Red Oxx

“Since we live here in Montana, our bags are hand made in Montana instead of offshore. This is our dream to build local jobs for regular people. We looked at redevelopment of our blighted neighborhood. This meant more local jobs and the capacity to grow. There’s only so much time in life to do good work. There’s the heart and soul of Montana in the hands-on touch of the people that work for us that goes into every one of our bags.” says Jim. Today’s Internet capabilities with e-commerce communication, you can VOIP somebody in Scotland for very little money. So, it’s cheap and fast to do global business. You can truly do business while you’re sleeping. “We like to keep in touch with our customers on a personal level and we actually do operate a true retail “brick and mortar” store located in Billings, Montana, only a couple blocks from our factory.” says Jim.

LEAN MANUFACTURING IN AMERICAN INDUSTRY

“Made in America used to stand for mass production and the Unions. As high-tech as we are with our computers, our Internet sales, and customer service, we’re still basically a hand-crafted shop. We overbuild everything to military specifications (Mil Spec) for the civilian market.” says Jim. The questions Red Oxx asks include: “Are you going to build stuff at the mass market level, sacrificing quality for quantity or are you going to build things that are built-to-last in line with classic old world craftsmanship?” That’s where quality becomes perpetual. Built in 1953 as a ball bearing warehouse, Factory #8 is now home to Red Oxx bag manufacturing operations. Urban Renewal, Billings, Montana.“Since we deal directly with the customer, if there’s any kind of problem with the product we can change gears immediately, and rectify the situation. But when you’re dealing with huge sea container loads of goods in the global market place, our kind of personal touch doesn’t occur. The feedback time is too long. Competing bag companies are ordering from China or Vietnam a year in advance. Red Oxx on the other hand, is building your bag one to one.” says Jim. Red Oxx is training the staff with the LEAN Manufacturing training program offered by the Montana Manufacturers Extension Center. The idea behind this was to bring all of the new hires on-line by operating with LEAN principles, and understanding manufacturing theory, and of course, to empower them with self confidence. “What this means is bringing jobs downtown, good paying jobs, not just service jobs, manufacturing jobs, jobs that require skillful training. We’re building bags and worthy careers. We’re looking to improve all the physical properties located around here and build big. So far this is about half-a-block of redevelopment. This would bring small companies to move in adjacent to us, or across the way.” says Jim. Imagine a business model that includes a website and a local brick and mortar store. For example, a meat company, they could sell meat products on the Internet. “Another local renewal project that we’re involved in is called Rescue the Rims. We’ve picked up a couple tons worth of garbage and we’re still trying to get some tow trucks to pull abandoned vehicles from the bottom of the rims.”

WHY FREE TRADE ISN’T FREE

Red Oxx supports corporate responsibility programs. “You can’t fix the whole world, you just have to fix the little part you come in contact with.” says Jim. “Look for opportunities to fix the little parts you can.” For example: Red Oxx uses an accessory product on all of their bags called the Monkey Fist Zip Knot. Red Oxx discovered that a small village in Guatemala ties the zip knots. “Years ago, I would travel to Guatemala and when I visited the village I saw they were living in a rather poor state.” says Jim. Their standard of living was below par, barely at the subsistence level. Imagine this in one of the poorest countries in the world. “Immediately we renegotiated the contract price for the Monkey’s Fist and offered the villagers what the knots were worth. They were being hosed by the other guys! After examining the situation in Guatemala, we decided to invest in a new clean, and dry workshop. Our workers have a nice place to work and cook lunch while they’re tying knots.” says Jim. “The next major need I could see was need for sanitation. There was not a flush toilet around so we decided to invest in a flush toilet and a shower for the workers there. It was their first flush toilet. Consequently, with the sinks, the toilet, and the nice clean workspace, overall sanitation-based health has improved. Their standard of living has started to climb; even little things like owning a radio, reading books, having money to pay school tuition fees, which are paid out of pocket in counties like Guatemala. This has made a major impact by going there and making sure my people are getting paid well.” The Fair Trade experience has been something that Red Oxx is proud of. Therefore, it was quite a surprise when they approached Red Oxx for a micro-loan to build a molino. Spanish for corn grinding mill, molinos are the central hub of village life. Women gather and grind corn every two or three days to keep it fresh. “It’s more of a social program to own a business like this and provide for a community. It was quite a shock they were going entrepreneurial. They became inspired to go out and start their own business. Having a little bit of capital from doing the Monkey’s Fists has allowed them to dream big. It’s going to be a store, living quarters, a laundry facility, and a bathroom all-in-one.” says Jim. “My other project that I’m working on has been the Mossi Nets project in Africa. These mosquito nets help keep malaria at bay there. As a bonus, it keeps dollars local by buying the nets, which are made nearby and that’s a lot different from just writing a check. While there, we do a spot health check, hand out nets, shirts and dresses for little girls and end up going to some real remote locations. So bringing them some rare free healthcare has become a little ray of sunshine in their lives.”

NOBLE WARRANTY IS A “NO BULL” WARRANTY“

A noble warranty is the kind of warranty that I myself like to have for products I buy.” says Jim. When you make an investment with Red Oxx Gear, you expect it to last. In the event that something does happen, you want to be able to get it repaired. “We’re not here to ask you why it happened, just send it back to us and we’ll fix it. If we can’t fix it we’ll ship you a new bag, it’s that simple.” The famous Red Oxx “No Bull” warranty is a safe bet because our bags are built to last. “Once it’s out the door, I don’t want to ever see it again.” says President Perry. Think of it as worry-free peace of mind.📷

RELATED GEAR

Roadster Mini Ruck Rucksack.“I used the Roadster everywhere. Hiking, biking, and I even took it to the beach.” A NOBLE WARRANTY IS A “NO BULL” WARRANTY“A noble warranty is the kind of warranty that I myself like to have for products I buy.” says Jim. When you make an investment with Red Oxx Gear, you expect it to last. In the event that something does happen, you want to be able to get it repaired. “We’re not here to ask you why it happened, just send it back to us and we’ll fix it. If we can’t fix it we’ll ship you a new bag, it’s that simple.” The famous Red Oxx “No Bull” warranty is a safe bet because our bags are built to last. “Once it’s out the door, I don’t want to ever see it again.” says President Perry. Think of it as worry-free peace of mind.

CLASSIC DESIGN

“Your bag will last your lifetime because it’s a classic design. Like a pair of favorite Levis 501 jeans. By making 501 jeans the same for more than a century, there’s a sense of trust. We know they’ll fit every time and how long they’ll last. You can wear them for almost any casual event.” says Jim. Another example is the Tri-fold Nylon Rigger Wallet. “I remember getting one as a kid. I still use mine now,” says Jim. From the Market Tote Green Grocery Bag to your Rigger Wallet to an Airline approved Carry-on Bag for a trip or a School Book Backpack for yourself or your kid, Red Oxx has the kind of gear meant for use in every day living. Be sure to sign up for our Red Oxx Field Report email Newsletter to stay up to date about events such as Oxx Fest, new products, Limited Special Edition colors, Red Eye Collective limited edition prototype bags, helpful packing videos, fun travel stories, and more.