SUCCESS STORY FOR ADVENTURERS
Compact, rugged kitchen units designed to fit most utility vehicles for home-cooked meals while exploring the great outdoors.
Challenge
Undoubtedly, Julie and Chris Ellsworth, co-owners of Overland Kitchen, are adventurers. Five years ago, they fit the mold of a conventional North American family with two kids and a beautiful home. Chris was a successful engineer working in aerospace, and Julie was a creative designer. The travel bug came on slowly, with occasional weekends away that grew into weeks, then months, away on the road. They loved nature and the freedom. Pretty soon, they had sold their family home, quit their jobs, and taken the family on a perpetual road trip—thoroughly enjoying a minimalist lifestyle.
Departing from their comfort zone and stepping into the wild unknown, family time for the Ellsworths became centered around simple moments like playing in a stream, studying the map, and sharing a meal. Thousands of nomads, like the Ellsworth family, explore the great outdoors daily. Although their vehicles can accommodate most necessities, a kitchen is what really turns it into a home. Just as the kitchen is the heart of traditional homes, the same is true of kitchens on wheels. Having access to a functional, rugged, and compact kitchen to prepare home-cooked, nutritious foods virtually anywhere without the pain of a long setup—is the highest contributor to the success of their journeys.
Chris and Julie not only acquired an Overland Kitchen for their vehicle, they also decided it was an amazing and much-needed product for adventurers around the globe. So in 2023, they acquired the company. Now they are full-time on the road, their challenge has been managing and growing the business virtually while improving the design and managing the production of a top-quality product.
“We want to inspire people to get outdoors with their families, enjoy what the world has to offer, and spend less time setting up to cook healthy, nutritious food.”
—Julie Ellsworth, Co-Owner and COO, Overland Kitchen
Wesgar Solution
Overland Kitchen was founded in 2015 by fellow adventurer, Alan Smith. The kitchens consist of a sturdy modular top-quality #304 food-grade stainless steel corrosion-resistant frame with a drawer, fridge/cooler, and workspace cabinet.
The Ellworths launched into the business in 2023 with a vision to improve and expand their kitchen designs, build a dealer network, and quadruple sales to adventurers around the globe. With this ambitious goal in mind, it was clear that the Ellsworths would need a reliable and experienced partner to support the R&D effort to improve their kitchens and manage production. Wesgar first stepped up to the plate on the design front, introducing the Overland Kitchen owners to PEM hardware to improve the latching system and several other design improvements that have since been incorporated into the fabrication of the various kitchen designs—the Expedition Kitchen, The Expedition Kitchen LH model for smaller SUVs, and a Truck Bed Kitchen. On the production front, Wesgar produces batches of the three kitchen models, including full kitting and assembly, always keeping pace with demand.
“Wesgar surprised us by offering custom packaging to brand our shipping boxes along with custom styrofoam. We didn’t know this was possible, and we are delighted with the personal service,” says Chris Ellsworth.
And just as important, Wesgar takes care of warehousing finished products so new orders can be shipped quickly to meet customer demands. This efficient inventory model allows the Overland Kitchen leaders to focus on expanding sales, knowing that Wesgar has the capacity and expertise to increase production to meet the steadily growing demand by new customers across North America and beyond. All this is taken care of while the business owners move from adventure to adventure in the great outdoors
“Wesgar is critical to our success. We rely on the team to refine our designs, produce quality products, and manage our supply chain, all under one roof. We believe our customers deserve the best on-board kitchen money can buy, and together that’s what we deliver!”
—Chris Ellsworth, Co-Owner and CEO, Overland Kitchen
About Overland Kitchens
Designed and manufactured in North America by an adventurer for his own rig, Overland Kitchen units can be installed permanently or temporarily in most utility vehicles, vans, and trucks. Constructed with laser cut food grade #304 stainless steel and sanitary grade hardware for durability, ease of cleaning, space-saving, and convenient access. With an Overland Kitchen on board, you can pull over on your schedule and create delicious, healthy meals while exploring the great outdoors with virtually no setup time required.
