How Cordova Outdoors Became America’s Favorite Cooler Brand

At Cordova Outdoors, "good people making great coolers" isn’t just a catchy motto — it’s the core of their business. Nestled in the heart of Idaho's Treasure Valley, this dedicated team takes immense pride in their craft, producing America's favorite hard coolers.

As a veteran-owned brand with a deep passion for their community, country, and business partners, Cordova Outdoors goes to great lengths to provide locally made, high-quality products built to withstand a lifetime and serve future generations.

While the team’s dedication to creating America’s finest cooler is impressive on its own, the brand also ensures their values are reflected in every aspect of their business and product creation. This commitment sets them apart as a truly unique brand, fully devoted to their customers, manufacturers, team of artisans, and business partners.

“One thing we love to say around here is that we’re good people making great coolers. That’s exactly who we are, and we take a lot of pride in our people and work to make America’s favorite hard coolers,” explained Stevi Fanning, Director of Business Development at Cordova Outdoors.

Crafting American-made excellence

Proudly made in the USA, Cordova Outdoors embodies the very best of American craftsmanship. All their products are manufactured at their on-site location in Idaho’s Treasure Valley, allowing the team to be involved in every aspect of production.

“We love that our products are manufactured in America. It’s not something we throw in a box and say was designed in California. We make our items here on-site, from raw materials to finished products. There just aren't too many companies like that today,” said Gentry Jensen, President of Cordova Outdoors.

Throughout the manufacturing process, Cordova Outdoors prioritizes making their products more sustainable. The brand uses eco-friendly materials, such as EcoFoam cooler insulation and recycled metal for handles. By being deeply involved in production, Cordova ensures their coolers meet their high durability standards, reducing the need for replacements and ultimately minimizing waste.

“We provide a quality product because we manufacture it here on site. We control the materials and know exactly how they’re used to make our products. This helps us create the most durable coolers and be very conscious of the environment. Being made in America also helps us keep jobs in America,” explained Fanning.

Locally designed original art

In addition to manufacturing all products in Idaho, Cordova Outdoors collaborates with local artisans to design their coolers.

“One of the unique aspects of Cordova Outdoors is our ability to fully customize our coolers. We partner with artists to create original artwork that you won’t find anywhere else. These custom designs are then vehicle-quality wrapped to ensure they’re weatherproof and scratch-resistant,” said Fanning.

The brand offers several themed coolers crafted by artists throughout their community. Recently, they introduced a collection of coolers inspired by national parks.

“Our national parks collection is especially meaningful to me. We started with designs inspired by the most visited parks, including Zion, the Great Smoky Mountains, Yosemite, and Yellowstone,” explained Fanning.

Making it yours

With Cordova Outdoors’ commitment to authenticity, it’s no surprise that they encourage customers to express their individuality through their products. The brand offers shoppers the freedom to customize any one of their items.

“We can design anything a customer wants. Everything is done digitally, and our minimum order quantity is just one. I believe our customization capability is one of the things that truly sets us apart,” said Jensen.

Thanks to their integration with Customily, Cordova has streamlined the customization process, allowing shoppers to easily create personalized designs directly on their website. The brand has seen all types of customers take advantage of this feature — from businesses looking for company-branded coolers to individuals wanting a one-of-a-kind product.

“If someone wanted to add a logo or a name to a product — like a piece of drinkware — they'd be able to type that in or upload a file onto our website and see what their actual finished piece will look like, which is really fantastic. Another integration that we are working on that isn't quite live yet is a full 3D render view of our coolers,” explained Madison Teague, Ecommerce Manager at Cordova Outdoors.

The final word

Staying true to your values and reflecting them in your ecommerce site is one of the most powerful ways to personally connect with shoppers.

Cordova Outdoors’ dedication to their community and country allows like-minded shoppers to resonate with the brand on a deeper level, creating loyal customers.

“Going to our site is likely someone’s very first impression of Cordova. I take this seriously, and we really care deeply about what the site looks like, how you click through it, and what you learn about our brand. Thanks to BigCommerce, we’ve been able to create an experience that embodies the Cordova Outdoors brand,” remarked Jensen.

Want to learn more about how Cordova Outdoors evolved into a thriving American-made business? Check out our case study to explore their ecommerce success on BigCommerce, and listen to our Make it Big podcast — available on Spotify and Apple — for additional insights into their journey.