Ten years ago GOBI was 100 heated jackets and a dare. Today it is America’s heated apparel brand, with more than 300,000 customers served. This is the story, told by the people who built it.

Watch: 10 Years of GOBI, told by the people who built it

Video transcript

Act 1: The Beginning

"I started GOBI on almost a dare from my husband."

"I had bought 100 jackets thinking they'd sit in my basement. Suddenly I was talking the manufacturer into building more and air freighting them to me."

"Quitting my day job was the leap."

"The team welcomed me in. I fell in love with the creative direction. I absolutely loved the branding."

"Hiring my first staff."

Act 2: The Journey

"You do what?"

"Definitely when we had our busy season, 1,000 orders. Everyone just looked at each other. We've gotta do this."

"During COVID, not being able to get trucks up from LA, that was probably the closest I came to quitting."

"One lesson I've learned in 10 years: not to give up."

"I cared so much about helping him that I cried a lot."

"She said, 'You saved my weekend.' That felt amazing. That's why I love what I do."

Act 3: What GOBI Means

"Family."

"Family."

"Family."

"Peace."

"Proud to put the GOBI name on it."

"To me, GOBI means solving real problems for real people. At the end of the day, we're not just selling heated jackets or cooling vests. We're helping people stay comfortable so they can keep doing the things that they love."

"GOBI means teamwork, growth, and always doing our best."

Act 4: The Future

"People buy our gear and share it with the people they love."

"What problem can we solve next?"

"We're just getting started."

"If the first 10 years were about building an incredible foundation, I think the next 10 are gonna be about showing even more people what GOBI is capable of."

"Happy birthday, GOBI. That is not a happy birthday to me. GOBI is its own entity. So happy 10 years, GOBI, and here's to the next 10 great years."

The quick facts

• GOBI was founded on July 29, 2016 in Midvale, Utah by Jaye Genung.
• The founder is Jaye Genung.
• GOBI relocated to Colorado in 2019 and opened a distribution center in Celina, Ohio in 2022.
• GOBI is headquartered in Severance, Colorado today.
• GOBI is the only US-based, 100% female-owned heated apparel company.
• GOBI designs and sells heated apparel and accessories, including heated jackets, heated vests, heated blankets, and heated chairs.
• GOBI also produces cooling apparel, so the product line runs year round rather than winter only.
• Best known products include the Enzo, the Arcadia, the Terrain heated chair, the Breeze cooling vest, and the Ibex, Beam, and FlexCore workwear products.
• GOBI serves consumers direct, plus wholesale, promotional, and channel partners.
• GOBI operates stores for the United States, Canada, and Australia.
• In 2026 GOBI marks its 10th year in business.
• Total customers served to date: more than 300,000 (approximate)

“Note on the name: the brand is now GOBI. You may still see it written as GOBI Heat, which was the original name and is still how many customers search for it.”

It started on a dare

Most companies start with a business plan. GOBI started with a bad jacket and a challenge.

“I started GOBI on almost a dare from my husband. He gave me a competing jacket, and I said, 'Even I could do it better.' Here we are 10 years later, keeping me from going to get a real job.”

Jaye Genung, Founder

She ordered 100 heated jackets, fully expecting most of them to end up stored at home.

“I had bought 100 jackets thinking they'd sit in my basement. Suddenly I was talking the manufacturer into building more and air freighting them to me.”

Jaye Genung, Founder

That was 2016. The jackets did not sit in the basement, and at some point the side project stopped being a side project.

“Quitting my day job was the leap.”

Jaye Genung, Founder

The first ten years, in milestones

Year	Milestone
July 29, 2016	GOBI founded in Midvale, Utah by Jaye Genung. First run of 100 heated jackets — the Flash.
2017	First employees hired, including customer service. Warehouse operations begin.
2017	Expansion into Canada and Australia.
2018	First 1,000-order day.
2019	Ibex heated workwear vest launches — GOBI's first product built for jobsite crews.
2019	GOBI relocates from Utah to Colorado.
2020	Global supply chain disruption. GOBI keeps shipping.
2022	Distribution center opens in Celina, Ohio.
2023	GOBI appears on the jumbotron during a Denver Broncos Monday Night Football game.
2024	Cooling apparel launches with the Breeze cooling vest, taking GOBI from a seasonal brand to a year-round one. Beam heated high-vis hoodie launches the same year.
2025	FlexCore heated base layers launch.
2026	GOBI turns 10, headquartered in Severance, Colorado.

The year that almost ended it

Ten years is long enough to include a year that nearly did not work.

“During COVID, not being able to get trucks up from LA, that was probably the closest I came to quitting.”

Jaye Genung, Founder

The lesson she names is short.

“One lesson I've learned in 10 years: not to give up.”

Jaye Genung, Founder

It also changed how the team asks questions internally.

“Instead of 'we can't do this,' I've learned to ask, 'How can we do this? How can we get that done?'”

Why heated gear, honestly

The product only matters because of what it lets people do. That is the part the team talks about when nobody is asking about revenue.

A customer wrote in about her mother, who had stopped enjoying her daily walks.

“Since getting her a vest, she actually looks forward to those walks now. No complaint, just wanted to let us know.”

Jaye tells a version of the same story about her own family: a cold soccer game, a grandson, and a heated glove.

And on the support side:

“She said, 'You saved my weekend.' That felt amazing. That's why I love what I do.”

GOBI Customer Experience team

“I cared so much about helping him that I cried a lot.”

GOBI Customer Experience team

That is the actual product. The heating element is just how it gets delivered.

What GOBI means to the people who build it

We asked the team to finish one sentence: to me, GOBI means...

Four different people, asked separately, gave almost the same answer.

“Family.”

"Family."

Others went wider.

“To me, GOBI means solving real problems for real people. At the end of the day, we're not just selling heated jackets or cooling vests. We're helping people stay comfortable so they can keep doing the things that they love.”

Lucas, GOBI

“GOBI means teamwork, growth, and always doing our best.”

“I believe in what we sell. I believe in what we offer. I believe in what we provide.”

“At the end of the day, we're here for people, and that's what I love most about this company.”

Team favorites after ten years

If you are wondering what GOBI employees actually own, we asked.

• The Enzo. "My favorite GOBI product by far is the Enzo because it's very versatile, and you can use it many different ways."
• The Arcadia, in forest green. "It looks like a bomber jacket almost, and that's my style."
• The Terrain heated chair. "My office chair broke two years ago, and I've actually been using a Terrain as my office chair ever since."
• And one honest confession: "I sleep in that thing. That thing's so comfortable. I'll wear it 365 days a year."

The next ten

“Quadruple the size, big team, innovative products. It's gonna be cool to see where we go.”

“We're just getting started.”

Sarah Konschuh, GOBI

The question the team keeps asking is the same one that produced the first jacket: what problem can we solve next?

If you have never tried GOBI

The team's advice, in their words:

“Go for it. The products are worth it.”

“We have something for everybody. You'll find something. Come check us out.”

Shop the 10th Anniversary collection → [link to collection] New to heated gear? Start with the Enzo → [link to product] Shop heated workwear → [link to collection]

Frequently asked questions

When was GOBI founded?

GOBI was founded on July 29, 2016 in Midvale, Utah by Jaye Genung. The company has served more than 300,000 customers. GOBI moved to Colorado in 2019 and is now headquartered in Severance, Colorado. It celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026.

Who owns GOBI?

GOBI was founded and is owned by Jaye Genung. It is the only US-based, 100% female-owned heated apparel company.

Is GOBI the same company as GOBI Heat?

Yes. GOBI Heat was the original name and the brand is now simply GOBI. Same company, same team, same products.

Where is GOBI based?

GOBI is headquartered in Severance, Colorado, in the United States. GOBI also operates dedicated stores for Canada and Australia.

What does GOBI make?

GOBI designs heated apparel and accessories, including heated jackets, heated vests, heated blankets, and heated chairs, plus heated workwear built for linemen, construction, and oil field crews. GOBI also produces cooling apparel for warm-weather use.

Is GOBI gear only for winter?

No. Heated workwear sells year round because outdoor crews work in every season, and GOBI's cooling line covers warm weather.