Displaying What’s Important
Driving down a dirt road, sporadic open pasture between aspen groves and pine trees, rain coming down at a steady fall, I already had a good feeling about where we were going. We were still in the early hours of morning just east of Bozeman, MT and on a mission to pick up new display fixtures for the N40 Lewiston Fly Shop.
The morning had started off with concern but sometimes luck has a funny way of showing itself. We awoke that morning to heavy rain and a rental pickup with no topper, so the thought of buying a tarp from our competition wasn’t sitting well. Fortunately Wayne Wike just happened to be in town- with his suburban. So after a brief but delicious morning meet at Sobe’s (providing rocket fuel in the form of huevos rancheros and breakfast burritos) we not only commandeered a solution to keeping our fly shop displays dry, but got the added bonus of a full tank of gas and XM radio. Wayne got stuck with a truck that had half a tank of gas, a radio that wasn’t working, and the rental car bill (thanks for taking one for the team Wayne).
As we rounded the final corner the workshop came into view and that good feeling that had been growing all morning was fully realized. I thought to myself, "Yep, this is where we should be buying our fly displays from." We were at Adam and Son’s workshop, which pleasantly felt more like a home then a shop. We were welcomed by Mary Adams, equal parts wife and helping hand, and after some pleasantries we entered the shop to find Jim Adams putting the final touches on our soon to be fly shop displays.
Jim’s workshop had the familiar feel that I have grown to enjoy about wood shops. Raw stock waiting to be shaped, a variety of tools and machines to accommodate just about any set of design demands, and a fine layer of dust to remind you that this was a place where work was done. Jim greeted us and after discussing my dream of having half the tools and shop space he has, we began to go over the assembly of our new displays. The displays were beautiful. They were crafted entirely of white oak and stained golden brown. Craftsmanship was obvious. The dovetails fit tightly, the pre-drilled inserts aligned perfectly. The quality could be seen and felt. Not only did the displays look great, but they were more than just aesthetic. Jim described the function of his designs. How they create angles to catch the eye. How they allow the products to be easily inspected and picked up. Form and function out of a display. And here I thought displays was just to make our rods look pretty.
Sam finished placing cork inserts in the rod display and Jim went over how each piece was to be attached and secured. When we were done Mary finished wrapping and boxing each display and the suburban was loaded for the trip to Lewiston, ID.
The rain had slowed and become a softer presence, and as we huddled around the shop’s entrance, looking out under Mary’s thick arch of hops vines, I was once again reminded of why it is so great being in this business. This business brings passions together. Be it selling products to people so they can do what they love or building product displays because of your love for craft and design, this business puts us in touch with truly talented and passionate people.
Jim said something as we were leaving that stuck with me. "We aren’t a fixture shop. We aren’t a cabinet shop. We are a design solution." I was immediately brought back to something Sam tells us each week, "Be larger than just what you do." Jim seems to understand this concept well, and as we drove away I was excited to get to Lewiston and set up the displays. It had less to do with improving our fly rod displays and more to do with the feeling that what we are trying to accomplish, as a company, is so much more than just selling products and services. And that is a thought that makes the miles well worth it.
