PARK FALLS, WIS. (April 16, 2025) – St. Croix Rod has been proudly handcrafting the Best Rods on Earth – from start to finish – in Park Falls, Wisconsin for 77 years. Here, at least 32 sets of hands combine the best raw materials, components, and technologies, transforming them into premium fishing tools that give anglers the upper hand in any situation. True, we use advanced machines, computers and tooling – and that equipment has continually evolved over the past seven decades – but it’s always been guided and executed by skilled and passionate craftsmen, the vast majority of whom are anglers, just like you.
Best Rods on Earth
Best Rods on Earth is not simply a marketing slogan, nor is it intended to be boastful. It’s a guiding statement that represents who we always want to be; a daily affirmation that reminds, encourages and empowers every St. Croix team member to be angler-driven in their work. Simply stated, the pride and satisfaction our anglers experience with a St. Croix rod is our only pride and satisfaction as a company. Our promise is kept when we deliver rods that elevate on-the-water experiences, and back them up with what we believe to be the best service and warranty in the industry.
Vertical American and North American Manufacturing
Within the realm of fishing, vertical suggests a presentation that covers any part of the water column directly beneath the angler. In the context of manufacturing, vertical means owning or exercising increased control over all elements within the value chain. Vertically integrated manufacturing provides significant benefits when it comes to product manufacturing, assembly, and supply, including reduced lead times, increased quality, and cost control, to name a few – all of which benefit our anglers.
St. Croix Rod is a vertically integrated American company and aspires every day to become even more so. Exercising our own control over every aspect of design and manufacturing is what allows us to deliver you – our anglers – with complete control on the water.
To this end, we own and operate our two factories in Park Falls, Wisconsin and Fresnillo, Mexico without reliance upon anyone else’s rod blank designs, manufacturing, or employees. We are free to innovate, and that continual innovation is evidenced in the new rods we deliver each year possessing unique combinations of technologies, materials, performance, and value that improve the angling experience.
Our vertical control also extends to service. We employ a team of 11 Angler Guides who come to work in the Guide Center every day in our Park Falls factory. These are the real people you speak with when you call or email our Guide Center with general questions about rod selection, service, warranty, fishing presentations, or any other needs. Angler satisfaction is their full-time job and only objective.
A Family of Anglers
Today’s anglers have more choices than ever. In a marketplace full of brands, it can be challenging for anglers to learn or understand “who” or “what” a brand really is. That’s why we’re putting out this message; we want anglers to better understand who and what we are. Above all, know that St. Croix is a family of anglers.
If you fish our rods, thank you; you will always be the most important part of the St. Croix Family. If have yet to experience one of the over 800 distinct fishing rods we design and handcraft, we encourage you to visit one of our retailers to learn more about which premium, high-performance St. Croix rods are best for you and your fishing. Triumph is the world’s best-selling North-American-made freshwater and saltwater rod series, starting at just $105. Our diverse U.S.-built portfolio of rods begins with Premier – the best-selling American-made rod series – and also includes Victory, Avid Series, and all of our Legend Series rods. We also offer one of the most significant and diverse catalog of saltwater rods by any manufacturer, foreign or domestic.
The St. Croix Family also extends to encompass our employees, dealers, ambassadors, rod testers, and our ownership. All play key roles in putting anglers first with the highest levels of performance, quality, service, and value.
Who exactly owns St. Croix you might ask? St. Croix has been owned by the Schluter family for the last 48 years; Gordan Schluter, and today, Gordon’s adult children, Dave, Jeff, Paul, and Pam. Couple this family ownership with premium quality and performance plus a 77-year heritage of American manufacturing, and you can begin to understand and appreciate how truly unique St. Croix is in the fishing marketplace.
Ultimately though, it’s all about the rods, and there’s never been a better time to improve your fishing experiences with premium St. Croix quality, performance, value, and service.
Whether a father-and-son Canadian fly-out, an inshore adventure, catching bluegills in a farm pond, or competing in the Bassmaster Classic, rest assured your handcrafted St. Croix fishing rods have been proudly conceived and delivered – start to finish in North America – to maximize your success and satisfaction on the water.
Planning a trip to the Northwoods of Wisconsin? We’d love to host you for a guided Factory Tour so you can experience, firsthand, the technology, passionate care, and precision craftsmanship required to produce the Best Rods on Earth. Call 715-997-3950 or email [email protected].
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