Strategic Location Near Natural Amenities as a Value Proposition for Outdoor Equipment Manufacturers

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18666/JPRA-2026-13360

Abstract

Traditional economic development strategies often emphasize infrastructure, tax incentives, and access to labor markets to attract businesses. However, these conventional factors may overlook a critical location-based asset for specific industries: proximity to natural amenities. This research note explores how outdoor equipment manufacturers derive competitive advantages from being located near parks and natural recreational spaces. Drawing from the Extended Resource-Based View (ERBV), this study analyzes interview data from five manufacturers in the United States Rocky Mountain region. The findings reveal that natural amenities support strategic activities such as product testing, brand authenticity, customer access, and employee attraction. These amenities function as external resources that are valuable, rare, and difficult to replicate—characteristics central to ERBV. The study offers implications for economic development agencies seeking to attract outdoor-oriented firms and calls for incorporating natural amenities as core assets in regional economic planning. 

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Published

2026-06-11

Issue

Online First

Section

Research Notes

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