American Tackle Company

What American Tackle Company does

American Tackle Company International, Inc is a privately held US manufacturer and distributor of premium fishing rod components, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Oviedo, Florida, with additional operating offices in Värmdö, Sweden, and Weihai, China. The company sells guides, reel seats, handles and grips, rod blanks, and accessories across five product categories under multiple sub-brands, with the Microwave Guide System (winner of 6 worldwide industry awards) as its flagship line and the Bushido Nanophene and Matrix Power Flex blank families rounding out its premium offering. Proprietary material technologies include Nanolite and Duralite ring materials with near-zero wet-line friction, the Black Diamond corrosion-resistant titanium finish, and multi-modulus Bushido blank construction using Japanese fibers and Super Nano resins rolled up to 14 times under high pressure.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market: a global authorized 'Wave Army' dealer network for retail distribution, direct e-commerce through its own website for individual rod builders, and a dedicated 'Dominant' OEM & Private Label program that supplies components to fishing rod manufacturers for incorporation into their branded rods. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with a B2B-heavy component supplier model. Marketing leverages the ProStaff ambassador program, a dedicated Facebook Rod Building Community Group, organic social channels (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram), email newsletters, and digital product catalogs.

Customer segments span hobbyist and professional rod builders, OEM rod manufacturers, and authorized retailers, with no publicly disclosed customer logos or revenue concentration data. The company has accumulated at least 15 industry awards across product lines including EFTTEX 2022 and China Fish 2018 Best New Product, and has maintained an active cadence of new product launches through 2022. No funding rounds, acquisitions, or leadership changes beyond the named CEO (Tom McNamara) are disclosed in the available source material.

Name

American Tackle Company

Legal name

American Tackle Company International, Inc

Website

https://americantackle.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

American Tackle Company International, Inc is a US-based manufacturer and distributor of premium fishing rod components — guides, reel seats, handles, grips, and blanks — selling to rod builders, OEMs, and a global authorized dealer network from offices in Florida, Sweden, and China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fishing Tackle Components

NAICS

Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (3322), Saw Blade and Handtool Manufacturing (332216)

SIC

Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)

akta.pro primary industry

Rods, Reels & Line Specialty Retail (CRAMALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fishing & Tackle Retail (CRAMABAL), Saltwater & Offshore Fishing Specialty Retail (CRAMALAC)

Keywords

• Fishing rod components
• Rod building supplies
• Fishing tackle manufacturing
• Rod guides and reel seats
• Carbon fiber rod blanks

Headquarters

HQ city

Oviedo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fishing Rod Components Sales: Sale of fishing rod components including guides, reel seats, handles, grips, tools, accessories, and rod blanks. Products are sold as individual components to rod builders and as OEM parts to fishing rod manufacturers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

American Tackle Company manufactures and distributes fishing rod components including guides, reel seats, handles, grips, and rod blanks. The company serves OEM rod manufacturers through private label partnerships, authorized dealers via the Wave Army network, and individual rod builders through direct e-commerce. Products feature proprietary technologies such as the award-winning Microwave Guide System, G2 Carbon Handle System, TiForged titanium guides, and Bushido Nanophene blanks.

Product overview

American Tackle Company is a manufacturer and supplier of fishing rod components serving OEMs, private labels, and individual rod builders. The product portfolio centers on five core categories: (1) Rod Guides — including the award-winning Microwave Guide Systems, TiForged titanium guides (standard and Black Titanium snagless variants), Ring Lock guides, Virtus UL offshore guides, and Salvo stainless guides; (2) Reel Seats — the G2 Generation 2 graphite/carbon reel seat family (APEX, VIBE, VIBE2, BRAVO2, WAVE, E-SEAT, X2, DAGGER, P-SEAT) plus AW/AW3 aluminum-bodied seats and CRSD-T seats; (3) Handles & Grips — G2 Carbon Handles (world's only complete carbon handle system), Tsuka 2 Complete Carbon Handle, EVA grip lines (FG, ERG, ERGC, ERGS, XG, ETG, G2HESA, Fight Butts, Rear Split), SRG Shrink Ready Grips, and fighting butts; (4) Rod Blanks — Bushido Warrior blanks (premium multi-material technique-specific), Matrix Power Flex blanks (3K carbon twill/unidirectional), and ATX blanks (E-glass, graphite, graphite composite); (5) Accessories — ProWrap thread, winding checks, RFT shrink tubes (Blue and Black Scales), aluminum seat checks, and ProStaff branded accessories. The company operates globally with offices in Florida (US Southeast Distribution), Sweden (Europe), and Weihai, China.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wave Army: A brand under American Tackle, mentioned in the navigation as 'Wave Army Brands' and referenced as a dealer program ('Join the Wave Army').
• MicroWave Guide System
• ProWrap

Products and services

• Microwave Guide Systems

Quantifiable outcome

• Near-zero coefficient of friction with wet line using proprietary Nanolite and Duralite ring materials
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mud Hole Custom Tackle: Direct competitor and the largest US-based supplier of rod building components, guides, reel seats, blanks, and wrapping supplies to individual rod builders and OEMs. Closely comparable B2B/B2C model and product overlap with American Tackle.
• CRB (Custom Rod Builder): US distributor of rod building components including guides, reel seats, and blanks serving custom rod builders. Directly comparable channel model (component distribution + custom builder community).
• Pacific Bay International: Manufacturer of fishing rod guides, reel seats, and rod components supplying OEM rod builders globally. Direct overlap with American Tackle's guide and reel seat product lines.
• Batson Enterprises: Manufacturer and distributor of rod blanks and components including Mud Hole blank brands, graphite and fiberglass blanks. Direct competitor in rod blank and OEM supply.
• REC Components: Supplier of fishing rod building components including guides, reel seats, handles, and thread. Comparable distribution model serving custom rod builders and OEM manufacturers.
• AFTCO (American Fishing Tackle Co.): Manufacturer of rod components and fishing tackle accessories including guides, gimbals, and rod building hardware. Comparable niche in rod component manufacturing for saltwater and big-game applications.

Broad incumbents

• Fuji (K. Fuji & Co.): Japanese incumbent and the global category leader in fishing rod guides (K-Series, Alconite, SiC rings) supplying nearly every major rod manufacturer. Comparable product category at much greater scale.
• Shimano: Global tackle conglomerate manufacturing rods, reels, and components at scale. Competes with American Tackle in OEM component supply and finished rods, with vastly greater R&D and channel resources.
• Daiwa: Major Japanese tackle manufacturer producing rods, reels, and rod components. Competes broadly in OEM rod component category and finished rod market with global distribution.
• St. Croix Rods: US-based premium rod manufacturer that both produces proprietary rod components and sources from third-party suppliers like American Tackle. Comparable end market with vertically integrated strategy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVlVnBWhsnwUUG5ZrGapLUw
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmericanTackle
• Instagraminstagram.com/americantackle
• Xx.com/AmericanTackle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Tackle Company