EP58: The Evolution of a 32-Year American Manufacturer: The Story of TigerTough

In this episode of the ASOM Pod, hosts Jimmy Kim (CEO of eCom Email Marketer, formally Founder of Sendlane) and Amer Grozdanic (CEO of Praella)sit down down with Sheldon Zitzmann from TigerTough, a Minnesota–based company that makes ultra-durable seat covers for hard-working vehicles and even harder-working people. From humble beginnings in 1993 to a full-on brand transformation in 2016, Sheldon shares how Tiger Tough went from sewing custom interiors to going all-in on rugged, U.S.-made seat protection.

Forget chasing trends, this is a story about choosing focus, building in the U.S., and showing up for the blue-collar customer with killer products and content.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why TigerTough ditched custom work to go all-in on branded products.
• The real challenges of keeping manufacturing in the U.S.
• How they’ve built trust with fleets and direct-to-consumer buyers.
• The power of niche content (torture tests, anyone?) in driving sales.
• How a small-town mindset fuels smart decisions and big moves.
• Why marketing to blue-collar America takes authenticity, not fluff.
• The value of resilience, speed, and customer obsession in brand building.
  

If you’re into building niche, no nonsense products that people rely on every day this one’s for you.

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Big shoutout to our sponsors who make this podcast possible!

Omnisend — With 125,000+ eCommerce merchants, Omnisend is the all-in-one email & SMS marketing platform built to deliver seamless, personalized experiences via email and sms with ease. Learn more at https://www.omnisend.com/

LiveRecover — Live Agents for eCommerce — Get more out of your revenue strategy with real-time SMS engagement and sales recovery for higher ROI. Learn more at https://www.LiveRecover.com

Kintsugi — AI that monitors, files, and optimizes sales tax for you. Eliminate your tax headaches forever. Mention ASOM for 3 months free at https://www.TryKintsugi.com

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00:00 Teaser Trailer

00:50 Intro to The ASOM Pod

01:24 Small Town Life in Vesta, Minnesota

04:38 The Origin of TigerTough

06:11 The Evolution of the Business

13:23 Challenges and Innovations in Manufacturing

20:54 Marketing and Sales Strategies

28:43 Exploring Product Durability and Expansion

29:12 Venturing Beyond Seat Covers

32:16 Manufacturing in the USA

36:14 Challenges and Rewards of Domestic Production

38:26 Sales Strategies and Market Penetration

48:25 Marketing and Content Creation

48:54 Reflections and Future Plans

58:15 Final Thoughts and Advice

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Follow Jimmy Kim at:

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Follow Bryan MacDonald at:

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Follow Amer Grozdanic at:a

X: https://www.twitter.com/@AmerGrozdanic

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amer-grozdanic

IG: https://www.instagram.com/@amergrozdanic

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amergrozdanic

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