E-03: Cashion Fishing Rods Angling To Improve Your Fishing Game

Discover how a North Carolina fishing rod manufacturer is hoping to take the fishing rod industry by storm.

The economy was rough after Matthew Cashion graduated from Virginia Tech in 2009. With a doctorate in chemistry and concentration in advanced materials science, he was having no luck finding full-time employment.

Frustrated and unemployed Matthew received a $2,000 loan from his father and decided to put it all on the line and start a fishing rod business in Stanford, NC. He called the new startup Cashion Fishing Rods. He then used his knowledge of chemistry and advanced materials science to create a fishing rod like no other—one that increases physical performance while maintaining extreme sensitivity.

Today, Cashion Fishing Rods has over 45 distributors in the US. The manufacturer hosts annual fishing tours and has award-winning professional fishermen using Cashion rods in fishing tournaments.

On this episode of Clocking In: Voices of NC Manufacturing, Matthew discusses what motivates him in the business world, the intricate details that go into Cashion products and how Cashion has grown their brand. We also go on the floor to talk to some of their workforce who are assembling Cashion fishing rods by hand.

 

LINKS

Cashion Fishing Rods

NCMEP

IES

 

ABOUT

Phil Mintz

Phil Mintz is the Executive Director of NC State Industry Expansion Solutions (IES) and Director of the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP). At NCMEP, Phil drives outreach to NC manufacturers, builds relationships with federal and state leaders and coordinates efforts to drive profitable manufacturing growth in the state.

Matthew Cashion

Matthew Cashion is the owner and president of Cashion Fishing Rods. Matthew Cashion founded Cashion Fishing Rod in 2009 after he received a Ph.D in chemistry with a concentration in advanced materials from Virginia Tech. Matthew earned his Bachelor’s in Chemistry from East Carolina University and went on to get his Master’s at the University of Texas at Austin. credits help from his father and faith among reason for his thriving business.

Check out the Clocking In: Voices of NC Manufacturing website.