We were lucky to catch up with Dustin Coleman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dustin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

When we started Cole-TAC, it was just me, my wife Liene, a single sewing machine, and a spare bedroom. We didn’t have investors or a flashy launch strategy — just an idea, a passion for shooting sports, and the drive to build better gear. What people don’t often see is everything that happened between that humble beginning and where we are now, with a full production facility, a team of 30, international orders, and customers across commercial, government, and military markets.

Scaling Cole-TAC wasn’t a straight line — it was a series of calculated risks, long nights, and constant problem-solving. Early on, we focused on one thing: making great products and listening to our customers. We shipped every order ourselves, answered every message, and adapted constantly based on feedback. That customer-first mentality helped us gain trust and loyalty, which laid the groundwork for growth.

One of the biggest inflection points was moving the company from New Hampshire to South Dakota. It wasn’t an easy choice — we left our home and everything familiar. But the move allowed us to grow faster, hire the right people, and invest in the kind of infrastructure that could support larger-scale production. That decision required both personal and professional sacrifice, but it was one of the best things we’ve done.

From the beginning, we’ve always kept manufacturing in-house. That was a deliberate choice. It gave us complete control over quality and the flexibility to develop and launch new products quickly. Even when it would’ve been cheaper or easier to outsource, we never did. That commitment meant a lot of hands-on learning and mistakes — broken machines, production delays, and the occasional product failure that we had to own and fix — but it made us stronger and more resilient as a company.

Another major turning point was embracing technology. We developed our own internal software to track production, manage inventory, and keep a tight handle on operations. That system eventually became its own product — Production Pacer — and gave us a major edge in efficiency and scaling without sacrificing quality.

The truth is, scaling has never been about one big break or a viral moment — it’s been the result of years of doing the unglamorous work: answering customer calls at night, shipping orders during snowstorms, fixing bugs in our systems after everyone else went home, and showing up every day with the mindset that we can do it better.

There were plenty of hard moments — cash flow crunches, people problems, and the pressure of keeping the wheels turning while still planning for the future. But we stayed rooted in our values: build the best gear we can, treat people right, and keep things made in America. That’s how we scaled Cole-TAC — not overnight, but brick by brick.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Dustin Coleman, founder of Cole-TAC — a gear manufacturing company based in the Black Hills of South Dakota. We specialize in high-quality, American-made support gear for long-range shooters, hunters, law enforcement, and military professionals. Our product line includes suppressor covers, support bags, ammunition storage, and other soft goods purpose-built to help shooters perform at their best in the field and on the range.

I got into this world as both a lifelong shooter and an engineer. I’ve always loved gear — figuring out how to make it better, stronger, more functional. That mindset led me to start sewing products myself back in 2015. What started with one sewing machine in our spare bedroom has grown into a full manufacturing operation that now supports 30 employees and customers around the globe.

From the very beginning, we built Cole-TAC around a few core principles: solve real problems, build gear that lasts, and make everything in-house, right here in the U.S. We’re not chasing trends or trying to be the cheapest. We focus on quality, innovation, and taking care of the people who trust our products in the field. Every stitch, every design, every product we ship is made by people who care.

One thing that sets us apart is that we’re shooters building gear for shooters. Our designs come from real-world experience — whether it’s long-range competition, military applications, or pest control on the back 40. That background helps us think through the small details that others might miss, from heat resistance on suppressor covers to the way a support bag rides on a barricade. We also offer custom solutions for government agencies and law enforcement teams who need gear that works with their unique platforms or mission sets.

I’m incredibly proud of what our team has built — not just the products, but the culture. We’ve created good jobs in South Dakota, built strong relationships with our customers, and stayed true to our values the whole way. We’ve also started helping others in different industries by sharing the technology we built for ourselves — our Production Pacer software helps other manufacturers improve efficiency and quality, just like we did internally.

To anyone just discovering us: we’re a group of makers who love what we do. We take pride in our craft, we support our customers like family, and we believe in building gear that lasts. Whether you’re a weekend shooter, a professional sniper, or a rancher carrying a suppressed .22 to handle varmints, we’ve got your back — with gear that’s been tested, trusted, and built with purpose.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivot points in my life was when I had to make the decision to leave my engineering job at Ruger to go full-time with Cole-TAC.

For some context — Ruger wasn’t just a job. It was the dream. My first semester of college, my wife and I were talking, and she asked me, “When you’re done with school, where would you want to work?” Without hesitation, I said Ruger. That was the goal. Years later, I made it happen. I moved halfway across the country to take that job, and it really did feel like I’d made it.

But then Cole-TAC started to take off. At first, it was something we did late at night after long days. I’d work at Ruger during the day, we’d run the kids around in the afternoon, get everyone to bed — and then Liene and I would be up grinding away, cutting fabric, sewing, fulfilling orders, until 2 or 3 in the morning. We did that for months.

Eventually, I hit a crossroads. I was either going to have to let Cole-TAC go or walk away from Ruger. It was scary — I was giving up what I thought was my dream for something entirely unproven. Sure, Cole-TAC was growing fast and doing well, but I still had those doubts: What if it flops? What if we can’t make this sustainable? But I also believed in what we were building. I told myself that, in the worst-case scenario, I had the experience and network to land another job. I wouldn’t be starting from scratch.

So I took the leap. I walked away from my “safe” job and bet on Cole-TAC. That decision completely changed the course of my life and business. It taught me to trust my instincts, to take calculated risks, and to double down when the mission feels right — even when the path ahead is uncertain.

That said, I’m incredibly thankful for my time at Ruger. It helped shape me into the engineer I am today. I learned so much about lean manufacturing, systems, and how to build things the right way — and I use those lessons every single day at Cole-TAC. That foundation plays a huge role in how we design products, structure our processes, and continue to grow as a company.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think what really helped us build our reputation is that we make gear for shooters, by shooters. We don’t just design products based on trends or guesses — we build what we know works because we’ve used it ourselves, in the field, on the range, in real conditions. That experience helps us think through the little things that matter — how something fits, how it performs under pressure, how it holds up over time. Our customers recognize that and trust us because they know we get it.

Another big part of our reputation is how we stand behind everything we make. Our lifetime warranty isn’t just a selling point — it’s a commitment. If something goes wrong with a product, even if it’s been years, we make it right. That level of support goes a long way with our customer base, especially in this industry where gear is used hard and trust matters.

Now, we’ve definitely had a few people take advantage of that generosity — sending in beat-up gear or clearly misused items and expecting replacements. But honestly, we just chalk those cases up as marketing dollars. For every person trying to game the system, there are a hundred more who become loyal customers for life because they know we’ve got their back. That goodwill spreads by word of mouth, and that’s been one of our strongest drivers of growth.

At the end of the day, we built our reputation by staying true to who we are: shooters who care about quality, performance, and taking care of our customers. And we’re proud of that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cole-tac.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cole.tac/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coletacllc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt_G5gnryfwjTs17CU0Fk0w