Fishing First
By Renée R. Roth
Ambush Outdoor manufactures ice fishing enclosures, both skid houses and wheelhouses. Their products are unique, using composite and aluminum materials, so they are lightweight, they don't rust and there's no wood in them so they don’t rot. They're durable, they’re tough, and they last a long time. Tim Hilde, Ambush CEO said, “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.”
When Tim retired, his youngest son said, “Dad, if you ever get involved with another business, I’d like to join you.” That’s all he needed to hear and when the opportunity came to buy an outdoor sporting business about seven years ago, he did it. It's a family business: Tim’s wife, Lynn, manages the office, and his son, Mike, is a business partner and sales director. Since buying the business in 2018, they’ve grown to 12 employees including engineering and manufacturing people. They have 25 dealers in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin because that’s where they see the most ice-fishing enthusiasts. Tim told us, “We have an aggressive growth plan and just introduced a line of utility trailers that are built to be tough! We’re introducing a new line up for the 2025 to 2026 season.”
Ambush recently hired a new employee through LockLeed who is an outdoors guy, and was really excited about the products. He’s been there about three weeks now and the hiring process was smooth and easy, and the candidate was fully qualified up front. Hilde said, “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!”
One of the perks Ambush offers is letting employees use the fish houses: they park some demonstration models on the ice, and people can go out there for free. Tim plans to add people in the coming months and looks forward to working with LockLeed again. Headquartered in Detroit Lakes, he has access to a talented pool of potential employees.
Tim’s dad was an Army veteran, and he appreciates the training, discipline and process orientation that the military mindset provides. Ambush Outdoor offers a rebate to veterans because he respects their service and wants to give back to them.
