Rebrod: Major Rod Manufacture in Cozy Hometown

I had to recheck my GPS unit one more time. I wasn’t lost. I had been to Flippin, Arkansas before and visited a renowned boat company. This time I was going to visit a major rod manufacturing and blank making company. As I drove through Flippin, I wondered how many of the residents knew that this cozy little town was well-known not just for the boat company, but a rod building and blank making company. The reason why I had to recheck the GPS unit was the size of the building at the address. I really thought it would be slightly smaller. What I found inside the large building was a facility able to take raw graphite and turn it into high quality graphite blanks that could be used for all kinds of fishing rods including bait casting, spinning, and fly rods. The history of Rebrod goes back to 1976 when Ray Bauer and his dad Clarence moved down to Flippin to start a rod manufacturing company. When they started the work was all private label and contract rod manufacturing. Today, Rebrod has the ability to build blanks to the required specifications for large rod manufactures to custom rod builders.

One turning point that changed Rebrod forever was acquiring the machinery to build their own rod blanks. No longer was Rebrod dealing with outside manufactures for blanks; now they could produce their own to sell and supply other companies. That was back in 1999. Interestingly, the machinery did not come with any instructions. So, Ray challenged himself to learn everything about rod building and designing blanks. “You want each blank to act a certain way for a certain reason,” Ray continued, “I pay attention to detail and use only quality materials; everyone has 6 ½-foot blanks, so do we, but our niche is making blanks that no one makes.” An example of this niche is the L’ll Streamer fly rod designed and built only by Rebrod.

Rebrod has a different marketing strategy than the majority of other rod manufactures. They do not sell directly to anglers; instead Rebrod sells blanks and finished rods online at www.dorbeR.com – The Global dorbeR Group, Inc. Jeff Bleiler is co-partner and manager of The Global dorbeR Group, Inc. Rebrod has no sales force. It’s all by word of mouth. “We specialize in working with small start up rod builders,” Ray continued, “our motto is what we can do to make your fishing trip more pleasurable, having the right rod can make all the difference.”

Are you looking for a new rod to buy, or maybe you are a custom rod builder looking for specific blanks, or a major manufacture looking for a supply of blanks or finished rods? Maybe a rod blank made in the USA. Rebrod can do it all. Amazingly it all happens in a small cozy town in the foothills of the Ozarks.

Written by Brad Wiegmann.  Brad is a professional fishing guide on Beaver Lake and a freelance outdoor writer.  Contact him at (479) 756-5279, www.bradwiegmann.com, or by e-mail at bwiegmann@bradwiegmann.com.