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To my friends and fellow rod builders,
These are interesting times for American manufacturing. With the latest developments in tariffs, there’s no shortage of debate. We are not “pro” tariffs as we have successfully competed with blanks and rods made overseas for decades, with most of the factories overseas “imitating” our products, down to the three letter acronym with an X in it on model numbers. (Imitation is a sincerest form of flattery, right?) Tariffs can be a blunt instrument that often come with unintended consequences. BUT they do highlight something we ARE passionate about: protecting American innovation and the hard-earned intellectual property behind it.
For decades, we’ve watched ideas, designs, and entire markets be copied and commoditized. That’s not just bad for business—it’s bad for the soul of craftsmanship. And for those of us who’ve spent our lives pouring passion into what we make with our own two hands, that hits close to home.
I believe, as I always have, (and this is perfectly summed up in a quote from the founder of Intel ) that “every business has within it, the seeds to its own destruction. Success breeds complacency, complacency breeds failure, only the paranoid survive.” Not paranoid in a schizophrenic kind of way, paranoid in a relentless refusal to settle, and that in every challenge is an opportunity.
We’re standing at the edge of a new era—a renaissance of American craftsmanship. A moment like this doesn’t come around often. This is an opportunity for custom rod builders to reclaim their seat at the table. To build not just rods, but legacies. To establish and grow your own brand, on your own terms.
This week has been a wild ride, we must have been contacted several hundred times by major brands trying to re-shore to the US. And while that is a good sign, the impetus of this is their fear of margin degradation, lower profits, and loss of market share. Not the desire to invest in American factory jobs, or their love for the industry and the craft.
After much discussion with Aleks, and our executive leadership team, we’re re-aligning our focus: We are no longer prioritizing re-shoring and NEW mass-market OEM work, in fact, we are not taking on any new OEMs. We encourage them to start their own factories, invest in their communities and local jobs. This is better for the domestic industry anyways, competition will yield innovation.
Frankly, we expect a number of our current custom rod builders to become NEW OEMs, and take advantage of this opportunity in the market. We already see that their business is increasing, and we want to be able to support them with faster turnaround times. Our current OEM customers, those that have been with us for many years should enjoy stability in pricing without having to worry about increased delivery times due to an influx of new customers that are “now” looking to re-shore.
As for us —we’re returning to our roots: supporting the independent rod builder. You are the future of this industry. The artists. The innovators. The next chapter.
We’re here to support that vision with blanks, grips, components made with the best materials we can source in the US, in both of our factories – North Fork Composites in Woodland WA, and Stryker in Eugene, OR.
Because when American craftsmanship wins, we all win.
So, order another blank, or several, we will continue to support you with fair pricing and American Made Products – your orders, that is your investment into our craft, its your purchases that lead to increased working capital to invest into scaling the business.
The rebirth is here. Let’s build something worth remembering.
Gary Loomis | Founder/Owner & Proud American Craftsman
Aleks Maslov | CEO/Co-Founder/Owner