RTIC Outdoors

Who owns RTIC?
RTIC is majority-owned by Wind Point Partners, a Chicago private equity firm that acquired the company in September 2020. Founding brothers Jim and John Jacobsen retained minority ownership and remain involved as senior advisors and board members.

Is RTIC cheaper than YETI?
Yes. RTIC coolers and drinkware typically sell for about half the price of comparable YETI products. Independent ice retention tests generally show RTIC performing within a narrow margin of YETI, which is the core of its value pitch.

Where is RTIC made?
RTIC outsources manufacturing to third-party suppliers, primarily in Asia. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas, and operates fulfillment centers in Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.

Who founded RTIC?
Twin brothers Jim and John Jacobsen founded RTIC in 2015 in Cypress, Texas. Before RTIC, they built Cheap Cheap Moving Boxes into the largest direct-to-consumer moving box retailer, which gave them the shipping and fulfillment expertise to launch a bulky-goods e-commerce brand.

Does RTIC have physical stores?
RTIC sells primarily through its website and Amazon. It has expanded into select retail accounts but has not built a branded retail store network like YETI's.

Twin brothers Jim and John Jacobsen founded RTIC in 2015 in Cypress, Texas, a suburb of Houston. The brothers studied accounting at Sam Houston State University and built a series of businesses together, starting with a tax consulting firm and then Cheap Cheap Moving Boxes, a direct-to-consumer retailer of moving boxes that became the largest in its category online.

The moving boxes business taught them how to ship large, bulky products economically and gave them fulfillment centers and e-commerce infrastructure. When they noticed the premium cooler market YETI had created, they saw an opening: near-identical rotomolded coolers and stainless steel drinkware, sold direct at roughly half the price. RTIC shipped its first cooler in September 2015 and generated nearly $200 million in cumulative revenue within its first two years.

The rapid growth attracted a lawsuit from YETI in 2016, alleging RTIC had copied trade dress and infringed patents. The parties settled in 2017, with RTIC agreeing to redesign certain products while continuing operations. The settlement cost RTIC a reported multi-million-dollar sum but left the business intact.

In September 2020, Chicago private equity firm Wind Point Partners acquired RTIC, its third platform acquisition of a family-owned business that year. The Jacobsen brothers retained meaningful ownership stakes and stayed involved as senior advisors and board members. Consumer products veteran Bill Pond was appointed CEO. Under Wind Point ownership, RTIC expanded its product range into hard and soft cooler lines, drinkware, day bags, and camping gear while keeping its direct-to-consumer focus.

RTIC does not hold independent sustainability certifications. The company markets product durability as an environmental benefit, positioning long-lasting coolers as alternatives to disposable foam and thin-plastic options, but makes limited public disclosure on sourcing or emissions.

Products are manufactured by third-party suppliers, primarily in Asia. As a private company, RTIC does not publish supply chain or labor standards reports.

YETI litigation (2016-2017): YETI sued RTIC for trade dress infringement and patent violations, arguing RTIC's coolers and drinkware were near-identical copies. The case settled in 2017, with RTIC paying a reported settlement and redesigning product lines to differentiate appearance. The litigation is the most cited example of RTIC's fast-follower strategy.

Consumer complaints: Like other direct-to-consumer outdoor brands, RTIC has received complaints about shipping times, warranty processing, and product quality consistency, documented on Better Business Bureau and review platforms. The company maintains a warranty program covering manufacturing defects.