Being coached by anglers is part of Sainte-Croix’s DNA, so many of the rods it makes are specifically in demand by anglers, often because they cannot be found anywhere else. Sometimes these rods are made in Park Falls. In other cases, rods that appeal to a wider range of anglers are best delivered by the skilled hands of St. Croix South.

“Stem of the Holy Cross owns and operates a manufacturing facility almost identical to our plant in Park Falls, Wisconsin, Fresnillo, Mexico, ”said Jason Brunner, St. Croix operations manager. “The facilities are the same. The equipment is the same. The technologies, materials and manufacturing processes are the same. The only things that differ are the human hand plays that shape and add value to the best rods on Earth. Some of the rod series currently produced at St. Croix South include Mojo, Bass-X, Triumph, Eyecon, Panfish and Trout.

Brunner reports that although St. Croix has been manufacturing rods in St. Croix South since 2006, the company acquired full ownership of the facility in the spring of last year. “This is a big problem for Sainte-Croix and our fishermen, because we no longer have an intermediary”, explains Brunner. “We are now fully managing operations, which has increased both productivity and quality. ”

Brunner frequently travels to St. Croix South, where he meets with staff to discuss general manufacturing issues, inventory, production schedules, quality assurance procedures, efficiency improvements and more. “These are the same types of challenges that we face on a daily basis in Park Falls,” explains Brunner.

“We have a great team at Fresnillo. If something works particularly well in Park Falls, we try to apply the same concept to St. Croix South. And their creativity and problem solving translates into improvements at Park Falls as well. Every change is made in the best interests of the anglers.

Brunner relies heavily on Plant Manager Jesus Mario Rodriguez to keep operations running smoothly at St. Croix South.