Outdoor enthusiasts understand that having the right gear is essential to support long days hunting and fishing, especially during conditions of extreme weather. When dealing with freezing temperatures, heavy rain or other extreme conditions, it is essential to have the proper clothing and accessories to support a day out in the wild.
For quite some time, area sportsmen had to drive to Nashville to get the brands, selections and prices of outdoor clothing and accessories needed to keep them going. Alternatively, they had to order their gear online without having the opportunity to try before buying.
Fortunately, those days are behind us now, thanks to Volunteer Outfitters, founded by local businessman Tommy Elsten. Tommy is an enthusiastic hunter and fisherman who loves to spend his free time in the great outdoors with friends and family. Having personally experienced the difficulty in finding any quality outdoor clothing around Hendersonville and Sumner County, he decided that he needed to do something about the situation.
A few years ago, Tommy began thinking about the possibility of opening an outdoors-oriented clothing store in Hendersonville to meet local demand. After receiving encouragement from his friends and family, he began working on a business plan for what was to become Volunteer Outfitters.
As he worked toward his goal, Tommy realized that opening a retail establishment involved a lot of moving parts. Along with finding the right location for his store, he also had to deal with several other issues, including negotiating agreements with clothing, footwear and accessory brands, choosing the right product mix to reflect the needs of his customers and hiring a staff.
Eventually, all of Tommy’s hard work paid off, and Volunteer Outfitters became a reality in 2024, much to the delight of sportsmen all across Middle Tennessee.
How did you decide to start Volunteer Outfitters?
“My sons and I, as well as all our friends that hunt and fish were having to drive to Nashville, Franklin or beyond to find the clothing that we like to wear. We wanted to be able to buy our favorite brands locally, so I decided to open Volunteer Outfitters. The majority of what we offer is men’s clothing, but we do have some women’s and kid’s clothing and boots as well.”
How did you come up with your business name?
“My friends and family are all University of Tennessee Volunteer fans, and of course, we live in the Volunteer State. Since we outfit our customers for their outdoor excursions, we came up with the name Volunteer Outfitters.”
How would you describe Volunteer Outfitters?
“We are an outdoor clothing boutique. We take pride in carrying top quality brands in clothing and casual wear. Whether its hunting, fishing, or boating, we have a wide selection of the best brands to fit the sportsman lifestyle.”
Who is your target market?
“We try to carry something for everyone. We have clothing and footwear for men, women, and kids.”
What are some of your most popular brands and products?
“We carry clothing brands like Drake Waterfowl, Banded, HUK, Southern Marsh, Marsh Wear and Aftco. We also feature and footwear from companies such as Sanuk, Muck, Durango and Xtra Tuf. To help our outdoors clients take care of their exposed skin areas, we carry a variety of Sun Bum skin care products. Last, but not least, since so many sportsmen rely upon their four legged friends when they are out in the wild, we also offer several lines of products for dogs from brands like Pointer Traditions and Avery Outdoors.”
Does your product mix change on a seasonal basis?
“Yes, our product selection changes with the seasons. Since it is springtime, with summer not too far behind, we currently have turkey hunting gear, as well as boating, beach gear and summer casual wear. We also have flip flops, boat shoes, men’s, women’s and kid’s cowboy and work boots.”
How do you compete against outdoors-oriented big box stores, such as Dicks and Academy Sports?
“As any local business knows, it is hard to compete with big box stores. However, we do our best by carrying only top notch clothing from all of the brands that we represent. Our customers don’t have to leave Hendersonville anymore to find what they need.”
How has Hendersonville and surrounding areas responded to your business?
“We are grateful for all the support that we receive from our local community.”
Do you have any current specials?
“Yes, we now have T-shirt Tuesdays. Any customer making a purchase on Tuesdays receives a free Volunteer Outfitters classic T-shirt, a $19.99 value.”
Local entrepreneur Tommy Elsten is well known around Hendersonville. Since graduating from Beech High School in 1985, the Hendersonville native has gone on to found and operate multiple small businesses across the City by the Lake, including Elsten Security Services.
Along with managing his businesses, Tommy is also an avid hunter and fisherman who loves to spend his free time in the great outdoors with friends and family. In recent years, he and his fellow sportsmen began to notice that it was getting harder to find any high quality outdoor clothing in Hendersonville. To get the brands and selection on gear that he needed, he was having to travel to Madison and beyond to big box outdoor stores.
In response, and sensing an exciting business opportunity, Tommy opened his latest enterprise, Volunteer Outfitters. Since opening its doors in 2024, Volunteer Outfitters has become the place to go in Hendersonville for premier clothing, boots and accessories for outdoorsmen across Sumner County.
Volunteer Outfitters
593 A New Shackle Island Road,
Hendersonville, TN 37075
615.431.0824
VolunteerOutfitters.com
“We try to carry something for everyone. We have clothing and footwear for men, women, and kids.”