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- Q&A: Lauren Sussi from Alpine Leisure Co.
Q&A: Lauren Sussi from Alpine Leisure Co.
June 28, 2017
As you're coming to learn, GoWild™ is the only hunting and fishing app that rewards you for your time in the outdoors. We're giving away prizes regularly, and we're proud to announce that next month's giveaway is coming from Alpine Leisure Co. Details will be announced next week about the giveaway itself, but we recently caught up with the company's Founder and Owner, Lauren Sussi, to talk about his passion for being in the outdoors.
GoWild: Why did you decide to start your company?
Lauren: I actually sort of fell into making hammocks by accident. I started out making custom jeans when I was 17 and have been improving upon my sewing skills ever since. Last spring I ordered a hammock online and when it arrived, I strung it up, only to find that it was just big enough for a child. Not knowing whether or not it was actually a children’s hammock, or just a bad product, I went ahead and made my own using some ripstop nylon material I’d had laying around. I showed a few friends what I had made and instantly they wanted one. So I sold three of them to some friends back home in Idaho within a week or so and continued on from there. I’ve had a deep respect and love for the outdoors ever since I was a child, and always wanted to find a way to make a career out of doing something related to that, so hammocks just made sense.
GoWild: What’s the one thing you’d want a stranger to know about your company?
Lauren: That my products are, for the most part, veteran made and sourced in the USA and most have a lifetime warranty.
GoWild: What’s your favorite thing to do in the outdoors?
A: My favorite thing to do in the outdoors is to fly fish. It’s something my grandfather taught me how to do, and I’ve been able to pass my knowledge of it on to people ever since. There’s also something that feels so pure about fly fishing, compared to just regular spin fishing.
GoWild: Do you have a favorite place to visit in the outdoors?
Lauren: My favorite place in the outdoors, and possibly one of my favorite places on earth, is Kelly Creek, just off of the North Fork of the Clearwater River. It’s where I spent a lot of my time as a child and where I learned to fly fish.
GoWild: Why are you excited to partner with GoWild?
Lauren: I’m excited to partner with GoWild because it is an opportunity to not only network and meet new people, but to also be able to share what I do with other people, and to get to be a part of something bigger than just my little hammock company. I’m extremely excited about getting to work with you guys and really feel honored that you’ve asked me to be a part of what you’re doing.
GoWild: If someone has been debating getting a hammock, but still hasn’t quite pulled the trigger, what would you say?
Lauren: I tell them that not only are we one of the few hammock companies that source and make their products in the USA, but we are also owned and operated by a veteran. I would say our hammocks, rain flies, and bug nets all have a lifetime warranty (no questions asked), that we also have really good customer service, and that when it comes to actually choosing the hammock, we allow you to customize the colors, rather than just chosen from a premade library of hammocks. This makes our customer's hammock more unique. In addition, all of our hammocks come with a set of straps, free of charge, and that ours are made from ripstop nylon, which is lighter and stronger than the material used by other well-known hammock companies.
Take a few minutes to learn more about Lauren's company. Check back in a few days for info on the July giveaway.
