# Dan Thiessen

> Dan Thiessen is the founder of Dansons, the company behind Pit Boss and Louisiana Grills. A bricklayer by trade who grew up in a 14-child farming family in southern Manitoba, he founded Dansons with sons Jeff and Jordan in 1999. The family developed a wood-products business into an international outdoor-cooking business acquired by W. C. Bradley Co. in June 2023. In 2026, he is identified as CEO of Dansons Capital Group and incoming chairman in the new ownership of Shasta Pools.

- **Role:** CEO at Dansons Capital Group; announced chairman of the Shasta Pools ownership platform
- **Organizations:** Dansons Inc., Dansons US LLC, Dansons Capital Group, Shasta Pools
- **Known for:** Co-founded the business behind Pit Boss and Louisiana Grills with Jeff and Jordan in 1999., Helped develop pellet-grilling products and a business that expanded internationally., Louisiana Grills describes its Founders Series as a tribute to Dan.

## Career timeline

- **Early adulthood** — Trained as a bricklayer and entered his first business venture in his early twenties.
- **1999** — Founded Dansons with sons Jeff and Jordan, initially pursuing uses for sawmill by-products.
- **2008–2009** — The family faced severe recession-era business difficulties; Jeff later described advisers recommending bankruptcy.
- **2012** — The family sold its heating-appliance manufacturing arm and concentrated on grills, according to Jeff.
- **2018** — Dansons announced Joe and Brian Traeger joining its team; Dan worked on product development with Joe.
- **2021** — Dansons announced a pellet mill and distribution center in Hope, Arkansas, and acquired a Scottsdale headquarters campus.
- **2023** — W. C. Bradley Co. acquired Dansons US LLC and its subsidiaries on June 7.
- **2026** — Dansons Capital Group joined Accrual Equity Partners and Hydro Construction in acquiring Shasta Pools; Dan was announced as chairman for its next phase.

## Achievements

- Co-founded the business behind Pit Boss and Louisiana Grills with Jeff and Jordan in 1999.
- Helped develop pellet-grilling products and a business that expanded internationally.
- Louisiana Grills describes its Founders Series as a tribute to Dan.
- The family-built Dansons US business was acquired by W. C. Bradley Co. in 2023.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — The Shasta Pools acquisition by Dansons Capital Group, Accrual Equity Partners and Hydro Construction closed August 6, according to subsequent reporting.
- **2026-09** — Industry coverage identifies Dan as CEO of Dansons Capital Group and announces his chairmanship in the Shasta Pools ownership platform, with a planned expansion into home services.
- **2026-10** — The AZ Insider reiterated Dan’s chairman role in an October 13 account of Shasta’s new ownership.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-thiessen-13089a21

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/dan-thiessen
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-15