trying to achieve I could not believe people were buying, I can remember the moments seeing my products in action with professionals.
Fast forward – where are we today?
At Outdoor Professional Products, we are passionate about great products. With a focus on being the best at what we do and not necessarily the biggest, Outdoor Professional Products is committed to sourcing performing products that offer genuine value for money with a service that goes the extra mile.
Every product supplied has a professional guarantee and a back up to readily available spare parts giving you product longevity.
Catch up with us @outdoorprofessionalproducts on facebook, twitter and instagram to keep updated with latest news, product unveilings and exhibitions.
Christopher Gottfried
Founder of Outdoor Professional Products
