Latest / Ducks Unlimited Podcast / DUX SERIES: Rough Country & the Modern Hunt (Ep 781)

Transcript

DUX SERIES: Rough Country & the Modern Hunt (Ep 781) · Ducks Unlimited Podcast

• 0:01
  Logan Nevins: Setting the bar high for future events.
• 0:03
  Seth Dortch: We save so many shells on the snow buoys on it. I'm out here swinging.
• 0:10
  VO: Can we do a mic check, please? Everybody, welcome back to the Ducks Unlimited Podcast. I'm your host, doctor Mike Brasher. I'm your host, Katie Burke. I'm your host, doctor Jerad Henson. And I'm your host, Matt Harrison. Welcome to the Ducks Unlimited Podcast, the only podcast about all things waterfowl. From hunting insights to science based discussions about ducks, geese, and issues affecting waterfowl and wetlands conservation in North America. The DU Podcast, sponsored by Purina Pro Plan, the official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited. Purina Pro Plan, always advancing. Also proudly sponsored by Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails. Whether you're winding down with your best friend or celebrating with favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.
• 1:15
  David Schuessler: Hey, everybody. Welcome back to another installment of the DUX series here on the Ducks Unlimited Podcast. I am your host today, David Schusler, and alongside me is the one and only Logan Nevins, helping cohost today, the the person who is anything and everything Ducks. Logan, how are doing?
• 1:34
  Logan Nevins: I'm good. Thanks for
• 1:35
  Seth Dortch: Wears a lot of
• 1:37
  David Schuessler: Yes. He does. As everybody knows by now, this series highlights the company's individuals and organizations that are highly involved in the success of our DUX Waterfowl Show coming up July 31 through August 2 at the Renaissance Convention Center. Today, we have a very special homegrown guest from right up the road in Dyersburg, Tennessee, Seth Dorch with Rough Country. Seth, how are you doing today?
• 2:06
  Seth Dortch: I'm great, David. It's good to be here.
• 2:07
  David Schuessler: How's the how's the drive down today?
• 2:09
  Seth Dortch: It was fine. It was good. Made a lot of phone calls. It was pretty pretty particular MO. Beautiful weather today.
• 2:17
  Absolutely.
• 2:17
  David Schuessler: Very low humidity. Enjoy it, boys. That's
• 2:21
  Seth Dortch: probably the last one. Yeah. No. It was it was
• 2:24
  David Schuessler: fun. Alright. Good. Well, Seth, before we get going, we have a little something we do with all of the guests on the DUX series, and that's called the flock shot. And so we are going to
• 2:36
  Seth Dortch: So this is what I heard. I I heard a a sound follow. I was like, what is this?
• 2:42
  David Schuessler: Well, so it just like snow goose hunting, which the last time I was with you, we did a lot of hunting. We didn't do a lot of shooting.
• 2:48
  Seth Dortch: We did a lot of laughing.
• 2:50
  We did a lot of laughing.
• 2:52
  Today, we're gonna do a lot of shooting and a lot of laughing. So are you ready for the flock shot?
• 2:56
  Let's do it. Alright.
• 2:57
  David Schuessler: The flock shot.
• 3:03
  Seth Dortch: First question, are you a coffee drinker or not? 100% coffee.
• 3:09
  David Schuessler: As you as you take a coffee cup, see you.
• 3:12
  Seth Dortch: This is actually energy drink, but prefer espresso. Okay.
• 3:15
  David Schuessler: Oh, an aristocrat. Yeah. Espresso. Okay. Well, you mentioned energy drink.
• 3:21
  What is your favorite
• 3:24
  Seth Dortch: color of Gatorade? White cherry.
• 3:29
  Logan Nevins: Oh my. Is this the first crisp?
• 3:32
  Seth Dortch: Have you ever
• 3:32
  David Schuessler: had that?
• 3:33
  Seth Dortch: Have you ever had that?
• 3:35
  David Schuessler: Most people say the color, and they can't tell us the flavor.
• 3:38
  Seth Dortch: Oh, yeah. Yeah. White white cherry.
• 3:40
  Logan Nevins: That's a big deal. Like, you you may be the first one to say what the flavor is.
• 3:44
  Seth Dortch: I killed the whole group.
• 3:48
  Logan Nevins: You got your limit. You're done.
• 3:50
  David Schuessler: Very impressive. Alright. Over or under shotgun or
• 3:54
  Seth Dortch: a semi auto? Semi auto. What's your favorite? Super Black Eagle three.
• 3:58
  David Schuessler: There you go.
• 3:59
  Seth Dortch: 20 or 28 gauge. Okay.
• 4:01
  Logan Nevins: Yeah. You're big 28 guy. Right?
• 4:02
  Seth Dortch: Love it.
• 4:03
  Logan Nevins: Shoot that a
• 4:03
  David Schuessler: lot. Wow. Many, many layers to you. Okay.
• 4:07
  Seth Dortch: I hang around you too much.
• 4:10
  David Schuessler: Alright. Here's one. What is your favorite piece of Rough Country equipment?
• 4:15
  Seth Dortch: That's a great question. So our new product category for us is our bed caps for the for the back end of a truck. Absolutely incredible product. Kind of
• 4:27
  David Schuessler: a full
• 4:27
  Seth Dortch: system mentality product to where it's it's developed to to really give I mean, yeah, you can have a bed cap and it kinda protect and provide security, but with a lot of the features of that product from organization, storage, which obviously with us as hunters, we we like that stuff.
• 4:46
  David Schuessler: A lot of pockets. A lot of places to put things.
• 4:49
  Seth Dortch: That's it. So that where we sit right now, the the bed cap is is awesome. Okay.
• 4:53
  Logan Nevins: It's a good one.
• 4:54
  David Schuessler: Alright. If you had to live the rest of your life with just one of these three things Oh, boy. Would it be TV, music, or books? Books. Might be the first books guy too.
• 5:06
  Seth Dortch: I like books.
• 5:07
  Logan Nevins: He is an aristocrat.
• 5:08
  David Schuessler: He okay. Okay. And lastly, for the last shot of the day, favorite movie of all time?
• 5:15
  Seth Dortch: All time. Just because it's in the nature of we just had Memorial Day Mhmm. We Were Soldiers.
• 5:21
  Seth Dortsch: Okay.
• 5:22
  Seth Dortch: My wife and I watched that. Fantastic movie. I mean, just absolutely fantastic. So we'll we'll go with that. Okay.
• 5:29
  David Schuessler: Yeah. Wow. A really, really good shot today. Yeah. Could
• 5:33
  Logan Nevins: Setting the bar high for
• 5:34
  Seth Dortsch: a few times. We we save so many shells on the snow goose hunt. I'm out here swinging.
• 5:42
  David Schuessler: Alright. Well, I feel like everybody probably already knows you by now based on how you answered all of those questions. But before we dive into Rough Country
• 5:50
  Seth Dortch: Yeah.
• 5:51
  David Schuessler: Why don't you take two or three minutes, tell everybody about yourself, how you came to be with Rough Country. Just three minute elevator speech. Go. Yeah.
• 6:00
  Seth Dortch: So born and raised here in West Tennessee. Waterfowl hunting was kinda my gateway into the outdoors. I mean, little bitty boy running around at Ducks Unlimited banquets just ooing and on over everything. So that really expedited my path into working in the outdoors and off road industry and categories. And so I've been with Rough Country about four years now internally.
• 6:25
  Before that, I did some contract work, kinda was essentially one of their first ambassadors, And so really just transitioned to to from a brand ambassador to a brand leader to where more involved internally, strategy tactics, brand initiatives, activations. And so, really, that's why, you know, we sit here today talking about Rough Country and Ducks Unlimited is trying to support the the mission of DU more with the the resources and the the emphasis that we're putting on the hunt fish farm world. And so I'm I'm incredibly grateful to to be a
• 7:01
  David Schuessler: part of that. You were the really the spear point of that relationship between Rough Country and DU.
• 7:08
  Seth Dortch: Yes,
• 7:08
  David Schuessler: sir. For the people that don't know I mean, I certainly know what Rough Country is because I have the world's greatest ATV deck, I guess you'd call it. Right. But what exactly how how would you, in one sentence, describe what Rough Country is?
• 7:23
  Seth Dortch: Yeah. So so Rough Country is a manufacturer of vehicle, and when I say vehicle, it's truck, it's SUV, it's Jeep, it's UTV, a few few ATV products, but vehicle accessory that you can personalize your vehicle with, not only from an aesthetic standpoint, but also from a performance standpoint. So when you're talking about from suspension to everything else around a vehicle, we probably have something for you.
• 7:53
  David Schuessler: Okay. And I wanted to hit on the performance thing Yeah. With both of y'all because a lot of people don't know this about Logan Evans. And while it was motorcycles, Logan was you traveled the country racing motorcycles in your youth.
• 8:06
  Logan Nevins: That's correct.
• 8:07
  Seth Dortch: Oh, you did not know that.
• 8:08
  David Schuessler: Here we go. Here we go.
• 8:10
  Seth Dortch: I know. Heck yeah,
• 8:10
  David Schuessler: dude. Your family owned a cycle shop as well as other things, right, up in Michigan.
• 8:16
  Seth Dortsch: Yep.
• 8:18
  David Schuessler: And we're and we're talking about accessories, things that are purchased after the purchase of the initial unit, whatever it may be, a truck, an ATV, UTV. Logan, I want you to think back. How on your racing bike growing up, how many parts on that high performance unit were put on after it came off of the line?
• 8:40
  Logan Nevins: Oh, gosh.
• 8:41
  Seth Dortch: That's a great question.
• 8:42
  Logan Nevins: At least 65 plus percent. I mean, it's you know, there's obviously different classes and stuff where they do stock versus modification stuff. Factory. Yeah. But yeah.
• 8:51
  You know, overall, it you're putting just as much, if not more, in aftermarket accessories and parts on a bike than you paid for the bike itself brand new from the from the shop. So there's there's a lot that goes into those.
• 9:05
  David Schuessler: And I think that's what we do and really more so than ever as hunters.
• 9:11
  Seth Dortch: But you for sure.
• 9:11
  Logan Nevins: Oh, yeah.
• 9:12
  David Schuessler: You you know, I I remember growing up out of a a 14 foot John boat with a six horse power Evinrude, and that's what you had. But then all of a sudden, you got these companies like War Eagle, right, that are, hey. You can have more, especially in the waterfowl hunting world. You can have more. Look at all of these things.
• 9:28
  Seth Dortch: Right.
• 9:28
  David Schuessler: And lord, what we put on our ATVs and UTVs. Like, I couldn't hunt the way I could out of my unit Mhmm. Which has Rough Country on it
• 9:38
  Seth Dortch: Right.
• 9:38
  David Schuessler: Then I didn't. So
• 9:40
  Seth Dortch: Yeah. Yeah. I've got a photo of your defender that when we left that second day from Snowgoose Field, you you could not have put one other piece of gear in the back end of it.
• 9:52
  David Schuessler: But that's what I'm saying.
• 9:53
  Seth Dortsch: That's what
• 9:53
  David Schuessler: you gotta have. You can't there would have been two or three trips out
• 9:57
  Seth Dortch: Right.
• 9:57
  David Schuessler: Tearing that road up a little bit more. Yeah. So as far as the the accessory market, when when did it explode?
• 10:05
  Seth Dortch: Yeah. Oh, man. I mean, I guess some of that you know, whether you break that down from automotive to UTV, I I mean, I would say, oh, definitely from when Rough Country really started taking off early two thousands, and then as we've progressed beyond just being a suspension product company, because, you know, there's certain factors of aftermarket that are just wants. They're not 100% needs compared to you've got some products within the aftermarket world that really are needs. So from bed covers to floor mats.
• 10:44
  So whether you're whether you're in the workforce or you're a contractor or it's hunting like, some of those things you really just have to have or you just trash your truck. Right. On the flip side, you know, they're they're like, not everybody you don't have to have a six inch lift kit in '30 fives or 30 sevens, but if you want them, cool. So I I would say, you know, just on our end, and, you know, it's hard for me to speak on the overall industry. Really, the early two thousands, and that's, you know, just continues to grow and grow and grow as people want you know, vehicles get better, they get different.
• 11:22
  I mean, that's always a challenge for us, right, is the the year, make, and model fitment, try you know, trying to be proactive keeping up with that and making sure we've got the full product category available for for those vehicles.
• 11:36
  David Schuessler: And Rough Country started just as automotive. Correct.
• 11:39
  Seth Dortch: Yes, sir. Yeah. So, man, so little rundown of Rough Country history. So in in 1938, a guy named William Hecathorn started Hecco, which was in Colorado. Just manufacturing, you know, hardware and, like, pulley system, a bunch of different stuff like that.
• 11:59
  Anyways, jumped on the war machine, war two, opened up a secondary location in Dyersburg, Tennessee, and was doing the same thing, military contracts, that that sort of thing. They closed down the place in Colorado, kept the Dyersburg location, go down a couple generations, two brothers, Hecathorns. It was Patrick and Michael stood up Hecathorn Products, so they transitioned out of the Hecco name. And in 1992, acquired Rough Country, which was California based. So acquired the company and the suspension assets.
• 12:36
  Rough Country was really, like, really bona fide shocks. And so they acquired that company, brought them to Dyersburg, and then from 1992 to where we sit now at about 600 employees, that's been kind of the high level of progression of of Rough Country.
• 12:55
  David Schuessler: Is that Hecoracks? I don't know. Like roof racks?
• 12:58
  Logan Nevins: Yeah. Yeah. I don't I it might have been.
• 13:01
  Seth Dortch: I'm not, you know, I'm not sure if they because it's really cool
• 13:05
  David Schuessler: if it was. Yeah. That's the first thing I think that's what they were called. Yeah. But, like, it was a big big deal.
• 13:11
  I'm gonna age myself here, but back in the late eighties Yeah. Like, if you were able to get a roof rack
• 13:17
  Seth Dortch: Yeah.
• 13:19
  David Schuessler: Was it a big deal. And I think they were called heckos.
• 13:21
  Seth Dortch: Really believe. Way probably, you know, could definitely could have been. I'm not gonna 100% say yes. But, I mean, they they were doing a variety of automotive parts, especially for military military contracts and of that nature.
• 13:36
  Seth Dortsch: So I don't know. I'm a I'm a have to check into it.
• 13:38
  David Schuessler: Okay. Yeah. Well, a deep history, though.
• 13:41
  Seth Dortch: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, obviously, a a ton of touch points within that. And then really over the past ten years. So like I said, about 600 employees where we sit currently.
• 13:54
  And that's split. We've got about 50 employees in Woodland, Washington, where we have a full plastics manufacturing team. We've got a shipping supply chain facility in Reno, Nevada. We've got a a warehouse that is currently almost finalized in Toronto, Canada, and then the rest of that employment is in Dyer County, Tennessee. Wow.
• 14:16
  We cut, weld, fabricate right at about 2,000,000 pounds of steel a month in Dyersburg. Roughly, total plastics wise, we're about 5,000,000 pounds of plastics finished goods. So it's a it's a rocket ship. It's it's really incredible. And then, you know, the the biggest part of that, 600 employees, well, the the importance of I mean, that's a lot of families.
• 14:38
  That's a lot of that's a lot of incredible careers that even for me as I'm maturing in my career and growing up, seeing the importance of a impact that a company can have on not just the industry, not just the category, but its local community and the the communities that that's around that.
• 14:58
  David Schuessler: Mhmm. That's really cool.
• 15:00
  Logan Nevins: Yeah. I didn't know I didn't know until, you know, you were with Rough Country and and we started talking more that they were more West Tennessee based and and how much product y'all actually manufacture and and do everything, you know, within The US either in Dyersburg or in your other facilities and, you know, how much, you know, square footage space that takes up and the amount of steel and plastic. So it's really cool the connection of y'all being, you know, West Tennessee based and how many people are are employed in this area and and working to to put parts all over the the country and the world.
• 15:33
  Seth Dortch: 100%. And that, you know, y'all know how it is. It's you know, anybody's gonna it's all about optics. And if if you're not proactive in communicating and educating around who you are and and and the history and those kind of thing, it's really man, people when people buy into a brand, like, they're buying into those touch points of like, yes, there's the the business aspect of you should operate at a high standard and execute well across the board from a business model, whether it's your price point, whether it's your delivery, how fast you move, how you deliver the service you provide. But on the flip side, it's so important just from a brand history stamp.
• 16:15
  People buy into that. People wanna be a part of of that in itself. And so, you know, we're just we're grateful that we get the opportunity to to talk about that, you know, with Ducks Unlimited and and and utilize that to to support y'all.
• 16:29
  David Schuessler: Well, it's a great story in that it's hundreds of people in The United States that are that's put putting these things together.
• 16:37
  Seth Dortch: Right.
• 16:38
  David Schuessler: Right? And not just coming in on a box Right. From someplace you don't know where it was put together.
• 16:44
  Logan Nevins: And the customer as customer service aspect that you guys take so seriously. Right?
• 16:49
  Seth Dortch: With And yeah. Being able
• 16:50
  Logan Nevins: to connect with people about how to do an install and all the videos. I mean, I see your face on almost every video that Rough Country puts out about how to install something or, you know, the best way to to do it more efficiently, and and that is really helpful in today's day and age, right, to get on YouTube and punch in how to how to put something on a unit.
• 17:08
  Seth Dortch: Yeah. It is. And I think it's only becoming more important. Man, I'll say that we've got an incredible production team. Our our customer service on the sales side, I mean, it's 30 to 40 real guys that when you call in, you're talking to somebody that knows what they're talking about and is gonna help you fix whatever problem you have as best as possible.
• 17:31
  You can't always do it 100%.
• 17:32
  David Schuessler: No. But they can go they can go in out into the the big area and go figure it out.
• 17:38
  Seth Dortch: Right. Right? No. Exact exactly.
• 17:40
  Logan Nevins: R and D in the shop.
• 17:41
  Seth Dortch: Yeah. Country historically has always put a a high value on that, and it and it shows. Like, even for our dealer, we have a massive dealer net. I can't remember what the total number of installers we have nationwide, but the the feedback we get from them I mean, for example, the amount of, like, brand events we do, we we do have a lot of dealer installers come by, say, hey. And that's one of the biggest things is the feedback around just the actual value of customer service.
• 18:14
  And most people don't value that until they need a problem to be solved. And so if you can, you know, if you can capitalize on that, like, then that's good. And Rough Country's always done a really good job, you know, making sure that happens.
• 18:37
  VO: Stay tuned to the Ducks Unlimited Podcast sponsored by Purina Pro Plan and Bird Dog Whiskey After these messages.
• 18:54
  David Schuessler: DUX is lifestyle, obviously. Yep. And I'm sure y'all are gonna have plenty of things to show there from vehicles to ATVs and all of that. But it but it is a you know, it's it's the largest waterfowl base show in the country There is. Which probably means the world.
• 19:13
  Share with us the move into ATVs, UTVs, and those things that that you know, those transportation vehicles that are getting hunters, and it could be deer hunters as well. Right. But, you know, we're talking about putting bags on racks and and guns and decoys and all of that. When when did when did Rough Country say, okay. This is a market for us, and we think we can fit some needs here.
• 19:39
  Seth Dortch: Right. Yeah. No. Great question. So this would've this was before my time internal, but it was twenty twenty twenty twenty twenty one.
• 19:48
  So is it right on the cut, you know, right pre previous
• 19:52
  David Schuessler: Perfect time. No.
• 19:52
  Seth Dortch: I know. Yeah. Right. Jump
• 19:54
  Logan Nevins: in new industry.
• 19:55
  Seth Dortch: Yeah. Yeah. But right with the pandemic, which, you know, that, you know, that that pros and cons to that, obviously. But, nonetheless, it was, I think, a lot of conversations around the principles of what Rough Country has created as a vertical integration manufacturer that, okay, we can apply these same principles to a category and lifestyle that it's all it's all crossover. You're you know, a lot of times, you'll have a guy that's pulling his Can Am Defender with a, you know, 2,500 HD or f two fifty, and he's running a leveling kit with 30 fives and, you know, has a Rough Country lift kit on it or a bed cover.
• 20:36
  And so looking I mean, just like any company or organization, you wanna keep growing. You wanna keep diversifying, and that made sense across the board. Has certainly not came without its challenges and learning curves and just of of of recent so at the tail end of twenty twenty five, we had a guy step in as our UTV category manager. His name is Josh Rose. He's been with Rough Country for many, many years, but he is an absolute UTV enthusiast.
• 21:08
  And I think that's a lot of it, right, is, you know, getting the right people in the right positions with the right perspective that can really set a tone and a trajectory of decision making of how we go about this, and he's, I mean, already doing a fantastic job in addition to all the incredible work that the UTV team has done over the past four and a half years. So, yeah, it's I mean, you think the fitment world for automotive is crazy. Oh, I can do You know this with Yeah. With with bikes is like, man, the half year half year brakes, and they may change a bolt pattern or, you know, just little things like that. So those those are challenges in itself.
• 21:48
  But, you know, where we sit currently today, it's it's a you could do a full Can Am Defender build or CFMoto U Force build with Rough Country product.
• 21:59
  David Schuessler: But but and I think this is the and this is my experience. Right? But it's not a one size fits all piece. Correct. No.
• 22:06
  Like like, my rack on the back of my Can Am, it's not going on anything else. Right. And and when it was a decision point for me of, alright, what am I gonna get? The physics that are used in that with no down poles. Right?
• 22:21
  So you could still dump the bed and not have to take it off or raise it or lower it. I mean, it should it it fits it like a glove. I can't imagine the number of SKUs that y'all have inside of your.
• 22:32
  Seth Dortch: And I I yeah. I can't remember the number, but it's it's a lot. Well, and and one
• 22:37
  Logan Nevins: thing too with that side of the industry, like, when when we were in that business, you know, the the machines have been around for quite a long time, but the accessories of them have been so limited.
• 22:46
  Seth Dortch: After market attention.
• 22:47
  Logan Nevins: Yeah. When we did it, I mean, you could get a snow plow, a windshield, and and maybe a a roof rack or something or a roof cover just so you didn't get snow on you if you were up north or rain or whatever. Yeah. And now
• 22:57
  David Schuessler: And the hanging little handle?
• 22:58
  Seth Dortch: Yeah. And the They've been around
• 23:00
  David Schuessler: a long time. Yeah.
• 23:01
  Seth Dortch: The little
• 23:01
  Logan Nevins: handle straps. Right? But it's like it's almost a industry within an industry of how fast all the accessories and and, you know, tools to help with the trades, whether you're a rancher or an outdoorsman, that has just accelerated exponentially, especially over the last, you know, decade.
• 23:17
  Seth Dortch: Yeah. Well, I mean, even you look at I mean, pretty much every machine manufacturer has a full cab trim package now. Yeah. You know, ten, fifteen years ago, like, there wasn't a a whole lot of machines out there that had, like, a full cab and and doors on them. So, yes, those things evolve and, you know, one company does this, and they're like, oh, well, you know, we can innovate around that.
• 23:39
  You know, it's and that's the great thing about competition and capitalism. You know? It gives it gives it gives us better products.
• 23:46
  Logan Nevins: I don't know about you, David, but when I was doing that when I was younger, I'd never expected you with your old six wheeler that you still run to this day. Did you ever imagine there'd be AC with a cab on a side by side?
• 23:57
  Seth Dortch: What six wheeler you got
• 23:58
  David Schuessler: in there? I have I have a
• 24:00
  Seth Dortch: This is the light this is this is the Schuessler It's amazing. Light snow bill.
• 24:04
  David Schuessler: I have a 1999 Polaris six wheeler. I'm trying to remember what they called it.
• 24:12
  Logan Nevins: I can't remember.
• 24:13
  David Schuessler: But it's the the old green machine.
• 24:15
  Logan Nevins: A true six wheeler.
• 24:16
  David Schuessler: A true six wheeler. And
• 24:18
  Seth Dortch: That's cool.
• 24:19
  David Schuessler: There are no parts. You make no parts for this. I mean, it's a it's a little old. Still running. Yeah.
• 24:25
  To this day. Now I've retired it to a farm in West Tennessee where it drops on gravel every day. Sure. But it wasn't that
• 24:31
  Seth Dortsch: long ago.
• 24:32
  Logan Nevins: It wasn't
• 24:32
  Seth Dortch: that long.
• 24:33
  David Schuessler: That that it was over in Arkansas. But, no, I could not imagine. And Yeah. Know?
• 24:39
  Logan Nevins: Or heat going out to the duck blind in the morning. Right?
• 24:42
  David Schuessler: Yeah. And let's face it. We all do it. You pull up in the parking lot somewhere to get lunch after a hunt, and, you know, there's this big beautiful machine sitting on a trailer. The first thing you look at is the accessories.
• 24:51
  Seth Dortch: Oh, yeah.
• 24:52
  David Schuessler: For sure. Like, nothing against these manufacture like, they're all great. But the first thing what rack do they have?
• 25:00
  Seth Dortch: Yeah. What front bumper do they have? Yeah. How's it built out? Do they have something that I know about yet that I need?
• 25:07
  David Schuessler: Yeah. What do I need to go spend money on?
• 25:08
  Logan Nevins: It's just like a decoy spread. Right? You're looking at everybody else's to figure out the edge, the advantage.
• 25:12
  Seth Dortch: Yeah, man. It's you know, UTVs are the are the perfect vehicle system for, I mean, in the case for us, waterfowl hunters, because you you can accessorize them with lights. You can have all the recovery points you need. You got a winch, rear cargo racks. And then, I mean, the value added of being able to have a heater with a full cab.
• 25:33
  Mhmm. I mean, that's that's one of our that's one of the most exciting products that we're we're working on right now is is growing our UTV door category and and developing those in house. So that'll hopefully be sooner than later as we you know, we've got them out for the Defender right now and then streamlining that across the board for for other make and model. So, yeah, definitely be on the lookout for that.
• 26:00
  David Schuessler: It's a neat, neat, neat industry.
• 26:02
  Logan Nevins: It is.
• 26:03
  David Schuessler: It really is. Now you mentioned the truck bed accessories in the FlockShot. Tell us tell us new any new lines this year, anything you wanna share with everybody that's that's new and improved?
• 26:14
  Seth Dortch: Or Yeah. So, you know, especially over the course of the coming year. So we just reinvested about 30,000,000 back into a majority of that's in plastic manufacturing. So taking a lot of either the current plastic products we have on truck or UTV side from UTV doors to flares, roofs, and then on the truck side, I mean, there's floor mats, fender flares, under seat storage, all those things. Putting more innovation around those products because we can really level that up.
• 26:53
  But then in addition to that, we've got some new bumper concepts on the truck side that's it's pretty much like a OE plus look. So we're, you know, we're manufacturing the the winch cradle and the bumper skeleton itself, and now we're developing and manufacturing the outer plastic shell. So it looks stock and factory
• 27:15
  David Schuessler: Mhmm.
• 27:15
  Seth Dortch: But it's got all the performance and security and strength and recovery. So right now, we've released for probably four or five models, but we're I mean, we're gonna take that across the board. So we're we're really excited about that. It really takes the the emphasis of all the many years of Rough Country history that everybody's worked so hard to to eventually be at a place with the resources to actually execute on products like this. So what that does for the consumer, it it gives them an incredible option to to accessorize their vehicle.
• 27:52
  It maintains a cost effective price. That way they can actually allocate that money to to other parts or other accessories. And then thirdly, it only grows the brand and and, you know, the the Rough Country brand that people believe in.
• 28:08
  David Schuessler: What? Rough Country has an expanded boot size this year?
• 28:13
  Logan Nevins: Yep. Much bigger.
• 28:14
  David Schuessler: You come through the door. You see Rough Country. What are what what should people expect at DUX?
• 28:19
  Seth Dortch: Yeah. So you can expect so we're right there, right next to Mossy Oak. I know Benelli's right next to us. Great location. It will be great to be alongside them.
• 28:30
  You can expect two different types of vehicles to what there we've got a couple cool ideas. That's what I was sharing with Logan earlier. A couple cool ideas in the works for him, which, I mean, I'm incredibly excited about personally and professionally because as just a duck hunter, I would think it's awesome. And then obviously, as, you know, a man of Rough Country, I think it's awesome too. So beyond that, you know, we'll have we'll have some swag there just to give out to to attendees that come by the booth.
• 29:02
  We'll have a team of people to help with any questions or, you know, just to shake a hand and have conversation. And then we'll have some product guides. You know, we have especially with as much product as we do for so many make and model, our our design team does a great job with our vehicle specific product guides to where, okay, you got a Chevy 1,500 or you got a Jeep JK or a Toyota Tacoma. Well, come snag a book, and you can pretty much see everything you wanna see right there. So we'll have a lot of those with us.
• 29:35
  But beyond that, we've got the the two vehicles. It will definitely be exciting to see see it in person and and how we've got them built out. So but you gotta come to the UX to find out.
• 29:46
  David Schuessler: Sandwiched? I I love how you said that sandwiched between Mossy Oak and Vanilla.
• 29:50
  Seth Dortch: Right there.
• 29:51
  David Schuessler: That's a good seat to be in.
• 29:53
  Seth Dortch: That is a good It is. Yeah. Awesome. And, man, we're I think, you know, and I I definitely wanna we'll do it live. Man, props to y'all for the for the work y'all are doing on the on the DUX front.
• 30:04
  I mean, you know, I joke with Jimbo about all the time. I was I used to stress out so much putting on the UT Martin Mallard's banquet.
• 30:14
  Seth Dortsch: You know, it's just, you know,
• 30:15
  Seth Dortch: it's the expectation. It's the you want it and you want everything to be so perfect. Mhmm. But reality is there's a lot of things you can't control. And especially to y'all scale, you have a lot more outside expectation because now you've got people that have invested a lot of money, a lot of dollars, a lot of people are there.
• 30:37
  So, I mean, man, the the the growth and the improvements and the feedback, I mean, and, you know, especially with Logan on this, taking taking feedback of the exhibitors like, hey. You know, try this or, hey. We love this or this was good. You can see that kind of playing out over the year. And that's how you build a legacy around an event is then people feel invested.
• 31:00
  People feel tied into it. And so, yeah. Yeah. Good work to y'all, and Rough Country is excited to be a part of it.
• 31:06
  David Schuessler: Well, thank you. And it's all that man sitting next to you. Yeah. I just I'm I'm fortunate to get to talk
• 31:10
  Seth Dortch: about it That's it.
• 31:11
  David Schuessler: And help Logan whenever Yeah. Whenever I can. But it's that is Logan's baby, and it is a year round baby, and he does a exceptional job with it. Folks, we hope to see you July 31 through August 2 at the Renaissance Convention Center for the twenty twenty six DUX, which is what we've been talking about today with Rough Country. Thank you for spending time with us.
• 31:35
  And on behalf of Logan Nevins and Seth Dorch and myself, we will see you next time. Watch out for those alligators.
• 31:45
  VO: Thank you for listening to the DU Podcast sponsored by Purina Pro Plan, the official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited. Purina Pro Plan, always advancing. Also proudly sponsored by Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails. Whether you're winding down with your best friend or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.
• 32:07
  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show and visit ducks.org/dupodcast. Opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect those of Ducks Unlimited. Until next time, stay tuned to the Ducks.