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JUNE 1, 2021
Smoke Signals
The cooler side of things
Tribal member Gene LaBonte launches outdoor business
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals staff writer
KALAMA, Wash. – Grand Ronde
Tribal member Gene LaBonte has
always thought of himself as an
entrepreneur.
“I’ve had small side businesses
that have been profitable,” he says
on Saturday, May 22. “They paid
for things like gas money and oth-
er extras, but I wanted to create
something that would really be
profitable.”
While Gene was off work last
spring after the pandemic shut-
tered Ilani Casino in Ridgefield,
Wash., he began looking for some-
thing to fill his time. Instead of
sitting indoors, he chose to be
outdoors. Living near the Kalama
River provided ample recreational
opportunities, so he took up fishing.
“I wanted a nice cooler to take
along, but then looked into buying
a Yeti (cooler) and couldn’t believe
how expensive it was,” he says.
“They were no less than $300.”
Gene, 37, began researching the
outdoor industry and came across
an article that noted it was expect-
ed to double in business by 2025
due to the pandemic.
That’s when the idea of creating
his own outdoor gear busi-
ness was born. He ran the
idea by his wife, Ashley,
a deputy clerk with the
Cowlitz County Superior
Court. They began brain-
storming potential busi-
ness ideas and names.
“I really wanted to cre-
ate a custom fishing rod,
but did the research and
there is already a busi-
ness like that in this area,
so I started looking into
custom coolers and fig-
ured we could add other
products later,” he says.
“When I reached out to
manufacturers, I really
saw the potential profit-
ability and also a way to offer cus-
tomers a cooler that would compete
with the Yeti at a lower price point.
I thought to myself, ‘What could
kick a Yeti’s butt?’ Then it came
to me: Godzilla. We shortened it to
Zilla and hired a graphic designer
to make a logo. They did multiple
markups until we both liked it.”
Ashley and Gene are partners in
every sense of the word, right down
to the font used on their logo.
“We both had to agree on which
font we liked before moving for-
ward,” Ashley says. “We got our
first cooler prototypes in June
and instantly fell in love. Then,
we got the ball rolling and hired
a website designer and launched
our company on Oct. 1. Most of our
advertising so far has been through
word of mouth and social media
marketing.”
Currently, Zilla offers three
different coolers sizes, which can
be utilized for everything from a
long road trip to camping to keep-
ing freshly caught fish. All Zilla
coolers feature up to three inches
Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez
Ashley LaBonte looks on as her husband, Tribal member Gene LaBonte, demonstrates one of the bottle openers on
a cooler at their Kalama, Wash., home on Saturday, May 22. They started a business, Zilla Outdoor Authority, in April
2020 to design and sell coolers aimed at people who enjoy fishing, hunting and camping. Their coolers have cup
holders, a bottle opener and scales to measure fish.
Ashley LaBonte goes over the
interior of one of the coolers that
includes a dry goods basket and
a divider that is also a cutting
board that she and her husband,
Tribal member Gene LaBonte,
designed.
of foam-filled insulation, which
keeps items cold for up to seven
days, and include bottle openers
on each side, a cutting board
that can also be used to separate
drinks and food, a basket to hold
breakable items like eggs and a
leak-proof drain plug.
The Zilla 75 also has wheels for
easier transport. The coolers range
in price from $179 to $300 and come
in 10 different colors.
Ashley and Gene’s vision for the
company is to continue to provide
affordable outdoor gear while also
giving back to organizations that
helped make their dream a reality.
Since Gene is an enrolled Tribal
member, Air Force veteran and
leukemia survivor, they will be
giving a portion of proceeds to the
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society,
United Service Organization and
the Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde.
“Life is a journey for us all, and if
it were not for the support of family,
friends and special organizations,
Zilla Outdoor Authority would
never exist,” their website states.
“Zilla Outdoor Authority will al-
ways strive to provide our custom-
ers with an irreplaceable service
through outstanding customer
service, unmatchable passion, pro-
found integrity, and the highest
attention to detail, which will leave
people with no other option than to
purchase Zilla products. We look
forward to your support and joining
us on this journey.”
The couple is hoping to grow their
business to the point where it truly
becomes a family organization,
eventually employing their five
children, who range in age from 5
to 14.
“I’m hoping to not have to work
for anyone else but ourselves,”
Gene says. “We live near one of the
most popular recreation areas in
the Northwest and are hoping to
utilize that.”
Eventually, they hope to add
tents, fishing rods, tumblers, rafts
and inflatable paddleboards to their
product line.
“We also want to have an actual
storefront and create our own sport-
ing goods store,” Ashley says. “We
have tried to make our prices com-
petitive, and our cooler quality is
very good as well as quite durable.”
So far, the most popular size
is the 25-quart cooler, although
some customers seem partial to the
75-quart with wheels.
“We are actually pretty equal
when it comes to sales,” Gene says.
“We did sell more 75s, but we also
had more product.”
Gene says that his experiences
in the Air Force and having beat
cancer in his 20s contributed to his
entrepreneurial drive.
“The Air Force helped straighten
me up, helped me become an adult
and pay more attention to detail,”
he says. “It just made me a better
person overall. My battle with
leukemia helped me appreciate
life a million times more and also
helped me to be more willing to try
new things. I feel like I have been
given extra time and should make
the most of it. The experience really
humbled me and I enjoy the little
things in life more.”
He added, “Buy a Zilla. You won’t
regret it.”
For more information about Zilla
Outdoor Authority, visit www.zilla-
coolers.com, which includes links to
social media channels.
For a Grand Ronde Tribal mem-
ber discount code, contact gene@
zillacoolers.com or ashley@zilla-
coolers.com. n