Company report

Is First Lite (hunting apparel brand; operating company referenced as First Lite / First Lite, LLC) owned by private equity?

Private equity owned?
YES

Last checked Jul 12, 2026

First Lite (hunting apparel brand; operating company referenced as First Lite / First Lite, LLC)firstlite.com

First Lite (hunting apparel brand; operating company referenced as First Lite / First Lite, LLC) is currently listed as private-equity-owned.

Ownership & Acquisition History

Current ownerMeatEater, Inc. (parent company)
Private equity ownerThe Chernin Group / TCG (controlling investor in MeatEater, Inc.)
PE ownership date2019-06-18 (announcement of MeatEater acquisition of First Lite)
Company founded2007 by Kenton Carruth and Scott Robinson in Hailey, Idaho (Central Idaho), USA

Yes—First Lite is currently controlled by a private-equity-style sponsor because it is owned by MeatEater, Inc., which is controlled by The Chernin Group / TCG.

Notes

  • MeatEater, Inc. announced it acquired First Lite on June 18, 2019, making MeatEater the parent/controlling owner of the First Lite brand. ([globenewswire.com](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/06/18/1870095/0/en/steven-rinella-s-meateater-acquires-hunting-apparel-brand-first-lite.html?utm_source=openai))
  • A third-party profile of MeatEater reports that The Chernin Group bought a controlling interest in MeatEater in 2018, indicating sponsor control at the parent level. ([bigskyjournal.com](https://bigskyjournal.com/meateater/?utm_source=openai))
  • TCG’s own portfolio page lists MeatEater as a portfolio company held by vehicles managed by TCG, supporting that MeatEater is within TCG-managed investment vehicles. ([tcg.co](https://tcg.co/portfolio/?utm_source=openai))
  • First Lite’s ‘About Us’ page describes the brand as conceived by Kenton Carruth and Scott Robinson in Central Idaho and references Hailey as an associated location (office/community context). ([firstlite.com](https://www.firstlite.com/pages/firstlite-about-us.html?lang=en_US&utm_source=openai))
  • Field & Stream reports Carruth and Robinson founded First Lite in 2007 to create merino wool hunting apparel in camouflage, supporting the founding year and founders. ([fieldandstream.com](https://www.fieldandstream.com/stories/conservation/public-lands-and-waters/public-land-conservation-allies-patagonia-first-lite?utm_source=openai))

Sources

Ownership FAQ

Is First Lite (hunting apparel brand; operating company referenced as First Lite / First Lite, LLC) owned by private equity?

Yes. First Lite (hunting apparel brand; operating company referenced as First Lite / First Lite, LLC) is currently listed as private-equity-owned by The Chernin Group / TCG (controlling investor in MeatEater, Inc.).

Who owns First Lite (hunting apparel brand; operating company referenced as First Lite / First Lite, LLC)?

MeatEater, Inc. (parent company)

When was First Lite (hunting apparel brand; operating company referenced as First Lite / First Lite, LLC) last checked?

This page was last checked on Jul 12, 2026.