Doug McMaster
The new face of Cordova Coolers LLC
Story by Veronica Lemaster Photos by Kimberlee Miller
Three years ago, what started off as a bet, Cordova Coolers emerged to save all adventurers from warm drinks with a unique style. Scott Campbell Jr., a retired crab captain, and TV’s Deadliest Catch star, came up with the idea when a few of his buddies complained about warm beer on a boating trip. The built-in bench storage cooler they were using just wasn’t doing the trick, which prompted Campbell to make his own.
In 2015, Cordova Cooler’s hard body coolers emerged. The coolers, which have several features such as greater capacity and a lifetime warranty, along with the ability to keep ice as long or longer than any other cooler, immediately saw success.
Fast forward to this year and much has ch
anged. Cordova Coolers relocated to Nampa; Doug McMaster teamed up with Campbell to create Cordova Coolers LLC, and Campbell left the business to McMaster.
McMaster has worked in heavy equipment and construction since 1978. In 2004, he sold his company in Boise and decided to spend time in land development and building. He started his own construction business—McMaster Construction and Development—which he had a facility for in Nampa. He decided to move McMaster Construction and Development to Eagle and sold the Nampa facility to Scott Campbell. Campbell wanted to relocate Cordova Coolers to Nampa, and when buying from McMaster, he showed him his coolers and his products at the time. “I was interested, but never bought into it,” McMaster said. In December 2017 Campbell called again and asked if he was interested in being his partner. McMaster agreed, and in January 2018, he and Campbell were business partners. Later in the year, another businessman joined, each of them owning a third of the business. The other partner decided to pursue other interests in May, which left Campbell and McMaster. Campbell later decided to leave the business as well and handed it over fully to McMaster.
A few months in of having the entire company to himself, he has seen nothing but support and encouragement as he juggles owning Cordova Coolers as well as McMaster Construction and Development. Having a background in construction, taking over Cordova Coolers LLC was something completely new to him, but has been rewarding.
“We are a startup company, so everyone here is wearing two to three hats and going at 100% every day,” McMaster said. “We have a CEO in place now and are getting our feet on the ground.”
As for the future of Cordova Coolers, you can expect to see new things next Spring as they are designing more products to complement their coolers. McMaster also plans on pursuing Cordova’s branding to eventually make a dent in the competitive market. He is also expanding the facility to put in another machine as well as a larger shipping unit. To purchase a Cordova Cooler, you can visit your local D&B Supply, Hawk Tech, Dead On Archery Inc., or Sportsman’s Warehouse as well as other shops around the Treasure Valley, or visit their website at cordovacoolers.com.
Contact
Call: 208-466-4370
Address:
16166 N 20th St
Nampa, ID 83687
