ASOM Pod 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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