32 pairs of hands make each st. croix rod
It takes a lot of hands to produce a St. Croix fishing rod — 32 pairs to be more precise… and sometimes more. The point is that every rod we manufacture is carefully crafted, assembled and tested by passionate professionals who want to ensure you have the best fishing experience possible. Get to know the men and women behind the St. Croix brand.
Featured Hands
Jake Hilgart
Everyone likes putting stickers on things, right? So satisfying. Jake Hilgart does it for a living in the Finishing Department of our Park Falls factory. More correctly, Jake perfectly places each St. Croix rod onto its decal using a custom jig and lasers. Now, that’s Zen-level stickering! His co-workers say Jake is always a breath of fresh air… smart, funny, super easy going, and fun – a part of his personality that’s reflected by the crazy Hawaiian shirts he often wears to work. Jake’s favorite fish species to target is walleye and his favorite St. Croix rod series is AVID. Jake celebrates his one-year work anniversary with St. Croix later this summer.
Jake Schmidt
It takes 32 sets of hands plus a factory full of high-tech machinery and equipment to craft the Best Rods on Earth. St. Croix Maintenance Technician, Jake Schmidt, keeps all those hands moving by helping ensure all the equipment and machines they rely on are running smoothly. A fixture in our Park Falls factory for the past 12 years, Jake starts most days completing preventative maintenance to make sure production runs flawlessly. Most days also include some type of construction project… from building a custom display in the Factory Store to patching a roof. Jake appreciates the small-town atmosphere in Park Falls, as well as being able to get the job done while still having a good time. Jake loves targeting big barracuda in the salt whenever he gets the chance, and his favorite rod series is (what else?) Legend Xtreme!
Melissa Hill
A member of the St. Croix Family for over 18 years, Melissa Hill – or Lisa as she’s known around here – worked 12 years as a tape wrapper before transitioning to home winding for a short time while taking care of her mother. She’s been back taping blanks full time in our Park Falls factory since last year, and we’re sure glad she is. Tape wrapping is a critical step in the blank-fabrication process that keeps all materials tight around the mandrel after tacking and rolling and prior to curing. Lisa is all about family and will do anything to
help… anywhere and at any time!
