Why We Love Everything Walsh

An interview with Walsh President, Paul Trieber

One of the many reasons Paul Trieber, President of Walsh Harness & Saddlery, recently put American flag emblems on all of his products was because his European customers equate American-Made with high quality craftsmanship.

"They love U.S.-made equestrian products in Europe," Paul says adding that it's a status symbol over there, "because they know how well these things are made."

And that's only one of the many reasons Saddlers Row recently launched a new Buy-American program in its store, which offers customers a $50 bonus gift card for every $500 spent on American-Made products.

Saddlers Row owner Frances Bowers, said that in addition to the high-quality craftsmanship of products made exclusively in the U.S., she wants Saddlers Row to play its part in the growing Buy American movement aimed at getting the national economy back on its feet.

"No one is going to do this for us, so we've got to get serious and do it ourselves," Frances says. "Buying American products is not just a token gesture. When you purchase products made in America, you put American people back to work."

Because of the economic downturn, Paul Trieber says he recently had to lay off more than 20 people from Walsh Harness & Saddlery, which has been in business since 1914 and is located in Brookfield, WI. Telling employees who were like family members that he couldn't afford to keep them on was a very difficult thing, but he maintains a contagious sort of optimism that they'll be hired back soon.

Despite the temptations to look overseas for cheaper materials and labor, Paul continues to purchase all of his raw materials from U.S. companies. He buys his leather, for example, from companies like Wickett & Craig and Hermann Oaks, which itself started in 1881 in St. Louis, Mo. to supply the wagon trains of settlers traveling west along the Lewis & Clark trails.

"You just can't find leather anywhere in the world like you can right here in the United States," Paul says. "Our cattle are ranged for the most part out in the open up north and out west, which means they grow a nice, thick hide to protect them from the elements. That in turn means you can make a very strong halter, one that will stand up to anything unlike those made from thinner leather from cattle grown in more temperate climates which are just too stretchy to do the job."

Almost everything done in the Walsh factory is done by hand. Employees, many of whom have been with Walsh for more than 20 years, sit behind sewing machines that were part of the original Walsh workshop and are almost 90 years old themselves.

"We do everything the old fashioned way," Paul says, "and you can't find a modern sewing machine that comes close to the quality and efficiency of these."

Walsh's production manager, Dave, has been with the company for 29 years and is one of the last leather cutters left in the U.S. Dave knows so much about leather, he can lick a hide to determine its oil content.

"There's a big, big difference between leather that's tanned in a country like India or tanned in a country like America," Dave explains.

"We buy hides that are tanned in vegetable matter whereas hides tanned in India are often soaked in..." he clears his throat, "things that make them smell bad. I can smell a halter made in India a mile away."

It takes 16 hours to make one Walsh halter from beginning to end. The leather is cut by hand. The hardware is attached by hand. The padding, the stitching, and the oiling are done by hand. Even the packaging and mailing is done by a living, breathing person.

As he walks us through his factory, which reminds one of an old-fashioned workshop on a large scale, Paul picks up odds and ends along the way and reminds us of their origins. From sheepskin to brass buckles to spool upon spool of white, cotton thread: "All of it grown, spun, molded and raised right here in our own backyard."

For more information about Walsh products carried by Saddlers Row or for more information about our Buy American campaign, visit our online store at www.saddlersrow.com or tack shop in person at 20066 N. Rand Rd., Palatine, Il.