Offroad-equipment supplier expands in Oriskany

ORISKANY, N.Y. — A trip to Glacier National Park in Montana a few years ago sparked an interest in off-roading for Derrick Snell. That hobby eventually led him to form his own business selling equipment to other off-roading enthusiasts.

In fact, it was learning it was going to take six to seven months to receive a roof rack he ordered for his vehicle that spurred Snell to start his own business, Explore Overland, with his business partner Andrew Warnock. There were no local suppliers of similar products, and Snell saw an opportunity to fill that void.

Snell and Warnock began the business in April 2020, initially using Snell’s garage to stock various parts and equipment for resale. Eventually the business grew into fabricating some of those parts, such as steps for vehicles, to bypass supply-chain issues. When vendors couldn’t get products to him fast enough, Snell says, it just became easier to fabricate the products in-house.

As Explore Overland’s product line grew, so did its need for space. After using a friend’s shop for a few months, the business officially moved to its current location at 300 Hangar Road in Oriskany last November. The company now operates from 8,300 square feet of leased space that offers a small showroom, offices, and plenty of space to fabricate parts, Snell says.

Off roading — driving vehicles on all sorts of rough terrain — has a growing number of fans, Snell says, and remains a pandemic-friendly activity. Explore Overland carries everything someone might need to outfit their vehicle for such an activity.

“Our big thing that we sell a lot of are tents and camping accessories and roof racks,” Snell says. His company has everything someone would need to turn their vehicle into a mobile living area they can take off-road. “We basically make your car apocalypse worthy,” he quips.

While he declined to provide revenue figures, there are enough interested customers to make his business grow, Snell contends. Most customers are individuals purchasing items from Explore Overland’s website, www.explore-overland.com, while some are car dealerships outfitting vehicles for their customers.

With a focus on “fixing problems” like supply-chain delays, Snell says he’s constantly looking to be less reliant on someone else. That means the business is always looking for more products it can begin to produce in-house or ways to make existing products faster. With the degree of customization offered on certain products, it can take six or more weeks to get the finished product to the customer.

“We’re adding new equipment that’s going to expand our production line more quickly,” he says. Explore Overland, which has five employees, will add a press brake and a CNC tube bender, which should double the company’s output of customer bumpers and rock sliders. Snell declined to say how much the company is investing in the new equipment but noted it should help him reach his goal of doubling sales this year.

Snell already has his eye on even more growth in the future, hoping to open a facility on the west coast at some future date. Between 60 and 70 percent of the company’s customer base is located on the west coast, Snell says, which would be more easily served from a west-coast location.

In addition to selling all the equipment an enthusiast might need, Explore Overland also actively organizes and/or participates in a number of off-roading events including the Northeast Overland Festival and operates the Northeast Toyota Overlanders Facebook group.