Who We Are
A Family of Outdoor Retailers:
Gearhead, Uncle Dan’s, and Rock/Creek Outfitters
OUR MISSION
To help our customers live active, fulfilling lives by providing quality outdoor-inspired products, backed by deep expertise and remarkable service.
OUR BRANDS
We believe strongly in the products we sell, and are very passionate about what we do. We carry only the highest quality brands and support those that help promote sustainability, fair business practices, conservation and philanthropy.
Gearhead Outfitters
Gearhead Outfitters exists to help our customers live active, fulfilling lives. We strive to create an exceptional shopping experience for our guests through our relaxed environment, specialized inventory and personalized customer service. True to our local roots, we employ local residents of each city we operate in, support local organizations, and strive to build relationships within our communities.
Gearhead Outfitters was founded in 1997 by Arkansas native, Ted Herget. Born in Little Rock, but raised in Jonesboro, Herget attended Arkansas State University where he majored in accounting. During college, Herget took time off to live in Colorado where he worked in a small ski shop, and it was there that the love of the mountain lifestyle first took root.
After returning home, Herget prepared to graduate with an offer for an accounting job on the table at a firm in Little Rock, but he just couldn't shake the desire to bring the mountain lifestyle he learned to love in Colorado back to his home state of Arkansas. So, in 1997, he took a risk and opened what would become Gearhead Outfitters in his friend's living room, turning down the office job, and becoming an entrepreneur.
While working several side jobs to make ends meet, Gearhead Outfitters began to grow and soon moved into a 700 sq. ft. store where it thrived for five years. In 2002, Herget moved the store to Main Street in downtown Jonesboro, bringing new life to the historic location. The downtown store now serves as Gearhead's HQ where you can still find Ted, and his wife and Gearhead co-owner, Amanda, working on the sales floor with customers today. (You can also find their pups, Palmer and Blue, usually laying around somewhere.)
In 2006, Gearhead opened its second location in Jonesboro’s Mall at Turtle Creek, and then began expansion into other areas of the state, opening two locations in Little Rock at Park Plaza Mall (2011) and the Promenade at Chenal (2013), and Rogers (2014), Bentonville (2015) and Fayetteville (2015) in Northwest Arkansas.
Gearhead has also expanded outside of its home state, becoming a regional brand by opening locations in Shreveport, La. (2012), Springfield, Mo. (2016), and Tulsa, Ok. (2018).
Herget’s mission to bring the outdoor, active lifestyle to his hometown has now impacted the lives of customers across the region as Ted, Amanda and other staff members have personally trained, equipped and cultivated customers and their dreams of health and fitness.
Ted and Amanda’s dedication to the communities we serve has provided coats and backpacks to children in need, letters of encouragement and support to military members, scholarships to students seeking a better future, free bike services to the homeless, customer victories in health and fitness, wellness education to school children, and hundreds of volunteer hours given to local organizations.
"To help customers live active, fulfilling lives," has been the Gearhead mission since opening the first store 22 years ago, and is something we still strive toward each day.
Uncle Dan's Outfitters
In 1972, Uncle Dan’s and Erehwon each opened their first shops in Chicago. Over the next decades, the two stores grew alongside each other to become the midwest’s premier specialty outdoor retailers, and came together as Uncle Dan’s in 2018.
At Uncle Dan’s, our highest priority is ensuring that you have the right gear for your adventure. From traveling through Europe to trekking in the Rockies, Uncle Dan’s will get you prepared for anything that might come your way. After all, that’s what we’ve been doing since the very first Uncle Dan’s opened its doors back in 1972.
Now, more than 45 years later, our friendly staff remains ready to do whatever it takes to get you geared up for a big trip, a weekend getaway or a cold Chicago winter.
With eight retail locations in the Chicago area and three rental outposts on Lake Michigan, Uncle Dan’s is here to help you gear up and go further.
Rock/Creek Outfitters
When you step into a Rock/Creek store, you’ll find expertly-chosen outdoor gear and clothing, as well as inspiration to plan your next backpacking, hiking or climbing trip. And, hopefully, that trip will lead you to want to protect local wild spaces for future adventurers.
For over 30 years, Rock/Creek has been using outdoor retail as a platform to protect local lands and get more people outside. We work closely with nonprofits to support trail building, land and waterway conservation and the outdoor community as a whole.
Now, Rock/Creek has seven retail locations in Tennessee, specializing in camping, boating, rock climbing, hiking and outdoor lifestyle. We also offer three rental outposts in the Chattanooga area with kayaks, paddleboards, mountain bikes and road bikes for exploring the city’s many recreation opportunities.