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TTW
ANNIVERSARY
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25Abel
years of
Abel is a name synonymous with quality, precision engineering and beauty.
Now this famous ‘made in the USA’ fly-reel brand is celebrating 25 years in
business, with much more in the pipeline. TackleTrade World finds out more.
restigious fly-reel brand
Abel is celebrating a major
milestone this year – 25
years in the business. Regardless
of your sector of the market,
this is a great achievement.
But, when you consider that
Abel specialises in high-end,
precision-made niche fly reels, it
is all the more impressive.
There have been several key
factors in Abel’s route to success
over its history, at least according
to president Don Swanson.
“To name a few, I believe
the key factors are innovation,
extreme quality control,
customer service, great inventory,
our dedicated staff, pride of
craftsmanship, a willingness to
take risks, and our 100 per cent
‘made in the USA’ philosophy,”
he explains.
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Abel’s Jeff Patterson (left), Don Swanson (centre) and fly
fishing artist Derek DeYoung celebrate 25 years of Abel.
“The bottom line is that we do
things differently from most! We
design, engineer, manufacture
and, at the very end of the
process, price out the product, as
opposed to other manufacturers
that just try to hit a price point.
“Another factor is the
realisation that our dealers’
customers aren’t just buying a fly
reel; they’re buying the dream of
a big fish, a once-in-a-lifetime
trip to Christmas Island or
Patagonia where tackle failure
is not an option. I can’t tell you
the number of letters and photos
we’ve received from customers
thanking us for making their
dream of an Atlantic salmon,
sailfish, permit or whatever come
true. ‘I couldn’t have done it
without an Abel’ is a common
theme.”
Don has been with the
company for 19 of those 25
years, starting in 1994 after
working in the bicycle industry
before that. He started out
in the shop and assembly
department before finishing his
college education and moving
up through the ranks. General
manager by 2005 and president
in 2007, Don has Abel’s best
interests at heart and always has.
Upon reaching a milestone
such as this, it is important to
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ANNIVERSARY TTW
look back at how you reached
this position. Abel has been
a pioneer in many aspects
of the business, not just
producing high-quality
reels.
“We have taken a
few risks, but they have
paid off,” continues
Don.
“When we took the
risk of working with
artists by beginning with
James Prosek and producing
fish-graphic reels, some of our
dealers thought we were nuts!”
Producing reels and
accessories in rainbow or brook
trout colours was a bold move at
the time, but the cash registers
told a different story: people
collected them and loved them.
Another key moment was
when Abel abandoned its
luggage division.
“Frankly, we were getting
knocked off by overseas suppliers
and because we insisted on
everything being made in the
USA, we couldn’t compete. We
acknowledged that we do what
we do best and that’s the art
of designing and machining
lightweight, precision fishing
tools.”
But that ‘made in the USA’
mantra, while a challenge in
some ranges such as luggage, has
been the making of the company
in its core business.
“Being based in Camarillo,
California, has been a big
advantage for us,” continues
Don. “The town gives us a great
employee base… there’s a loyalty
here. We’re not exactly Mayberry,
but it’s a small enough town
that enjoys a great reputation for
taking care of its own. Camarillo
is located in an area of Ventura
County known for its aerospace
talent as well. We’ve drawn some
of the top-level machinists away
from various manufacturers due
to our work-friendly factory
environment… and four-day
working week.”
Don has actually experienced
many instances where customers
have bought from Abel simply
because it is a loyal, ‘made in
America’ brand. “We’re not
Boeing or United but we
25
When we took the risk of working with artists by
beginning with James Prosek and producing fish-graphic
reels, some of our dealers thought we were nuts!
Derek DeYoung’s artwork has been used on countless Abel
reels – one of many reasons the brand has succeeded.
have a name that stands for a
passionate love of fly fishing,
quality, precision machining and
everything else.”
Like any company that
reaches a significant milestone,
the plans are in place for it to
enjoy another, perhaps even
more prosperous period, in the
future.
Don maintains that the
company will always have
cutting-edge technology to
machine the very best tackle
from the very best aluminium,
steel and other components.
As he says: “It will be evolution
rather than revolution” for the
future of Abel.
The company has a number
of new products/ideas in the
developmental stage, which Don
elaborates on: “I honestly can’t
think of a reel manufacturer that
year after year delivers as many
new offerings as we do.
“Our new projects include a
partnership with industry icon
Joe Saracione for a line of sealed
drag reels, an ‘Abel Nipper
Quality’ trout hemostat, and
the first of an annual contest
requesting artwork from artists
around the world for a new
saltwater or freshwater painted
finish for an Abel production
reel… and our customers will get
to decide on our Facebook page
which paintings they will be.
“Our goal with this project is
to promote the work of the many
talented artists out there, and,
who knows, maybe we’ll make a
few of them famous. Call it the
‘Artistic Idol’ contest.”
Taking all this into account,
Tackle Trade World is certainly
expecting Abel to be here
in another 25 years… most
probably more! TTW
Abel
T: +1 805 484 8789
E: [email protected]
W: www.abelreels.com
www.tackletradeworld.com
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