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Part one of this story gave a quick glimpse into the last 10+ years of Drew Sanford and Dalton Wilson’s lives. Two former Carhartt Bassmaster College Series anglers turned propane industry entrepreneurs who in many ways embody the American dream.

They both credit a love of the outdoors, specifically their dedication to bass fishing, with helping establish the tireless work ethic necessary to expand one local propane business into four burgeoning companies. All while raising beautiful families and remaining active in the outdoors. They don’t just talk about the impact fishing had upon them either; Dalton and Drew live it.

The Green-LP wrapped Toyota Tundra you see in the picture above is Dalton’s personal vehicle. He bought it and became a Toyota Bonus Bucks member largely based on Toyota’s support of the fishing industry. Furthermore these two, along with their co-workers, proudly wear Carhartt on the job site as a “thank you” for what Carhartt has done for college fishing throughout the past 8 years. Fishing is woven into their lives as well as their work, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

A passion project

The “fishing division” of James River Manufacturing was started two years ago as a pure and simple passion project. Drew had experience in making his own lead jig heads and had enough connections within the fishing industry he believed he could produce them for tackle companies in the Ozarks region. Drew thought if nothing else, it would keep him connected to bass fishing.

“I have a lot of moving parts in my life, but I needed to feed the hobby part of my brain,” Wilson laughed. “Fishing has always been a part of my life and I figured this was a way I could spend a few minutes of my day playing with fishing lures.”

After doing some research on the equipment needed to scale his production process and bring his vision to life, Drew realized it was more of a financial commitment than anticipated. So he brought in Taylor Baker – a friend and recent graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute who happened to be adept with a 3D printer and CNC machine.

Using some “redneck engineering” and a can-do attitude Drew, Taylor, and Dalton helped piece together a one-of-a-kind mold production outfit in the corner of their Green-LP warehouse. They use a CNC machine to construct any type of lead mold an angler or a tackle company could think of; from ned and shaky heads to swimbait and ball jigs.

Their distinctive manufacturing machine then mass produces the jig heads, sandblasts them, and applies a powder coat before “cooking them” to finish the process. Lastly, the jig heads are painted to order before shipping out to a tackle company near you.

With a little elbow grease and some TLC, their passion project was operative. After seeing their creation run smoothly and efficiently, Drew started thinking about applying a similar system to another piece of equipment he was innately familiar with; propane tanks. And thus a new endeavor began…

James River Manufacturing expands

Drew and his Green-LP technicians have a lifetime of experience in the propane industry, and knew that restoring old equipment was a service in high demand. The biggest issue was, renovating old propane tanks proved to be a time consuming and costly process.

With their newfound jig head production system up and running, Drew began thinking he could apply a similar procedure on old propane equipment instead of football jigs. Between sandblasting, applying primer and paint, then heating the assets to an ideal temperature, many of the steps were comparable. They just needed to expand the size of their machine to fit propane equipment and add some fine-tuned details. So that’s exactly what they did.

Ultimately, the techniques and experience learned from producing lead fishing lures helped Drew’s team make a business out of refurbishing old truck barrels and propane tanks. The deep-rooted knowledge of the propane industry Drew’s team possessed was imperative of course, but they aren’t afraid to give credit to the small fishing division for many of the finer details.

James River Manufacturing now has its very own warehouse dedicated to making old propane tanks look as good as new, for commercial and residential uses. JRM is one of the largest outfits of its kind in the entire Midwest, and they perform their services with quality and the customer top of mind. Something Drew; Dalton, and their crew of associates have become known for across all of their business endeavors.

(Writers note: We were introduced to Drew Sanford and Dalton Wilson after they served as photography talent on a Nitro Boats shoot for Michael Engelmeyer. Engelmeyer owns and operates Great Outdoor Studios, which produces breathtaking imagery for a myriad of outdoor industry leading companies like Toyota trucks, Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, and Nitro boats among many others.)

The post College Fishing Builds Foundation for Success Part 2 appeared first on Bass365.com.

As is the case for most of us right now, the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed Cody Huff’s short-term plans. Fortunately, Huff’s long-term goals remain as steady as the Bethel University wrapped Toyota Tundra he’s driving throughout the 2020 tournament season.

After a strong showing at the 50th Bassmaster Classic, Huff had his eyes set on the remaining Bassmaster Opens and graduating from Bethel. The 2019 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Bracket champion experienced an incredible start to his 2020 fishing campaign; which included two major wins in February as well as a day three appearance at the Classic. Not bad for a 22-year old full time college student.

While he would have preferred to keep his momentum rolling, Huff’s plans were adjusted when fishing tournaments across the country were postponed or cancelled, and social distancing requirements became the new norm.

“When reality hit me and tournaments started getting affected I was definitely a little disappointed,” Huff admitted. “There were a lot of cool places I planned on traveling to this spring, but to be honest the biggest bummer is missing out on my final year of college fishing. With that being said, there are more important issues going on in the world right now than a few fishing tournaments.”

With maturity beyond his years, the young man from Ava, Missouri has come to terms with a few personal disappointments while maintaining a positive mindset.
After an extended Spring Break, Huff learned he would not return to his Alma Mater to round out his senior year. Instead with 12 credit hours left to receive his Business degree, Huff is completing online courses to finish his college education.

And even though tournament competition has been put on hold, Huff knows most dates will be rescheduled and has been spending as much time on the water as possible. He has been sure to #FishSmart – practicing safety, responsibility, and common sense anytime he heads to the boat ramp. Taking advantage of the break to sharpen his fishing skills, optimize his equipment, and spend time with family.

“On the bright side I’ve been able to use the time off to get out on the water as much as possible,” Huff said. “I haven’t been able to spend a spring around home since leaving for college. So it’s been great to have the extra family time along with fishing our local lakes. There are always some positives if you look at it the right way.”

Famed Ozark fisheries like Bull Shoals and Table Rock Lake have been Huff’s regular stomping grounds as he prepares for the new dates of the Opens to be announced. While Huff is making the most of the downtime in Southwest Missouri, he is hopeful he’ll be able to spend a few days scouting some of the fisheries left on the Bassmaster Opens schedule; another advantage of looking at the glass half full.

For now though, Huff refuses to remain idle and continues to work hard at whatever task he has in front of him. Whether that includes submitting online assignments, chores around the house, chasing after turkeys, or improving his fishing skills – It’s all the same to Huff. He’ll lean into his Midwestern roots and roll with whatever changes 2020 throws his way with his eyes looking forward.

The post Cody Huff’s Rolling with the Changes appeared first on Bass365.com.