I received a couple of blanks from Rodgeeks about 3 weeks ago - they were inshore blank - MH 12-20#. Anyway, there was a line that was visible from the butt to the tip - it looked like a joint in the Scrim on both blanks. I have tried to contact them with 4 emails and 4 voicemails - I have received NO RESPONSE!
I have never bought blanks with just the clear coat on them and like the rings I see but I couldn’t try and sell these blanks the linear lines visual like they are.
I have been VERY satisfied with all the other blanks (all painted) I have purchased from them - but the lack of response from them is unacceptable!
I realize we are in some crappy times but I really don’t get this!
Anyone else have any issues with them like this ?

Jon Hood

RodGeeks has recently had a change in ownership, or perhaps a "consolidation" is a more appropriate description. Hopefully you'll get a response soon. As they are not sponsors here, do not expect them to see your post. I'd keep up with the emails or perhaps try giving them a phone call.

................

Yes - I read that on one of your earlier posts Tom. I have left them 3 phone messages as well - they don’t answer. I even sent an email to St Crox in a desperation attempt - BUT - I will continue !

Jon Hood

Seems I am having issues as well. I had a problem on one of their reel seats and sent them an email from their website, over a week ago and still no response . This is not the company I have done business with since the day they opened the doors. They were exceptional on customer support.

Tom

Agreed - they have always been excellent with any issues. Hopefully - whatever changes they have going on will be over soon and they will remain a good source for blanks/seats.

Jon Hood



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2020 04:32PM by Jon Hood.

Were any of these blanks the SCV blanks, or were they the other models? I certainly hope they return to being a reliable company. I’m still not adapted to losing the full St. Croix blank line.

They were not the SCV blanks - but it doesn’t really matter if you can’t get in touch with anyone - like I said before - received the blanks 4 weeks ago now and I’m 6 emails, 6 left messages with 0 response!

Jon Hood

It’s just that the SCV are the one’s I use, and I believe they are still made in Park Falls and only painted in Fresnillo. If that has changed, I‘d want to know.

Well - you sure can’t get in touch with them to find out!

Jon Hood

I don't want to thread jack but it stands to reason all of you in this post have bought from rodgeeks.

For those that used to buy the old St. Croix's and have now bought the rodgeek blanks.......do you feel they are 100% equivalent?

I loved St. Croix blanks and am very sad to see I can't buy the SC3 and SC4 inshore blanks anymore. Yet St. Croix still seems to be selling the finished rods. What's up with that?

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

I have been reading the rodgeeks website and they say they are similar but not exactly the same as St. Croix. The website says they are basically making the same rods as St. Croix but in a factory in Mexico rather than USA.

From their website:

RODgeeks is brought to you by Axiom North America, LLC, which is a joint venture between St. Croix of Park Falls, and Rapsody, Inc. We own and operate a modern, state-of-the-art fishing rod factory that is located in central Mexico, where we produce several thousand fishing rods every week. We have the equipment, the expertise, and the experience to guarantee that every RODgeeks rod and blank is built to the highest standards.

St. Croix and the parent company of RODgeeks (Axiom North America) co-operate a factory in Fresnillo, Mexico, and have been producing rods for over 10 years. This is where every RODgeeks blank has always been produced. The only blanks we sell that are not made in this facility are those marked as St. Croix SCV blanks. SCV blanks are made in Park Falls, Wisconsin in St. Croix’s USA factory, and are marked as such in their product descriptions.

Most RODgeeks blanks are the same as St. Croix blanks, just produced in our factory in Mexico instead of the St. Croix factory in Wisconsin. We use the same designs, same materials, same mandrels, same production processes, but we market them as RODgeeks blanks. The power and actions of corresponding models are identical.

Here is a quick cross reference:

Carbon 2 Series = St. Croix SCII blanks

Carbon 4 Series = St. Croix SCIV blanks

Carbon 4 Fly Rod Series = St. Croix SCIV materials

Carbon 2 Inshore Series = St. Croix SCII Inshore blanks

Carbon 2 Musky Series = St. Croix SCII Mojo Musky blanks

We do not have SCIII blanks, however our Carbon 4 blanks (which are the same as SCIV blanks) offer you an even higher level of performance at a great price. We offer these blanks at prices comparable to SCIII blanks that were sold in the past.
We will be adding more blanks to our lineup. RODgeeks has always been responsive to the requests rod builders. As has been our practice, blanks are added to our lineup based on customer demand. Do you want us to offer a model that is not currently in the lineup? Email us at info@rodgeeks.com and we will consider your request.

RODgeeks does not have a retail store front, but we do have an office in Upstate New York and a showroom with all our blank and rod offerings. If you're ever in the Albany area feel free to contact us first to set up an appointment! ([email protected])

RODgeeks
7 Avis Drive
Unit B
Latham, NY 12110



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/2020 09:15AM by Kent Griffith.

So I decided to look up this parent company Axiom North America, LLC... and found this:

Axiom: Winning New Business without New Investment

Axiom had already been manufacturing fishing rods at Entrada Group’s Fresnillo, Zacatecas facility in central Mexico for some 10 years. The company grew thanks to the high-quality production from its Mexico plant and by virtue of proximity to customers in the U.S. The company was eager to start a new business line of made-to-order fishing blanks (the long, thin, shaft-like part of the fishing rod) that would be sold to people who build custom fishing rods. To make it fly, however, hinged on finding a cost-effective import process.

Normally, Axiom would have had to pay import processing fees for each individual order shipped to the U.S., and these fees would often exceed the value of the order itself. So, Entrada worked for two years with Axiom to find a better solution, which entailed grouping orders together into batches, and importing several as one bulk shipment. This spread the processing fees over several customer orders and enabled direct-to-consumer shipments from the factory in Mexico.

RODgeeks – A Good Catch, a New Distro Channel and Sales Growth
With Entrada’s smart solution to reduce the import fee burden in place, Axiom was able to launch its innovative new direct-order business unit, RODgeeks. Customers now buy made-to-order fishing rod blanks online directly from this leading manufacturer of high-quality fishing gear. Each order is shipped directly to the customer from Mexico, rather than going through a distributor in the U.S., cutting costs and saving time.

While the bulk shipment import duty solution arranged by Entrada was the key to unlocking this new line of business, RODgeeks’ success depends on harnessing Entrada’s existing infrastructure and compliance framework. Axiom was able to make this new business model work thanks to the proven reliability of the manufacturing process at Entrada’s facilities in Mexico.

A Strong Cast: Thousands of Units Direct to Consumer
Axiom now manufactures several hundred thousand fishing rods per year in Mexico. Previously, all rods needed to be inspected at Axiom facilities in Wisconsin, adding significant delay and expense. Now, however, because quality control is performed directly at Entrada’s manufacturing campus in Mexico, only a small sample need be inspected in the U.S. This is a big advantage and it speaks to the level of trust Axiom has in Entrada’s manufacturing support platform. Production quality in Fresnillo is so high that the rods can be shipped directly to consumers, without the need for inspection in the U.S.

RODgeeks now ships thousands of rod blanks directly to consumers and only needs three days lead time to process an order and 7-10 days for delivery. This compares to competitors in China, which generally require a 90-day production lead time and another 30 days for sea shipment. RODgeeks also provides customization, which is a unique value proposition.

Why Entrada?
“We went with Entrada, first, because it is a U.S.-based company, so we could relate to their business values and practices, which was quite important. Second was operating costs,” said Bob Penicka, President of Axiom Industries. “The package they offered was very competitive. Third was the stability of the workforce. And the fourth and biggest deciding factor was that we really like and respect Paul Karon and Doug Donahue, the two principals in the business,” he added.

Bob Penicka, President, Axiom Industries

“We went with Entrada, first, because it is U.S.-based…Second was operating costs…Third was stability of the workforce … And the fourth and deciding factor was that we really like and respect Paul Karon and Doug Donahue, the two principals in the business.”

Download the Axiom case study.

Contact information for Axiom North America Llc.

Address
333 BRODWAY TROY NY 121 LATHAM NY 12110 US

Included with one website on Axiom it shows U.S. Customs bills of lading FROM China and Taiwan which lists Fishing tackle boxes, Fishing reels, fishing pliers, fishing rod case, but no rods:

2018-12-21 AXIOM NORTH AMERICA LLC.
EOUSUN INTERNATION ENTERPRISES LTD.
FISHING TACKLE BOX, FISHING REELS, FISHING PLIERS
BILL OF LADING

2018-12-10 AXIOM NORTH AMERICA LLC.
NICHE SUMMIT CO., LTD.
FISHING ROD CASE
BILL OF LADING

2018-12-07 AXIOM NORTH AMERICA LLC.
EOUSUN INTERNATION ENTERPRISES LTD.
FISHING TACKLE BOX, FISHING REELS, FISHING PLIERS

In looking this Rapsody, Inc. I am finding 4 trademarks under this name... all 4 of them for marketing fishing rods.

RAPSODY, INC.
Company Number
3420451
Status
Active
Incorporation Date
4 October 2006 (about 14 years ago)
Company Type
DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION
Jurisdiction
New York (US)
Registered Address
17 JULIANS WAY
SARATOGA
12866
NEW YORK
United States
Previous Names
RAPSODY, INC.
Directors / Officers
ROBERT A. PENICKA, dos process agent
ROBERT A. PENICKA, chief executive officer


Mark Image
Registration | Serial TrademarkApplication Date
RODGEEKS 4540032 85921210 RODGEEKS 2013-05-02
HOT ROD 4574211 85628927 HOT ROD 2012-05-18
MAESTRO 3737310 77026160 MAESTRO 2006-10-20
RAPSODY 3737300 77014523 RAPSODY 2006-10-05

Axiom Strengthens Their Commitment to Central Mexico Manufacturing with a Five-year Lease Extension through Entrada Group
FRI, OCT 18, 2013 18:21 CET

Austin, Texas (October 18, 2013) - Axiom, a joint venture between Wisconsin-based fishing rod manufacturer St. Croix Rods and Rapsody, Inc., has agreed to a second five-year lease and shelter contract extension with Entrada Group in their central Mexico manufacturing facility, located in Fresnillo, Zacatecas. The agreement offers Axiom new growth opportunities, as they begin to produce fishing rods for the online and private label markets.

The company’s Zacatecas location not only offers Axiom access to cost-competitive labor, it helps introduce new topline expansion. “Manufacturing in central Mexico gives us a strategic advantage not found in other global production locations,” said Bob Penicka, President Axiom Industries. “The area offers an excellent quality work force and outstanding transportation infrastructure. Our presence in Mexico also enables us to explore new opportunities in the North and South American markets.”

Axiom’s decision to extend the lease was also based on central Mexico’s growing international reputation for quality and flexibility in manufacturing. “We had concerns about the quality levels of our previous manufacturer and transparency issues with our overseas suppliers,” Penicka added. “Central Mexico offers higher quality manufacturing and reputable suppliers, as well as the flexibility we need when it comes to adjusting to seasonal swings in demand and managing the introduction of new products and technologies.”

Axiom’s Fresnillo facility produces a wide range of fishing rods and enables comprehensive design capabilities that support their unique customer requirements. Their agreement with the Entrada Group includes full-service facilities management within Entrada’s state-of-the-art industrial park, as well as comprehensive access to the full support of Entrada’s shared services center, which handles HR and recruitment, payroll, finance, transport and logistics, IT and more.

About Axiom:

Axiom is a joint venture that is owned and operated by St. Croix Of Park Falls, LTD., and Rapsody, Inc. The principals are Paul Schluter, President, St. Croix, and Bob Penicka, President, Rapsody Inc. Established in 2007, Axiom began operations in their Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico factory in 2008.

About Entrada Group:

Headquartered in Texas, Entrada Group is a leading manufacturing shelter operator. It partners with international manufacturers seeking to enhance their competitiveness in the global market by swiftly and easily establishing a cost competitive production facility in Central Mexico to serve North and South American, as well as European, markets. On behalf of the manufacturer, Entrada Group assists with the strategic, legal and practical requirements of setting up operations in Central Mexico, and also provides ongoing production support (G&A) services, which leaves the client free to focus fully on its key competency: manufacturing great products.

Contact

In the US:

Cameron Heffernan

Mach Media

Phone: +1 315-395-3374

cameron.heffernan@machmediagroup.com

In Europe:

Taunya Renson-Martin

Mach Media

Phone: +32 9 26 20 330

taunya.renson@machmedia.be



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/2020 05:40PM by Kent Griffith.

I have to wonder if we are now seeing this venture unraveling?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/2020 05:15PM by Kent Griffith.

The plant in Mexico is now a wholey owned subsidiary of st. Croix. I believe all employees are now considered st Croix employees. Bob Penicka and his wife were bought out and are no longer there I assume. Hate that as he was very good to talk to.

If you check st croix's advertisements you'll note they actually now say some of their entry level rods are made in.......Mexico.. for quite some time the carbon series blanks have been exactly the same as st.croix blanks. The sc V blanks are still made in the US but being only sold through Rodgeeks.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/2020 02:08PM by Harry Glenn.

Thanks for that info Harry. I was going to do a post about this very same subject.



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/2020 05:44PM by Kent Griffith.

WOW ! Opened up a 55 gal drum of worms!!!
So does anyone have a clue as to what will happen moving forward?

Jon Hood

as far a Rodgeeks the word after the purchase by St, Croix was that things would continue as they had previously, with perhaps less new designs coming forward. All of the Bass line of blanks were new designs by RodGeeks although they used the same material as Croix.

if they simply fix their responsiveness to customers I would think things would go back to normal.
keep in mind the only thing new is the ownership and Bob and his wife leaving(which could be the issue here).. Ownership of the plant is a big thing in my mind verses out sourcing to some plant you don't own.



I'm a big fan of their blanks both graphite and Glass. Quality stuff

Harry Glenn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> keep in mind the only thing new is the ownership
> and Bob and his wife leaving(which could be the
> issue here).. Ownership of the plant is a big
> thing in my mind verses out sourcing to some plant
> you don't own.


According to what I found concerning the trademarks, those were owned by Bob Penicka and his company Rapsody, Inc.

And the Entrada deal was through Bob Penicka's company Axiom.

So out of curiosity here, exactly what did St. Croix buy out? Just the factory plant in central Mexico?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/2020 05:44PM by Kent Griffith.

I have to chuckle just a bit about the discussion about things over which none of us have any control - or even any need to know anything about.

A person or persons buy or sell a company and the business runs. It may make good products or bad products. If the products meet the needs of the clients, they products will continue to have a market - if not - the sales will fall and the company will go out of business.

Yes, it is fine to buy American products from American companies. But remember, there are huge numbers of highly intelligent folks in all parts of the world with amazing work ethics. The geographic location of a person or a company really has 0 to do with the final quality of a product. I have seen a lot of some very bad and poor quality products come from American companies producing items in America. I have also seen some products made in non American locations that are only made in these locations and are of an indescribable wonderful quality and function.

In today's global economy, the location of a production facility or the nationality of the company management or production staff is really not important. The only thing that is important is whether the product that has been ordered and received by whomever has produced the product in what ever location in the world has produced the item and has sold the product at a price that is affordable by the person making the purchase and at a quality with which the client is well satisfied.

The day's of saying that products made in China are universally low quality is simply not true. Simply consider the fact that as far as I know, there is no production for any significant production of electronic related items in the USA any more. Rather, the production facilities are virtually all off shore. East, west, north or south - but seldom manufactured in the USA any more.
In a word - cost of production.
The typical hourly cost of a production worker in the USA is likely in the realm of $50-$75 per hour - when one takes into account all of the costs related to having a worker work in a production facility in the usa. Take the hourly cost paid to the worker. Then, add in the cost of employer paid sick leave, vacation, retirement benefits, etc. etc. and the costs go up.

In contrast - in many foreign nations, the worker themselves receive a much lower wage - with few to no sick leave, vacation, or retirement benefits. Hence, the cost of doing business in many of these foreign nations is just a fraction of the cost of doing business in the USA.

-----------------
Lets go close to home: Rod building.

Lets just consider the cost of labor. - for the time being set aside the cost of materials.

Now, go to many different foreign nations who produce fishing rods. A fishing rod consists of a rod blank, a grip, a reel seat and guides.
Assuming that the blank, grip and reel seat are all sized t fit together for the person building the rod - how much time do you think that is needed to assemble the rod?
I am guessing that in many of the rod factories around the world that a complete rod is built in less than an hour. i.e. start to finish .

One might say, that number is impossible - but actually it is not. As with anything - with prefitted items, and folks who do this hundreds of times a day, and always doing exactly the same thing, the job is done very well and very quickly.

So, lets also assume that the person is getting $8 per hour as may very well be the case or maybe much less in some of these countries.

So, now, setting aside the cost of the components - the labor cost going into the rod is $8.

I now have to ask the reader - would you build your custom rod for $8 in labor?

That, in a nut shell is why products are built elsewhere and are imported to, and purchased by - American consumers.