Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Nugent.
Hi Jeff, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started by selling fishing reels on Facebook. I wanted to stand out so I started ordering lines to go along with the reels. After going through a bunch of companies that sell braided fishing lines, I realized most of it was poor quality and horrible customer service. 95% of braided fishing line is made overseas in China or similar countries. There is no QC whatsoever. It was so bad that one order pushed me over the edge. So much that I told my wife I’m fed up with it all. I am going to start making my own. I wanted to make a line that was made right here in the US! I just happened to get asked by a friend of mine to go out fishing with him and a good friend of his the following week. We went on the trip and I met my soon-to-be business partner Khan Vu. He is one of the most talented offshore fishermen that I know.
I started asking questions about what he liked in certain braided line and he agreed that most all the line out there was junk. Later that day he agreed to partner in this new adventure with me and my wife. Scroll forward a couple of months we found a company here in the US that sold the machines we needed. We got lucky enough that they had the two main machines we needed to start braiding the line and start testing it. We did this for almost a year before we launched the product. We wanted to make sure we backed up our statement that we made the best-braided fishing line in the US. We currently have 8 machines with 17 more on order. When those machines arrive we will be forced out of my garage due to space.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We had a lot of issues with finding the right structure for our line and a ton of machine breakdowns due to the first two machines being older floor models. But at the end of the day, every issue was a blessing in disguise. We now know the ins and outs of what it takes to make the best line and we can take apart every machine piece by piece and fix any issue that may occur.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We are a manufacturing company. We pay attention to the little details and what our customers say, not just making as much line as possible to turn a quick dollar.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Both my business partner and I have invested our own cash into the company. No loans whatsoever. I have also resigned from the auto industry where I have been working for the last 15 years of my life to pursue this dream.
Contact Info:
- Email: jnugent@tightlinebraid.com
- Website: https://tightlinebraid.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tightlinebraid/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tightlinebraid
