finding your path

Whether you are dreaming of starting your own company or ready to expand, WNC has a support network and the resources to help you thrive. Our companies compete brilliantly on the international stage, but they are dedicated to supporting one another at home and helping grow the outdoor industry here.

Collaboration Hub

Ask any company here: the network and collaborative spirit here is unlike anywhere else, these mountains offer an ideal product development testing ground, and our people are proud to make truly extraordinary gear and offering amazing experiences.

"We have the industrial base of a place like Ohio and the outdoor recreational base of a place like Colorado."
Tom Dempsey
Founder of SyvanSport

Key Industry Facts & Stats

Tap into the network

OUTDOOR business alliance

This collaborative network of manufacturers, outfitters, retailers, nonprofits and partners makes up the largest concentration of outdoor businesses East of the Rockies and the first regional outdoor industry association in the US. The OBA’s mission is to Cultivate, Connect, and Support a Community of Outdoor Industry Leaders here in Western North Carolina. Our member companies are dedicated to supporting one another and the region in growing our outdoor economy.

VIsit the Outdoor Business Alliance

OUTDOOR RECREATION INDUSTRY OFFICE OF NORTH CAROLINA

The Outdoor Industry Office of North Carolina , the first State Outdoor Industry Office in the Eastern US, is focused on recruiting new businesses to the state, supporting the needs of existing businesses, connecting exporters to global customers, and helping small business owners get their start. The office promotes conservation and stewardship, workforce training, economic development, and public health and wellness to ensure the state’s strategic growth as a place where outdoor businesses and recreation communities can thrive.

Visit The OREC
Mountain Bizworks Callout

Mountain Bizworks

Mountain BizWorks is one of the best small business financing and training organizations in the nation. From the Waypoint Accelerator, the first outdoor industry business accelerator in the East, to small business financing, coaching, mentorship, and training programs, Mountain BizWorks is here to help small businesses start, grow, and thrive.

Visit Mountain Bizworks

Thrive Here

These mountains have made dreamers and doers, tinkerers and builders, industry leaders and pioneers.

Find a career in the outdoor industry

    These mountains make us industry leaders, thinkers, builders, growers, dreamers, makers, athletes and caretakers. How will these mountains make you?

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