Clarus Corporation is an outdoor-equipment and lifestyle holding company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, with roots in specialty gear for climbing, skiing, and adventure sports. It evolved from a small corporate vehicle into a focused platform by acquiring and building brands that already had strong identities with committed user communities. That history gives Clarus a blend of financial holding-company discipline and deep attachment to technical equipment categories where performance and trust are critical.
At the center of the portfolio is Black Diamond, a brand known for hardware, packs, apparel and safety equipment for climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing and related mountain sports. Clarus pairs this with Rhino-Rack, which designs racks and vehicle-mounted storage and carrying systems for SUVs, pickups and overland vehicles. Together, those two brands illustrate the group’s range: from personal technical gear used on rock faces and in alpine terrain to systems that turn vehicles into platforms for hauling equipment, boats and camping setups.
Operations span design, engineering, manufacturing and distribution across several continents, including the United States, Australia, China and Europe. Black Diamond combines in-house product design and testing with a network of manufacturing and distribution sites that handle everything from forged hardware to sewn softgoods, while Rhino-Rack runs its own engineering and production for racks, bars and mounting accessories. Products flow to market through outdoor specialty retailers, auto-accessory dealers, online channels and selected original-equipment partnerships, backed by regional warehouses and service centers that keep inventory close to core markets.
In the broader outdoor industry, Clarus is known for targeting what it describes as the “super-fan” customer—enthusiasts who are highly engaged with their activities and willing to pay for specialized, durable gear rather than commodity products. That positioning, supported by brands like Black Diamond and Rhino-Rack, has given the company a reputation for technical credibility and product innovation in its chosen niches, from avalanche gear and climbing protection to vehicle-rack systems designed for heavy use in demanding environments.