We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rusty Zylstra a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rusty, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

Over the last several years I have seen many of the ‘Made In USA’ brands who started out alongside us choose to slowly move most or all of their manufacturing overseas, and to start using lower quality materials. Labor is cheaper overseas and brands are trying to help make up for the rising cost of raw materials, and the rising cost of labor in the US. We have chosen to stick to the path of ‘Made In USA’ because it matters to us. There are so many amazing textiles and materials manufactured here and we enjoy working with them and their quality.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started Sidnaw Co. in 2009 in a 10×10 backyard shed that I lived in. I wanted an exit from factory work and put myself in the lowest overhead situation I could find, so I could try and make a business work. I started off making simple leather goods and overtime began designing bags and clothing. Our choice of heavyweight and durable materials is definitely a cornerstone of our company and sets us apart from others. For the most part, we use all natural fibers. We really enjoy using heavyweight cotton and wool. People have a deep connection to the natural world and I think the best products are made from renewable, natural fibers. I am proud that we have been going for 14 years.

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

I think personally using and wearing the products myself has helped to build our reputation. I find it strange when people sell things they don’t actually use themselves. But most of all, we have always focused on delivering a quality product. A lot of companies start out with high quality products, and after “success” has happened, they choose to use lower quality materials and mfg. processes in attempt to be more profitable. It rarely works out for them long term. It might not be as profitable, but we believe that quality matters the most if you want to run a company long term with a great reputation.

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

We ran our storefront in Grand Rapids, MI for 3 1/2 years. Things were going well, but as a small business we were the ones who needed to be present and staff the store. This took a lot of time away from designing new products and manufacturing them. We met a lot of amazing new customers from having the storefront but we ultimately decided it was best to close it in order to focus more on what made us the most fulfilled with the business. A few weeks after we closed the store, the first wave of Covid-19 hit in 2020 and all “non-essential” businesses were required to be closed for the time being. So it actually ended up being the right time to move on i think!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sidnawcompany.com
• Instagram: @sidnawcompany
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/sidnawcomany
• Youtube: @sidnawcompany

Image Credits
B&W Photos: Spencer Penfield