Future of Sweetgrass

[taylor16]

Over the last few years, Jerry Kustich has left MT and Glenn’s most recent protege, Jamie, has now left as well. What is to become of my favorite “boo brand”? As someone who has come to respect and admire Glenn’s vision as well as a proud Montanan, what is to become of Sweetgrass?

[Brooks]

Maybe it is destined to be a single maker brand like many other bamboo artistic endeavors.

[Hellmtflies]

Who knows the ropes better than Mr. Brackett. He's been around the block a time or two. He'll be fine. No worries.

[jim royston]

Where did Jerry go, if I may ask. He had a place down in Xcalak where I met him several years ago, but I'm under the impression that he did not remain there.

[Oxbow]

This is disappointing news especially since Glenn told me recently that business was very good. I wonder if he wants to go through the process of training someone from scratch, or retrain someone with prior building knowledge, to his specific building process. Hopefully he will continue to build his beautiful rods. I wish him all the best.

[Bamboo River]

Where did Jerry go, if I may ask. He had a place down in Xcalak where I met him several years ago, but I'm under the impression that he did not remain there.

I thought he moved to Maryland.

[GBU31v1]

Who knows the ropes better than Mr. Brackett. He's been around the block a time or two. He'll be fine. No worries.

Yeah except he's retiring/retired. If no one is there to build rods...well...it'll be over.

[BigTJ]

Not necessarily over. He could sell the business to somebody. That happens a lot. Tom Morgan Rodsmiths is a particularly germane example.

John

[sagegrouse715]

I have a Sweetgrass rod on order with a scheduled December delivery. I hope I am able to get it. I talked to Glenn two weeks ago. Everything seemed to be business as usual then.

[BigTJ]

I don’t know this for sure but I’m guessing Glenn has a decent inventory of blanks already made up. Any business needs a plan in case they lose a key staff member. He has people finishing out the rods so if he has a few dozen blanks built up he could be fine for some time until he hires somebody else, sells the business, or calls it a day. As far as a rod slated for delivery in Dec can’t see a reason to worry about that short of him getting hit by a bus he would have let you know. I am fairly confident Winston “coasted” off of their blank inventory for a couple years in the period between when Merrick left and Glenn was fully up to speed.

[Capt. Frank]

I have talked to Jerry several times, he lives near northeast, MD, and still makes Sweet grass rods. He has been at shows selling them, I bought a penta he made from Wayne Grauer, who told me he consigned it.

[PT48]

GB has given a very sizable slab of his lifetime to making bamboo rods. Whatever decision he makes about his future must be respected.

[PYochim]

Maybe he'll go back to Winston. One never knows.

[Brooks]

Maybe he'll go back to Winston. One never knows.

I can’t imagine that ever happening with Ondatjee as owner.

[singlebuilt]

Bio on Sweetgrass website states that Jerry Kustich expanded the operation to Maryland. Inventory page appears lighter as compared to a few months ago, some cool rods on it.

[Hellmtflies]

Maybe he'll go back to Winston. One never knows.

Never!

[firehole]

+1

[mtcreel]

I contacted Glenn at Sweetgrass Rods and he has no intentions of stepping away from the bench. As noted, Jerry is making rods on the east coast and shipping them to Butte for wrapping and coating. While the departure of Jamie will slow things down a bit, other makers have stepped up and the shop appears to be quite busy with more orders for next year than the average. As Glenn said, "it’s like everyone came out of the virus cloud and said 'I’m going fishing and I’m going fishing with a bamboo rod.'"

I would not be worried about the future of Glenn at the bench or Sweetgrass Rods.

[DaveNJ]

I think if the average fisherman was better educated they would be buying Mantras instead of $1,000 graphite rods.

[GBU31v1]

What the average fisherman is educated about is what makes him the average fisherman.