The History of YETI Coolers

YETI was founded in 2006 by Roy and Ryan Seiders in their father’s garage in Dripping Springs, Texas (located west of Austin). In 2008, they began selling the YETI Tundra, a hard-shell cooler designed to stand up to the Texas heat and the rigors of outdoor pursuits. (The line still exists today and has been heavily expanded since its debut.) At first, they sold the Tundra through retailers like Cabela’s and Bass Pro. Over time, YETI’s products became increasingly popular and are now well-known for their near-indestructibility, performance, and reliability. In June 2012, a New York private equity firm called Cortec purchased a majority ownership of YETI and the company’s line of coolers continued to expand alongside its other product lines, including the company’s popular drink tumblers. In 2014, the company rolled out Hopper, YETI’s first line of soft-sided coolers, which has since been expanded to include a wide range of options. Today, YETI offers an impressively large lineup of hard-sided and soft-sided coolers in a variety of configurations (including wheeled options!), sizes, and colors, all of which remain intensely popular and have earned YETI a large, devoted fanbase.