For the Cross family, the great outdoors has been a way of life for generations.
Their small, family-owned business, Sun Company, has been designing and manufacturing high-quality outdoor gear for camping, hiking, and survival from their Colorado headquarters since 1971. What started as a single zipper thermometer product in the 1970s has blossomed into a thriving venture with a global reach—and Amazon has played an important role in that growth.
“When my brother David and I took over Sun Company, we knew ecommerce was going to be key to our future success,” said Jon Cross, the company’s Chief Operating Officer. “The ability to directly reach customers through channels like Amazon has been a game-changer.”
Sun Company started as a humble operation, founded by the brothers’ grandfather Wendell Cross. Initially focused on products for the local ski and snow sports market, such as the popular Zip-O-Gage zipper thermometer, the company steadily expanded its outdoor gear offerings over the decades under the leadership of David and Jon’s father and uncle.
“My family’s been in Colorado forever, so the outdoors and skiing has always been a part of [who we are],” said CEO David Cross. “The goal has always been to make high-quality products and have as much of the manufacturing process as possible done here in the U.S.”
Sun Company was initially 99% wholesale, selling through brick-and-mortar retailers. It wasn’t until the current generation took over in 2016 that the company made its big push into ecommerce, launching in the Amazon store to immediate success.
“I definitely saw the potential for ecommerce from day one,” said David. “It was a natural fit for our products and brand. And Amazon has just been an incredible partner in helping us grow our business.”
David said expanding beyond the traditional wholesale model into direct-to-consumer sales has been a tremendous value-add for the business, helping to get the Sun Company brand in front of new customers.
“The beauty of Amazon is there’s already a massive customer base that’s interested in your product, so we saw a quick jump [in sales] right out the gates,” he added. “We were able to keep our existing business, and then double it through the direct-to-consumer side of the business.”
And the numbers speak for themselves. Since partnering with Amazon eight years ago, Sun Company has averaged 20-25% year-over-year growth and expanded its product line from that original zipper thermometer to over 150 items, including compasses, altimeters, and survival gear—all while maintaining the company’s Colorado roots. All manufacturing and assembly is done in Wheat Ridge, just outside of Denver.
David credits programs like Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) with allowing Sun Company to rapidly grow its ecommerce business while maintaining work-life balance for employees.
“Selling on Amazon absolutely simplifies things for us. It’s the easiest direct to consumer channel that we have,” David said. “It takes so much of the busy work off of our hands that we are able to grow our business, do a massive amount of volume and not have the craziness inside our warehouse of trying to fulfill thousands and thousands of orders.”
“FBA has been a great tool for us to be able to separate from work and prioritize our time,” he added.
The Cross brothers see Amazon as an invaluable partner in getting their innovative outdoor products into the hands of more customers across the globe. They want to expand their product line and make outdoor gear more accessible to nature enthusiasts of all backgrounds—and Amazon customer reviews and sales data are helping Sun Company innovate faster.
“We’re so well-informed now with how our products are being used, who’s buying them, what kind of demographics we’re looking at,” said Jon. “It’s helped us decide which path we want to travel and keep innovating.”
Thanks to Amazon’s robust tools and services, this small Colorado manufacturer has been able to amplify its reach, streamline operations, and uphold its core values of craftsmanship and customer service, all while keeping production firmly rooted in the Rocky Mountain region.
“I see Amazon playing a really pivotal part in our continued growth as a small business,” Jon said. “It’s provided so many opportunities to get our products in the hands of customers that probably haven’t heard of us before, so we see this as a beneficial relationship for many, many years.”