Coeur d'Alene's Selkirk Sport Sees 1,900% Growth, 230 Employees, Eyes $100M

Selkirk Sport’s rise from a Hayden startup to a national pickleball brand has become one of Kootenai County’s most significant economic stories. Company figures show roughly 1,900% revenue growth since 2019, expansion from 16 employees in 2019 to about 230 by January 2026, and plans to reach nine-figure revenue in 2026 - roughly $100 million and up.

Founders Rob Barnes and Mike Barnes built the business alongside family leadership: their father Jim Barnes and brother Tom Barnes hold key leadership roles. The company focused exclusively on pickleball product innovation, establishing an in-house research and development lab in Coeur d’Alene that drives new paddle designs and proprietary materials. That R&D investment helped secure nationwide retail partnerships with Costco, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Target, boosting distribution beyond the Inland Northwest.

Operational scale has followed retail access. Selkirk fulfilled roughly 1,000 orders per day during routine periods, with higher volumes around holidays, according to company figures. That order volume supported a manufacturing and fulfillment footprint in the region and required rapid hiring, pushing payroll from a small family team into a mid-sized employer for Kootenai County.

Selkirk also announced its first outside growth equity investment earlier in January, a sign that investors see the company’s trajectory as sustainable and scalable. Management projects that the capital infusion will accelerate product development, increase manufacturing capacity, and expand marketing in national channels.

Local impacts are tangible. The jump to about 230 employees has immediate effects on employment opportunities in manufacturing, warehouse operations, logistics, engineering, and product development in Coeur d’Alene and Hayden. Selkirk’s national brand recognition brings spillover benefits to local suppliers, contractors, and service firms that support manufacturing and distribution. Increased payroll and business activity can lift sales tax receipts, commercial leases, and daytime population for downtown Coeur d’Alene and the Hayden area.

Selkirk’s model also highlights a pathway for locally headquartered companies to scale through product specialization and retail partnerships. The company’s in-house R&D lab keeps higher-value work in Kootenai County rather than outsourcing innovation, which preserves higher-paying technical roles locally.

For readers, the Selkirk story matters because it reshapes the local job market and strengthens the county’s manufacturing base. Expect continued hiring and supplier opportunities as Selkirk invests its new capital and pursues $100M-plus revenue. Local officials, workforce trainers, and small businesses will be watching how Selkirk converts investor capital into jobs and expanded operations over the coming year.