ABOUT SIDNAW COMPANY
Sidnaw Company is an independent, family-owned small business that makes high-quality, long-lasting gear.
Our Story
As told by Founder & Co-Owner, Rusty Zylstra
When I was 12, I began to modify and hand-stitch my own clothes. Inspired by punk and underground culture I would patch my torn clothing, sew band patches onto items, or alter a pair of baggy jeans into a slim fit. Nothing too crazy, but I enjoyed the creativity of the process and being able to make the clothes my own.
As a teenager I started to take interest in taking apart my old worn out clothing to see how they were made. I was fascinated to learn how different machines constructed the garments. This process also sparked a new hobby for me - leatherworking. I started with hand stitching wallets and belts for myself and friends. Most of the material I was using was found from dumpster diving factory’s leftover scraps, or upcycling other products found at the resale store. The cost was almost nothing and it was a great way for me to keep practicing this newly found craft.
As I matured, so did my designs. Patterns and product ideas grew in complexity and detail after much trial and error. (More error than anything else.) When I was 18, I started making leather goods to sell. My first workshop was a 10x10 shed in a friend's backyard where I lived with my dog and one sewing machine. I paid $80 a month for rent. Once I quit my 3rd shift job at the paper printing factory I was ready to start working for myself full time. With essentially zero bills, I could make products and search for materials all day long. This is when I started to think that I might actually be able to turn this into a real business. Mercy Supply Co. was born. I sold leather belts, wallets and bags on Etsy and at local markets. A year later, in 2010, I bought an old 80’s school bus that we named ‘Mercy.’
We converted the bus to run on waste vegetable oil. That’s where I lived, sewed, and traveled all over the country with Kait.
Shortly after, we started renting a warehouse space in Grand Rapids, MI where I could grow our product line and purchase more machines and materials now that I had the room.
When we were 22 years old, Kait and I got married. She moved into the warehouse space with me and we really started taking the business seriously. We started to put all our time and energy into it.
We opened a retail store in downtown Grand Rapids, MI that we ran from 2016 - 2020. After a while we realized there just weren’t enough hours in the day for us to be there full time, and also make the products we were selling - let alone design anything new. We enjoyed having the store, but it was time to make a decision on whether we wanted to hire a full staff, or to close the brick and mortar and focus on direct sales off our website. We decided to close and move it all back home. A few weeks later, all non-essential retail stores in Michigan were required to be closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Needless to say, our timing couldn’t have been better to make this change.
In the fall of 2020, we knew it was time for a rebrand, the company had evolved, and we wanted a name that reflected that change. The new name needed to speak directly to our values - our dedication to quality, and our passion for the outdoors. Sidnaw is a small town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where I spent much of my childhood with my family. My grandparents were born there. The town of Sidnaw is where I picked wild berries with my grandmother and learned to drive in my grandfather's truck on the back roads. Besides its significant personal meaning, the town embodies what we hope to be as a brand. That is, unaffected by trends or the hustle and bustle the world throws at you. And so Mercy Supply Company became Sidnaw Company.
Today, Kait and I are running the business out of our workshop in Grand Rapids, MI. We have two daughters, and live just outside of the city.
Made in the USA
Our products are made in the USA. And as part of minimizing our waste, we try to source as many materials as we can within the US. By sourcing materials here vs. abroad, we can cut down on how far materials are shipped, all while supporting our neighbors. It’s also important to us that we work with other businesses that treat their employees well and pay them fairly.
Our Products
Sidnaw Company produces a small collection of products inspired by the outdoors and our own lives and experiences. Because we use the same products that we sell, they are designed to be functional and durable, always improving wherever possible. Items that will work just as well today as they will years from now. And if they do wear out, we will fix them.
When you buy from a small business like ours, you know you’re getting a hand-crafted item that will last for years. We make our products with high-quality materials, many sourced from USA-based manufacturers. Every stitch and button is done with care. Every purchase you make supports our family and helps us continue our dream of creating quality made goods.
Our products work as hard as you do. Products made for the outdoors, good weather and bad alike. We stand by our craftsmanship and our commitment to creating practical, USA-made products built to last. Our goal has always been and will always be to make the best damn product possible.
