My side of the BlackOvis/Camofire story - Podcast and Q&A

[ktowncamo]

@ktowncamo correct me if I’m wrong but in episode three I believe you said that you are not involved or invested with crispi anymore?

Correct, I am not a part of Crispi in any way or form. My son works there, that is my only tie to the company. I'm glad I posted here if nothing else than to convey this point so that any perceived involvement on my part with Crispi will no longer stand in the way of good people buying the best hunting boots from good people and a great company.

Or did you mean "And no, I'm NOT going into podcasting"? I'm a little confused (sorry).

I am NOT going into podcasting. No worries for asking me to clarify.

 

[Bannedinshortorder!]

Business is scary.

It's real 24-7 and can become beyond your control quickly.
Very few have played the game at the level Kendall took on.
Many are jealous and full of spite while never putting out the effort it takes to have some skin in the game.
My hunch is anyone that talks down selling overstocked boots on the level we are talking about here frequently talks down most successful people as well.

My advice?
Find a new horse and ride it.
Your prior success was no fluke.

 

[Bachto]

So let me get this straight, you had no prior knowledge of the bankruptcy filings or the possibility of it? You were told in October out of the blue about the filing?

Slightly off topic but I really want to know, why would you bring in PE in the first place? losing all control of your company sounds pretty sh***y if you ask me. Maybe I just don't know enough about PE but it seems like every deal I've heard about with PE is awful.

 

[COJoe]

Kendall, I appreciate you coming on rokslide to explain your story. I enjoyed your reviews you did and I based my purchases off of them. I wish you luck in whatever direction you go. BO clothes were great for me and I miss them.

 

[Team4LongGun]

OP, I've got no dog in this fight, don't know you. It is a solid move by you to put yourself on here/out here.

I also can absolutely share frustration and anger with customers who got hosed.

To the posters riding the line.......As Randy stated earlier, let's keep this respectable and civil. Coming here to sling or stir crap won't be tolerated.

 

[Tjdeerslayer37]

Listened to the whole thing. Props for putting yourself out there and exposing another side to the story! Seem like a real stand up dude, i miss bo/cf and id be happy to do business with you in future endeavors.

 

[handwerk]

Thanks for the info Kendall.
Looking forward.... what are you up to now days?

 

[BRTreedogs]

@ktowncamo

Thanks for the reply.
You do got guts for starting this thread, that’s for sure.

I know business is crazy and there’s lots story sides.
Take care.

 

[ktowncamo]

So let me get this straight, you had no prior knowledge of the bankruptcy filings or the possibility of it? You were told in October out of the blue about the filing?

Slightly off topic but I really want to know, why would you bring in PE in the first place? losing all control of your company sounds pretty sh***y if you ask me. Maybe I just don't know enough about PE but it seems like every deal I've heard about with PE is awful.

Good questions. Let me do my best to respond.

So let me get this straight, you had no prior knowledge of the bankruptcy filings or the possibility of it?
- During a board meeting in the first week of Aug, the bankruptcy attorney was introduced to me by the PE firm. From then until end of Aug when I went hunting, I recall there was a concern about a potential bankruptcy, but all of the strategy, effort, and focus that I was a part of or heard reported by the CEO to the board was in working on making payoff arrangements with the "non-go-forward" brands (those brands who were not going to be sold on BO in 2026), increase sales, factory orders and deposits made for the 2026 BlackOvis products, negotiations with the bank, and getting the outside equity cure investment to keep the company rolling into 2026 and beyond.

You were told in October out of the blue about the filing?
- Everything seemed to be trending in the right direction with bank negotiations, equity cure coming together, sales in Q3 were super solid, and cash flow forecast models to pay debts for non-go-forward brands during 2026 were coming together. One week before the filing, on Oct 13, was the first that it was shared with my by the PE team that bankruptcy was likely if the bank negotiations didn't result in favorable results.

Why would you bring in PE in the first place?
- My business partner needed/wanted to be out of the business for reasons related to his family and himself. In the end, I helped him get what he needed/wanted. Initially I had hoped to "de-risk" by taking some chips off the table, but when it came down to it the details of the deal didn't leave room for me to take any meaningful amount of my ownership out of the business. I didn't feel that I needed to cash out, and loved being in the business. As I mention in episode 2 of the podcast "The Price of Private Equity", when the PE firm parted ways/pushed out 1 of the 3 primary partners. He was a friend, the main reason we agreed to the deal, and likely the one individual in the PE firm that valued friendship more than business.. This made the relationship pure business vs friends in business. I could be wrong, but this is how I perceived it transforming the situation.

Hope this helps clarify. It's a good lesson to anyone else to reconsider the types of investment or other business partners in any venture.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Thanks Kendall for your openness and genuine care for those affected by the situation. I havnt listened to the podcasts, but I can only imagine the turmoil it must have caused in your personal life as well.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Maybe keep the suit and tie guys out of your bussiness.
If you can’t handle it you have to much on your plate.
Maybe that’s difficult in bussiness but I would rather not work for someone else especially if it’s my bussiness.
Stay small and humble if you try it again.

 

[7RemMag]

While I don’t know that I will listen to the podcasts as it isn’t something that I consider incredibly relevant to me, and sometimes my attention span can be short… I greatly respect the effort to come forward and try to tell your side of the story in the face of potentially adversity. It sounds as though you’re taking some level of accountability for some things that went wrong and that is something admirable. Also appreciate the moderators giving the guy a chance to tell his side of the story. I think it’s important to let all sides tell their story in most any situation, and then let the peers decide how they choose to feel about the matter.

I never ended up buying anything from BlackOvis/CampFire, though I considered it a handful of times. Just never pulled the trigger. Being in business myself in a separate industry, I certainly understand the complications that could’ve arose throughout the situation. BlackOvis had a seemingly good reputation, and hopefully you can find a way to move forward and maybe even step back into the business again at some point.

Along those lines, and perhaps this might be sensitive information given the circumstances, it sounds like there were a fair number of employees involved here. Where did they go? As stated above, it always seemed like you had good customer service. Without going into great detail, Are there any brands out there to look out for that might have some familiar faces or even better service as a result of this unfortunate situation? As stated above, I understand that this is potentially private information that you may not feel comfortable sharing, and I understand, but I’m genuinely curious. Maybe some others are as well.

Appreciate the post and podcasts and wish you luck in the future, assuming you get a chance for round two, I’d consider buying from you just based on what I’ve read here and heard about your business prior to this.