Pelican International USA Inc. (formerly known as Confluence Outdoor and Confluence Watersports) is an American manufacturer of kayaks, canoes, and related accessories.
 | |
| Formerly | Confluence Outdoor Confluence Watersports Confluence Holdings Corp. |
|---|---|
Company type | Privately owned company |
| Industry | Paddling sports |
| Founded | 1998 (as Confluence Watersports) |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Kayaks, canoes, and accessories |
Number of employees | > 425 (2014)[1] |
| Website | www |
On May 12, 2025, it was one of the assets acquired by a group of investors who expressed interest after its parent company filed for bankruptcy in the USA and Canada. Following this, Confluence Outdoor merged its operations with Pelican International (formed in 1968), creating a new entity called Pelican International USA, Inc.[2] In 2014 Confluence Watersports was acquired by J. H. Whitney & Company — an American venture capital firm focused primarily on leveraged buyouts, turnarounds, acquisitions, and recapitalizations.
Over time, Pelican International and Confluence had acquired (and retained) numerous prominent commpeting brands in the paddle sport boats and accessories market — including Adventure Technology, Boardworks Surf, Dagger Kayaks, Harmony Gear, Perception and Kayaks Wilderness Systems. Pelican/Confluence subsequently discontinued numerous acquisitions, including Adventure Technologies, Wave Sports, Harmony, Elie and the iconic Mad River Canoe, the latter decommissioned in 2022.
The company operates in a single 300,000-square-foot facility in Greenville, South Carolina, which opened in 2011 and as of 2014 employs over 425.[1][3]
History
editIn 1998, American Capital sponsored the merger of Wilderness Systems and Mad River Canoe. When the financial services firm acquired Confluence Watersports in 2002,[3] the new entity became known as Confluence Holdings Corporation (CHC).
In 2005, Confluence purchased Watermark, acquiring the Dagger, Harmony Gear, Adventure Technology, and Perception brands. Sue Rechner joined the company as CEO in 2007, coming from Victorinox Swiss Army.[3]
On April 22, 2014, four years after purchasing Bomber Gear, CHC was acquired by J.H. Whitney & Company and was renamed Confluence Outdoor and announced plans "to grow the business into a full-service outdoor recreation company."[3][4][5] On December 16, 2019, it was announced that Confluence had been acquired by Pelican International, a Canadian manufacturer of kayaks and other outdoor products.[6]
In spring 2025, following a bankruptcy procedure in Canada, Pelican International was dissolved, and the assets purchased by a group headed by Pelican's former CEO. In late summer, 2025, the new ownership changed the name of Confluence to Pelican International USA.
Brands
editConfluence Outdoor manages numerous brands, each specializing in paddling sport boats or accessories.[3][7][8]
Adventure Technology
editManufacturer of kayak paddles.[9]
Boardworks Surf
editDistributor of imported stand up paddle boards, surf boards, and accessories.
Dagger Kayaks
edit
Manufacturer of recreational, touring, and whitewater kayaks - including the Alchemy, Axiom, Axis, GT series, Katana, Jitsu, Mamba, Mambo, Nomad, Torrent, and Zydeco models.[10] Founded in 1988 based on the success of whitewater and touring kayaks designed by Joe Pulliam.[3]
Harmony Gear
editManufacturer of canoe and kayak accessories - including apparel, fishing accessories, life jackets, paddles, and sprayskirts.[11]
Mad River Canoe (defunct)
edit
Mad River Canoe (MRC) was founded in 1971 by Kay Wilson Henry[12][13] and James A "Jim" Henry (1941-2025)[14] — after Jim Henry won the 1971 National Whitewater Open Canoe Championships using a canoe of his own fiberglass design. The championship, organized by The Penobscot Paddle and Chowder Society,[15] took place on the Dead River in western Maine, running from Eustis — with challenging sections of flat water, portages and whitewater.
Jim Henry's canoe design would ultimately become MRC's first and signature model,[3] the Malecite, named after the Wolastoqiyik, also known as the Malecite, a First Nation of the Wabanaki Confederacy.
After winning the championship, the Henrys launched MRC and within a year demand outstripped the Henry's production capacity in their shed. MRC briefly partnered with Tubbs of Vermont to manufacture canoes. In 1973 Jim and wife Kay incorporated the Mad River Canoe Company and moved production to a facility in Waitsfield, Vermont, ultimately with 80 employees manufacturing over 40 of Henry's designs. MRC marketed via a network of 200 distributors,[16] whose in-water demonstrations became one of the company's unique selling propositions.[13] MRC's logo featured a pipe-smoking rabbit, from the "Native American legend that envisions a rabbit so sure of his own speed that he can sit in the bushes, smoking his pipe, even as his mortal enemy, the lynx, lurks nearby."[13]
MRC's model line had expanded to comprise recreational, sporting, touring, and whitewater canoe designs, with models including the Adventure, Caption, Destiny, Expedition, Explorer, Freedom, Heritage, Journey, Legend, Outrage, Reflection, Synergy, Serenade and Malecite models.[17] MRC was noted for its numerous cutting edge designs using advanced technologies, notably rotomolded, Royalex, pre-preg, carbon fiber, and Kevlar construction — as well as the patented IQ/IQ2 modular gunwale systems, track-based rail systems allowing tool-free, customizable outfitting, where users could slide, swap, or remove accessories on the fly without making permanent hull alterations.
In 1998, Mad River Canoe merged with Wilderness Systems of North Carolina to form Confluence Watersports, joined shortly thereafter by Wave Sport kayaks. In 2001, production moved from Vermont, to Trinity, North Carolina. In 2019, Pelican International acquired Confluence Outdoors. In 2005, Confluence acquired Dagger and Perception and operations were consolidated in Easley, South Carolina.
The MRC brand was decomissioned in 2022.[18] After the demise of MRC, Henry marketed his designs under the Henry Designed label, working with his son Dana and Adirondack Canoe Company.[18] Jim Henry died in 2025.[18]
Perception Kayaks
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Manufacturer of fishing, recreational, and touring kayaks - including the Carolina, Essence, Expression, Impulse, Prodigy, Tribe, Tribute, and Triumph models.[19] Perception Kayaks was founded by Bill Masters in the early 1970s. The company develops rotational molding of plastic kayaks, reducing the expense and maintenance of kayaks.[3]
Wilderness Systems
edit
Manufacturer of fishing, recreational, and touring kayaks - including the Aspire, Commander, Focus, Pamlico, Pungo, Ride, Tarpon, Tempest, Tsunami, and Zephyr models.[20] Andy Zimmerman and John Sheppard founded Wilderness Systems in 1986 in North Carolina.
References
edit- 1 2 "Company". Confluence Outdoor. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Pelican Intl Inc. Acquires Assets of Pelican International Inc. and Confluence Outdoor Inc". PR Newswire. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Clucas, David (April 21, 2014). "Confluence Watersports sold to J.H. Whitney, plans to expand outdoor business". SNEWS. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ↑ White, Woody (April 22, 2014). "Confluence Watersports sold to equity firm". The Greenville News. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Company Overview of Confluence Outdoor". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Staff, Paddling Magazine (December 20, 2019). "Pelican Acquires Confluence Outdoor". Paddling Magazine.
- ↑ Mann, Becky (October 1, 2012). "Confluence Watersports Paddles Against the Economic Tide". Greenville Business Magazine. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Home Page". Confluence Outdoor. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Home Page". Adventure Technology. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Home Page". Dagger Kayaks. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Home Page". Harmony Gear. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ↑ Beth Schwartzapfel (September 26, 2007). "Lady of the River". Brown Alumni.
- 1 2 3 "Paddler Profile Kay Henry – Canoe Entrepreneur". Men's Health. December 5, 2019.
- ↑ "James "Jim" A. Henry Obituary". centralpacremation.com.
James A. "Jim" Henry, 84, passed away October 7, 2025 at the Masonic Health Care Center, Elizabethtown, PA after a long illness. He was born February 5, 1941 in East Orange, NJ to Richard A. and Barbara (Cook) Henry. Jim grew up in Madison, NJ, attended Morristown School, the University of Miami and Windham College; graduating from there in 1966 with a BS in Geology. After graduation, Jim worked as a marine geophysicist with a team of scientists under contract with the Navy mapping sections of the Pacific Ocean floor to aid in submarine navigation and gather information on the topography and composition of the sea floor. Jim and Kathryn "Kay" Wilson married in 1968. They started Mad River Canoe (MRC) after Jim won the 1971 Men's National Whitewater Open Canoe Championships in the Malecite, a canoe he designed and made. Under Jim's stewardship, MRC was known as an industry leader in forward thinking canoe design, innovative construction materials and excellent quality. The company won many awards as manufacturers and their boats won many races. More important to Jim than the awards was knowing that his boats brought joy to so many people from recreational family outings to fishing and hunting to rigorous wilderness expeditions. In 1990 Jim founded Mad River Decoy and made rare and endangered seabird decoys to help relocate or reestablish seabird colonies. He reconnected with Nancy Wiederhold in 2000 and they married in 2002. They worked together making decoys until 2016 when they donated the business to Audubon's Seabird Institute. At that time they were making over 30 different species that had been shipped all over the world. In addition to being a pioneer in boat design, Jim was a gifted craftsman and found infinite joy in the creative process. More often than not his projects were inventive, visionary and unique. Not all his creations were beautiful, but each had a purpose. He shared his knowledge freely and was always ready to lend a hand. His willingness to help others, generous spirit and sense of humor have left a lasting mark on all who knew him. Jim had many pastimes and interests. In addition to whitewater canoe racing, he also raced Sailfish and sailing canoes. He enjoyed skiing (alpine, nordic and water), photography (including underwater and stereoptic), playing polo with the Sugarbush Polo Club, spending time on Cape Cod and at his cottage on Isle La Motte, VT, hosting "Geezer" Pool Night and collecting anything that interested him. He was an accomplished outdoorsman, hunter and fisherman and had a deep love and appreciation for nature. Jim was a proud Master Mason and member of the Abraham C. Treichler Lodge No. 682, Elizabethtown, PA. Jim is survived by his wife Nancy, daughter Carrie Knowles Henry, son Richard Dana Henry and his wife Kari Henry, stepdaughter Kirsten Talgo and husband Joe Cullen and two "grandlittles", Cody and Piper as well as a sister Barbara Bartlett, many nieces and nephews and close friends. His brother Robert "Bob" Henry predeceased him. The family is deeply grateful to the staff at the Masonic Health Care Center for their care, compassion, support and guidance. In accordance with Jim's wishes, there will be no public service, memorial or celebration of life. Instead, Jim expressed a heartfelt wish for family and friends to continue to honor him by doing random acts of kindness in his memory. Be creative, be kind and don't hesitate to add a little humor if appropriate!
- ↑ Arthur H. Tuthill. "American White Water, Spring 1971, P. 26, The Not So Dead River" (PDF). American Whitewater.org.
- ↑ Mike Bezemek (September 12, 2024). "Legendary Canoe Designer Jim Henry And Son Team Up With Adirondack Canoe Co". paddlingmag.com.
- ↑ "Home Page". Mad River Canoe. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- 1 2 3 "Canoe World Mourns Passing of Designer, Mad River Co-founder Jim Henry". PaddlingLife.com. October 12, 2025.
- ↑ "Home Page". Perception Kayaks. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Home Page". Wilderness Systems. Retrieved July 1, 2014.