Ambush Outdoor
A family-run Detroit Lakes maker of ice fishing houses, on growing its team and hiring through LockLeed.
Fishing first
Ambush Outdoor builds ice fishing enclosures, both skid houses and wheelhouses, from composite and aluminum. That makes them light and durable: they don’t rust, and with no wood in them, they don’t rot.
“We sell fishing enclosures that you can camp out in overnight, not a camper with a hole in the bottom. We provide an optimal set up for jigging: the hole location, the space around it, even the seating.”
Tim Hilde, CEO, Ambush Outdoor
Growing in Detroit Lakes
When Tim Hilde retired, his youngest son told him that if he ever got involved with another business, he’d like to join him. When the chance came to buy an outdoor sporting business in 2018, Tim took it. His wife, Lynn, manages the office, and his son Mike is a business partner and sales director.
By 2025 Ambush had grown to 12 employees, including engineering and manufacturing staff, with 25 dealers across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, where ice fishing enthusiasts are thickest. It had just added a line of utility trailers, with a new lineup for the 2025 to 2026 season.
“A home run”
In 2025, Ambush hired a new team member through LockLeed: an outdoorsman who was excited about the products. Tim told us the process was smooth and easy, and the candidate was fully qualified up front.
“I love the idea that they work solely with veterans, and I have a lot of respect for them. In my mind, it’s a home run in the final inning of the World Series!”
Tim Hilde, CEO, Ambush Outdoor
Giving back to veterans
Tim’s father was an Army veteran, and Tim values the training, discipline and process orientation the military mindset brings. Ambush offers a rebate to veterans out of respect for their service, and its employees can use the company’s demonstration fish houses out on the ice for free.
Thank you, Ambush Outdoor
Service carries forward. LockLeed International connects employers with military-trained professionals for direct-hire roles, and we are proud to share how employers like Ambush Outdoor support the people who served.
Source: LockLeed News, Volume 27 (July 2025), an interview with Tim Hilde.
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