Industry News
Starting and running your own business is something that most people would dream of doing themselves. That does not mean it is easy to do, and some say it is even harder to sustain. Nick Gilson and Austin Royer started their dream of building snowboards in 2013 and have not looked back. They started the company in the small town of Selinsgrove, central Pennsylvania. Gilson Snow has grown into a respected snowboarding manufacturer over the last decade and was moving towards that 10-year milestone when the unthinkable happened.
Last November, the facility where Gilson started his dream of making snowboards caught fire and was destroyed. The cause of the fire could not be determined, but Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal James Nizinski said it was likely due to electrical reasons and that foul play was not suspected. Less than a year later, Gilson Snow has moved into a new facility and is producing snowboards again. A significant setback could have easily made any business close its doors forever, but Gilson Snow is back.
Gilson Snow’s new facility is a 40,000-square-foot building sitting on five acres, much bigger than the previous 5,500-square-foot building that burnt down. The owners have also added new state-of-the-art technology and manufacturing equipment to enable Gilson Snow to increase its capacity to produce higher-quality snowboards. Gilson Snow not only produces snowboards but also skis, which started being made five years ago.
An objective of Gilson is to use locally sourced material in making all of its snowboards and skis. They use Pennsylvania Poplar to create the snowboards because it is a light and low-density hardwood. The Poplar also grows fast, can be sustainably harvested, and grows right in Gilson Snow’s backyard. Gilson Snow combines modern technology’s precision with hand craftsmanship quality to create its products. Gilson Snow is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by sourcing local materials.
Gilson snowboards have a design feature that is different and unique compared to other snowboards in the market. The Gilson soft edge is a concept that forms a raised, rounded plateau on the base of the board and is geared toward improving the overall ride. “The edge lifts you a little bit off the snow, gives you another edge to play on, and makes it a really fun ride,” said Mikoski.
The original design idea for Gilson’s snowboards is modeled after how Gilson saw boats move through the water when he was fourteen years old. The idea is that snow and water are the same, and moving through snow should be similar to moving through water. “There are billions of dollars of research on how to shape objects that move on or in a fluid. The idea is that flat can’t be the best for snowboards, either,” said Gilson.
Gilson and Royer started the company on Royer’s family farm and in a barn in rural Pennsylvania surrounded by horses and donkeys. They lived in a cabin without electricity or running water and grew the mom-and-pop company into a successful business. The barn may have burned down, but the new facility brings hopes of a promising future. Gilson Snow began producing its first snowboards in the new facility on September 18th and plans on having 90% of its employees return to work once fully operational.
For more information, check out Gilson Snow’s website.
