North Idaho gun holster manufacturer Tedder Industries buying Post Falls outlet mall

Tedder Industries, a North Idaho company that makes gun holsters, has purchased the outlet mall in Post Falls.

Tedder Industries is known for its Alien Gear line of concealed-carry holsters. The fast-growing company was founded in 2010 and employs about 300 people.

The company will use about half of the space in the outlet mall. Thomas Tedder, the company’s founder, said he’ll be looking for tenants to lease the remaining area.

“This won’t be a factory outlet anymore; I don’t think it works here,” said Tedder, adding that he’ll be looking to transform the long-vacant stores to other uses besides retail.

The mall’s new ownership is big economic news for Kootenai County, civic and business leaders said Friday.

“The most-asked question I’ve had over the last several years is, ‘When are you going to do something with the outlet mall?’ ” Post Falls Mayor Ron Jacobson said.

The outlet mall occupies a prime location along Interstate 90. But the development struggled for years to attract and retain retail tenants. Most of the 180,000 square feet of commercial space is empty.

Tedder purchased the property from a group of investors. He said he wanted to create a single location for Tedder Industries, which was spread over three sites in Hayden and Coeur d’Alene.

When the outlet mall became available, “I just said, ‘I can take the whole thing,’ ” Tedder said.

Tedder, 37, founded Tedder Industries in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

“I was making holsters in my kitchen until my wife kicked me out into the shed,” he said.

His wife, Alicia, is from Western Montana, and the couple eventually moved to Post Falls.

North Idaho turned out to be a great fit for a gun-related manufacturer, he said.

“There is high gun ownership, and people aren’t afraid of guns in this area,” Tedder said. “When I hire someone, he already knows a lot about guns.”

Tedder declined to reveal sales figures but said the company has been on an aggressive growth path. Tedder Industries has staked its reputation on high-quality, affordable, made-in-the-U.S.A. products, he said.

“I don’t do any manufacturing in China,” Tedder said, “and I try not to use any parts from China.”

In addition to concealed-carry holsters, Tedder Industries also makes holsters for handguns and leather gun belts. Most of the company’s sales are online, but there will probably be a small retail presence at the new location, Tedder said.

The former outlet mall is an ideal site for a manufacturing company, with proximity to the freeway and room for semitruck access, he said. After some renovations, Tedder Industries will move into the long, narrow building south of West Riverbend Avenue.

Tedder said his office will face the outlet mall’s other building, keeping him motivated to get it filled with new tenants. But it also needs renovations, according to Tedder, who said he’ll invest millions in both buildings.

The outlet mall’s sale brings one of the community’s fastest-growing companies into a more visible location, said Gynii Abracosa, president of Jobs Plus, a local economic development agency.