Courtesy / Rugged Seas
Totes by Rugged Seas in Cape Elizabeth utilize recycled fishermen’s “bibs.”
Updated: May 18, 2020
Maine fishing family turns fishermen’s pants into totes and more
Courtesy / Rugged Seas
Taylor and Nikki Strout run their startup, Rugged Seas, from their home.
A fisherman’s family was going to wait out the pandemic before launching their new company, which turns hauling pants that have been worn on the water into backpacks, totes and other products.
But the first batch of inventory received so much interest, primarily at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum in early March, that Taylor and Nikki Strout decided to push forward.
“So many people reached out to us that Nikki started to sell through Instagram,” Taylor Strout told Mainebiz. “We sold about $3,000 worth of merchandise within two weeks. We did $8,000 at the forum.”
That was for 25 totes and backpacks. The couple have sold another 65 in the last two months.
Prices range from $70 for the Bib Pack, a backpack, to $99 for the Seaworthy Tote.
The Strouts named their company Rugged Seas, a reflection of the challenging lifestyle of the fisherman as well as the tough material that goes into the products. The website went live in early May.
Taylor Strout grew up in Cape Elizabeth, fishing with his father out of Portland. He later fished in Alaska, went to work on tugboats in the Gulf of Mexico, then ended up back in Alaska. He now works there for a Seattle company, Global Seas, with boats harvesting pollock and cod. He divides his time between Alaska and Maine.
In Maine, he fishes with his father and cousins, but mainly likes to spend time with his wife and their children. Fishing in Alaska is more lucrative, he said.
“It enables me, when I’m home, to just be home and be dad,” he said.
He and Nikki grew up in Cape Elizabeth. Nikki worked as a nurse practitioner up until a couple of months ago. She now spends her time taking care of the family and the burgeoning company.
The idea for the company goes back to 2012. The Alaska fishermen he knew had clothing printed with images that represented their fisheries. He returned to Maine with he idea of offering hooded sweatshirts, or hoodies, that could be printed with images specific to a fishery, such as a lobster gauge or tuna rod.
He made the designs himself and engaged Rogue Wear in Lewiston to print the hoodies. The couple has sold about 40 per month through Hamilton Marine and Vessel Services in Portland.
“We started talking about what else we could be doing and how else can we bring attention to the fishing community,” he said.
The couple realized there was an opportunity to recycle hauling pants, which are called “bibs” and are made from heavy-duty, waterproof polyester.
“So we said, ‘What about the hauling pants?’ Nikki Strout said. “Everybody wears them. And they just get thrown away when they’re worn out. ‘What can we do with them?’”
They washed some bibs and were able to get them really clean.
“Taylor said, ‘What if we can make bags out of these?’” she recalled.
They took the idea to Hamilton Marine and Vessel Services, which agreed to serve as drop sites for fishermen to recycle their old, used bibs. Pratt Abbott, a dry-cleaning company, washes the worn gear. The cleaned bibs are then delivered to Rogue Wear, where the material is laid out, cut and sewn into bags.
The couple also works with Guy Cotton, a New Bedford, Mass., company that has been making hauling pants for over 50 years, to recycle their remnant material to make bags that are part bib material and part canvas. Kast Branding in Portland created the brand.
“Guys drop off the bibs, we pick them up and bring them to Pratt Abbott in Portland,” said Taylor. “They clean, fold and stack them. They came up with a special scrub that leaves the scratches and character on the material. Then I take that batch and drive to Rogue Wear, where I’ll also pick up another order of bags. Lots of driving around.”
The couple packages up orders and ships from their home.
The startup was self-financed and has grown slowly from profits.
“My mom and her husband kept encouraging us and saying, ‘You’ve got to do more with this company. There’s so much you can do,’” said Nikki. “We were so nervous and hesitant. We decided, ‘We’ll never know unless we try.’”
The products now include totes, packs, clutches, watch caps, trucker caps and hoodies. In development is a duffel bag that can also be worn as a backpack.
Courtesy / Jennifer Heidrich, Mint & Thistle Co.
The lower half of a Rugged Seas pack is made from recycled fishermen’s pants. The canvas top comes from Guy Cotton in Massachusetts.
There’s also a sense of mission. The couple plan to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Maine Lobstermen’s Association and Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.
“We told them once our website went live we would start tracking the percentage of profits that will go to each organization,” said Nikki.
“I started to design the hoodies because I wanted the guys to be recognized for their efforts,” said Taylor. “I wanted to raise awareness about the working waterfront. There are so many people who travel from away to come to Maine; they always want to take a piece with them.
"A lot of times they purchase a product, but nothing goes to the fishermen, and fishermen are the reason why people are here in the first place. This is a way for people to take something home with them and also leave something for the working waterfront and for the communities that depend on it.”
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