‘Made in Vermont, USA!’

OUR VERMONT STORY

STRUT:

  • strut 1 - [struht] noun,verb: to brace, support or give strength to
    by means of a ‘strut’ or struts

  • strut 2 - verb: a strutting walk or proud gait; to walk with pride

  • strut 3 - anagram: trust

After the business sold in 2004, the inevitability of change left John thinking it was time to use his experience to fill a void that had opened in the case market. Digital technology was rapidly transforming the video industry. A small, knowledgeable, agile company willing to stay focused on, and listen to, the particular needs of an expanding industry would be well suited to respond to the new climate. A quality choice needed to be maintained in the marketplace. In the Summer of 2006 John created the first STRUT line of transport cases. It is with great gratitude that John looks back on the people who shared their experience, knowledge and friendship.


WHAT’S IN A NAME?

STRUT: It would have been easy to choose a vanity name, but “John’s Bags” didn’t say much about what we are. We chose STRUT because it says something about what our products stand for, and what we strive for: Strength, Pride, and Trust.  STRUT is a term out of the engineering world roughly meaning something that prevents compression, from this we draw the concept of structural Strength. STRUT is also a word used to describe proud carriage. We look at Pride in a virtuous way, because it leads to high standards. By moving the “S” in STRUT from the first letter in the word to the fourth letter you discover that STRUT is an anagram for Trust. In this way the name STRUT is meant to inspire us with a set of high goals to carry us into the future. In the end, if we can earn your trust we will indeed be proud of our name, a name that stands for quality, a name that means something special.

In 1995, after 20 years as a business owner in Southwestern Vermont, John joined the management team at K&H Products (Porta-Brace) to help the founder operate his rapidly growing business. John came on board as Director of Operations and over the next 10 years, enjoyed the unique position that can only happen in a small New England manufacturing environment serving a worldwide market. K&H represented socially responsible manufacturing at its best. “It was great fun,” says John. “The people were happy, we put out a quality product, end-users had access to the design process, and when we went to trade shows it was like a reunion with old friends. Those were great years.”

PRODUCTION

The Barn: Our Design and Marketing team resides in a restored 100-yr- old barn with windows out to a beaver pond and a ridge of white pine and sugar maples. The open floor plan is conducive to good communication and creative exchange. The barn has also become our cutting and shipping department. We want you to see where we’ll be when you call. We get asked, “why Vermont?” The fact is we love it here. Watching the birds and wildlife that pass through here keeps us grounded. Last week we had a visit from a Bobcat! John feels incredibly fortunate to continue working within 25 miles of where he was born.

Production: Our production team is located in Vermont. Making a commitment to local manufacturing came at a high cost, but the benefits have been well worth it. We have direct and immediate control over production. Improvements and adjustments can be made in the middle of a run if necessary. The potential for custom projects is now a reality.  We benefit directly from the creative input of our co-workers. The high quality achieved is testament to happy and skilled people and the dedication of all involved to responsible employment practices.