BWCA Big blow in Red Lake Boundary Waters Group Forum: Woodland Caribou Provincial Park
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
   Group Forum: Woodland Caribou Provincial Park
      Big blow in Red Lake     

Author

Text

09/28/2019 03:35PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Just saw on Albert's (Goldseekers Outfitters) Facebook page that they had a big windstorm a week ago, and the photos of a Superior Air turbo Otter needing to get craned out of the water are pretty impressive.

Looks like that one will need the winter to recover...
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next
09/28/2019 08:54PM  
...And some might say the other big blow happened yesterday - I just learned that apparently Harlan sold RLO. He has a You Tube video up about it.
 
nocsious
member (15)member
  
09/28/2019 10:13PM  
I posted that in the wrong sub-forum this morning about Red Lake Outfitters being sold. They haven't responded to my emails or called me back after I left a message. I've been trying to get some information about a trip next year. The sale sort of explains it, but I wonder who the new owners are going to be and if they intend to run it basically the same.

Maybe they'll jump on the forum or post something on Harlan's channel, to introduce themselves.
 
dentondoc
distinguished member(1097)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
09/28/2019 10:22PM  
I also noticed that the RLO Facebook and some web pages are no longer active.

Any additional references for the YouTube vid?

dd
 
nocsious
member (15)member
  
09/29/2019 01:21PM  
The youtube user is solotripper, which is the owner Harlan.

This is the video posted on September 27th.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGOrw9hg0Rk
 
dentondoc
distinguished member(1097)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
09/29/2019 02:29PM  
nocsious: "The youtube user is solotripper, which is the owner Harlan.

This is the video posted on September 27th.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGOrw9hg0Rk "


Thanks!

dd
 
donr
senior member (83)senior membersenior member
  
09/29/2019 06:15PM  
I stopped by the old RLO after my trip earlier this month and chatted with the new owner. Seems nice enough. The business is now called Chukuni Outdoor Supply.
 
09/29/2019 08:49PM  
donr: "I stopped by the old RLO after my trip earlier this month and chatted with the new owner. Seems nice enough. The business is now called Chukuni Outdoor Supply."

Did you happen to catch the name of the new owner? I’m surprised they would change the name of the business - seems RLO had some brand equity.
 
09/29/2019 09:41PM  
Jaywalker: "
donr: "I stopped by the old RLO after my trip earlier this month and chatted with the new owner. Seems nice enough. The business is now called Chukuni Outdoor Supply."

Did you happen to catch the name of the new owner? I’m surprised they would change the name of the business - seems RLO had some brand equity. "


Thinking same thing - a big part of the value of RLO to a buyer who plans to continue operations is the brand. Just makes no sense otherwise, unless perhaps it was sold in parts or for assets. The brand can substantially impact the EBITDA multiple and valuation, though admittedly outfitting businesses probably don't play by normal rules.

Interestingly, Chukuni Outdoor Supply seems to have been around for some time - looks like an established hunting/fishing oriented outdoors shop with a facebook page and a website.

But they do have a section on their website for outfitting canoeing trippers for WCPP.

The plot thickens.
 
donr
senior member (83)senior membersenior member
  
09/30/2019 07:07AM  
I did not catch the new owner’s name as I was processing that Harlan was no longer around. If I had to speculate, I would say the name change was an effort to separate the business from some of the churn between Harlan and other people in Red Lake.
 
hobbydog
distinguished member(1973)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
09/30/2019 07:32AM  
donr: "I did not catch the new owner’s name as I was processing that Harlan was no longer around. If I had to speculate, I would say the name change was an effort to separate the business from some of the churn between Harlan and other people in Red Lake."


Yeah, I think there is way more to the story.
 
dentondoc
distinguished member(1097)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
09/30/2019 09:17AM  
donr: "I did not catch the new owner’s name."

I'll venture a guess that it could be "Richard," since that is the name that appears in the email address on their web page.

dd
 
donr
senior member (83)senior membersenior member
  
09/30/2019 09:31AM  
There you go, showing off your innerwebs skillz. :)
 
09/30/2019 10:53AM  
sns: "Interestingly, Chukuni Outdoor Supply seems to have been around for some time - looks like an established hunting/fishing oriented outdoors shop with a facebook page and a website.

But they do have a section on their website for outfitting canoeing trippers for WCPP."

Looking back through his FB and Instagram accounts, I don't see any evidence it was a business much before this spring (though I could be wrong. Edit: his FB page and logo went up in January, and looks like his gun range was built some time before). I did notice he posted in June that he no longer would accept RLO gift certificates, which puzzled me. Perhaps he has been using part of the space at RLO since then?

It doesn't take long looking through his FB posts and photos to see his primary interest is guns. His new website does have a short section on outfitting, but not a lot - at least yet. The old RLO site is still up which makes sense; they probably paid for it's hosting a year at a time, so it could sit there for many months. I'll be curious to watch if the new owner changes any of it, as it may foreshadow his plans for how he wants to manage his business.

I wish Harlan and his wife good luck in their new next adventure.
 
nocsious
member (15)member
  
10/01/2019 09:44AM  
I emailed Richard at Chukuni Outdoor Supply and got a response back this morning. He has not bought "Red Lake Outfitters", but did purchase some equipment from them. Richard said that there are two active outfitters in Red Lake serving WCPP, Gold Seekers and Chukuni Outdoor Supply. He'll be on vacation for the next 2 weeks, and he plans to give me a call when he returns.

 
10/21/2019 11:43AM  
nocsious: "I emailed Richard at Chukuni Outdoor Supply and got a response back this morning. He has not bought "Red Lake Outfitters", but did purchase some equipment from them. Richard said that there are two active outfitters in Red Lake serving WCPP, Gold Seekers and Chukuni Outdoor Supply. He'll be on vacation for the next 2 weeks, and he plans to give me a call when he returns. "

Any further intel on this? If Richard at Chukuni says there are two outfitters (Chukuni and Goldseekers), and all he bought is some equipment... who (if anyone) bought RLO?

Harlan's maps were/are great, and I know he made many customers happy. But I've only used Albert at Goldseekers for actual outfitting services and he's been fantastic. Sounds like his business should get a sizable bump in 2020.
 
hobbydog
distinguished member(1973)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/21/2019 09:14PM  
sns: "
nocsious: "I emailed Richard at Chukuni Outdoor Supply and got a response back this morning. He has not bought "Red Lake Outfitters", but did purchase some equipment from them. Richard said that there are two active outfitters in Red Lake serving WCPP, Gold Seekers and Chukuni Outdoor Supply. He'll be on vacation for the next 2 weeks, and he plans to give me a call when he returns. "

Any further intel on this? If Richard at Chukuni says there are two outfitters (Chukuni and Goldseekers), and all he bought is some equipment... who (if anyone) bought RLO?

Harlan's maps were/are great, and I know he made many customers happy. But I've only used Albert at Goldseekers for actual outfitting services and he's been fantastic. Sounds like his business should get a sizable bump in 2020."


I know nothing of the situation but I would assume the creditors own what assets are left of RLO or have sold off the pieces.
 
10/27/2019 08:57PM  
Surprising news concerning Harlan and RLO! His video said it all though -- family concerns and the long distance relationship issues so it was time to move on.

I wish he and his wife all the best and hope to run into them in a park somewhere and some time in the future. Maybe by then they'll be portaging with a new addition to their family. :)
 
adam
Moderator
  
11/07/2019 07:26AM  
Didn't pay his sponsorship bill so not surprising.
 
11/10/2019 08:16AM  
adam: "Didn't pay his sponsorship bill so not surprising. "


Ugh. Not good.

Don't know if you've spoken to Albert at Goldseekers, but I bet he'd at least consider sponsoring.
 
HowardSprague
distinguished member(3419)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
11/11/2019 01:58PM  
Oh man, too bad. Sorry to hear this. I was really hoping to book something with him, after being hooked by his Canoecopia presentation.
 
Marten
distinguished member(514)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
11/11/2019 06:17PM  
HowardSprague: "Oh man, too bad. Sorry to hear this. I was really hoping to book something with him, after being hooked by his Canoecopia presentation. "

Albert at Goldseekers will take good care of you. You will find that he knows the details on a lot of canoe options in the Red Lake area. No need to spend your time in the busier Haven and Mexican Hat Lakes. A lot of better places to visit with the same costs.
 
11/11/2019 07:59PM  
Marten: "Albert at Goldseekers will take good care of you."


100%. Am repeat customer and he's got decades of experience outfitting WCPP paddlers.

And you can always pick Marten's brain on trip options for the park - not many more knowledgeable outside of Red Lake itself.
 
HowardSprague
distinguished member(3419)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
11/13/2019 12:12PM  
Good to know, thanks!
 
joewildlife
distinguished member(605)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/01/2019 09:14PM  
I was in Red Lake in June. Harlan had recently sold the retail store, but still operated RLO at the time.
I was just wondering where his Facebook posts were...came here to find out what happened and sure enough...
Sad day, I really enjoyed learning about the park, through his passion for it.

Joe
 
joewildlife
distinguished member(605)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/01/2019 10:58PM  
So was the animosity, mentioned in Harlan's "haters" youtube video, between Harlan and Albert?
A simple yes or no would suffice.
Joe


 
dentondoc
distinguished member(1097)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/03/2019 08:00AM  
No. At least not the central figure.
 
Marten
distinguished member(514)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/03/2019 12:09PM  
No, it was aimed at numerous people he did not get along with.
 
joewildlife
distinguished member(605)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/03/2019 12:39PM  
I think there is a risk here of splitting us into Albert's camp or Harlan's camp, so to speak.

I don't want to cause that.

There are reasons we aren't going to find out the details of what went on, and I don't think anybody knows the whole, objective, story.

So just forget I asked and sorry I brought it up!

Joe
 
Marten
distinguished member(514)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/03/2019 06:29PM  
joewildlife: "I think there is a risk here of splitting us into Albert's camp or Harlan's camp, so to speak.


I don't want to cause that.


There are reasons we aren't going to find out the details of what went on, and I don't think anybody knows the whole, objective, story.


So just forget I asked and sorry I brought it up!


Joe
"


I agree, we had no part in it.
 
12/07/2019 12:26PM  
So, are he and his wife based out of Vancouver? Just curious where our friend ended up!
 
Marten
distinguished member(514)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/08/2019 07:24AM  
HighnDry: "So, are he and his wife based out of Vancouver? Just curious where our friend ended up!"

Check his YouTube for a video from BC..



Harlan in BC
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next