Like any good origin story, it started when I was young, and my parents greatly influenced it. Several of my memories from growing up are centered around doing things with my parents. Even when I was young, I remember canoe trips, sometimes with our Irish Setter, Duke, and camping out in our big blue and yellow canvas tent that you could stand up in with simple window flaps that used simple tie strings to hold them up. As I got older, I became active in scouting, where I believed the lure of outdoor adventure took hold of my soul. The bigger trips, like multi-day 50 Milers on the Appalachian Trail, the journey to Mount Katahdin and sailing camp in the Keys exposed me to the many visual wonders nature can provide as well as the settling effect it has on the mind and soul, especially now in the digital age.
So, here is the point in the story: we jump ahead a couple decades ago. With more than a couple of years of experience as an Industrial Designer, a move to Colorado (to fuel that need for Outdoor Adventure) and a newfound interest in Off-Roading after purchasing a 5th Gen 4Runner, the gears in the brain started to turn. Like many other entrepreneurs, the thinking was, “If I am not satisfied with what is available in the market, why do I not design my own products and sell them.” So that is what I did. It started as a small local business in Colorado, but we also ship to the other lower 47 states.
Did you catch that point about more than a couple of years of experience as an Industrial Designer? Let me translate that a little more. Industrial Designers develop the look and interaction between people and products. I say Engineers make products work, and Industrial Designers make products work for people. My career has been solely focused on new product development. My experience comes from working at companies like Black & Decker, Ford, Husqvarna, Karcher, and Magpul. I have seen excellent development practices and some not so good ones. The good ones focus on what the customer is experiencing and improve the experience.
While CORPS 1804 is starting as a small local business, the methodologies used for product development are at the next level compared to many others. One example is how one person can install our 5th Gen 4Runner Roof Rack. This is not a big deal, you may only have to do this once or twice, but when you do, it is nice to know you can manage it by yourself. No waiting for friends to have free time to help or engaging in an activity that could stress a personal relationship. For example, if that person accidentally drops the rack on the roof and dents or scratches it, Sorry, but no one is winning. So maybe one person install is a good thing. Another way we improve our 4Runner Roof Rack is how Roof Top Tents attach. Our Toyota 4Runner Roof Rack Accessories, like the “Dog Bone” Roof Top Tent Hardware Kit, that only work with our roof rack designs, allow you to see and reach the hardware to tighten it down more quickly. It also provides a more secure grip to the tent, which is nice to know if you will be driving at 75 mph plus out to Moab for several hours or several days. Or when you are bouncing around off-road on those stunning mountain passes. IT would suck for your roof top tent to come off because you could not check how tight the mounts are. (FYI – Roof Top Tents are not one person installs out on the trail) Another example of how we design our 4Runner Roof Rack Accessories to make life easier is the “Carrier Deck”. Here we did the work for you. You can plan and mount accessory attachment points to it entirely off the vehicle. No standing on a step stool for hours trying to sort your gear out. You can do this in your bed. When it is sorted, bolt it to the rack with just four bolts.
These are just a few details that make our products different. Please check out our products and see how we think differently than other companies. That’s because we are trying to think like you!