The Cousins Tackle family has expanded in a significant way with today’s hiring of fishing tackle industry veteran Josh Cooper. As Cousins’ new Northwest Product Design & Marketing Manager, Cooper will be responsible for bringing this recently launched American rod brand to the Northwest U.S., one of the nation’s most important and innovation-driven fishing tackle markets. In addition, Cooper will work closely with Cousins Chief Designer Wade Cunningham to develop and launch a new series of premium quality, American-made Cousins rods for specific Northwest gamefish and angling techniques.
These are responsibilities Cooper is well prepared to handle. Prior to joining Cousins, Cooper spent 13 years at renowned American rod builder Lamiglas in Woodland, Washington. During his tenure there, Cooper filled a range of important posts and duties, including Customer Service/Retail Sales, Northwest Representative, Rod Designer, Product Manager, and most recently, Vice President. Cooper also worked for two years in retail tackle sales, so he understands the business from both the manufacturer and dealer side.
In addition to his experience, Cooper brings a wealth of industry contacts and a positive reputation that can only be forged by years of dedicated service to the industry. Cooper is also an expert angler whose career has taken him to some of the world’s most sought-after fishing destinations — yet his true angling passion lies in the pursuit of the Northwest’s legendary steelhead and salmon. He will continue to live and work in his hometown of Vancouver, Washington
“To borrow a bit of California fishing jargon, we truly hit the ‘jackpot’ with Josh,” said Cousins CEO/President Bill Buchanan. “His experience, understanding of the business and connections in the Northwest fishing industry will be instrumental bringing the Cousins brand to this new market. We’re very proud of what we’ve built in a relatively short time, and with Josh’s help, the tackle industry and anglers across the Northwest will soon learn what the Cousins name stands for,” added Buchanan.
Cousins Tackle was recently formed by Buchanan and Cunningham, his real-life cousin. Over decades in the fishing business, these two industry veterans helped build such iconic and successful fishing tackle brands as Sage, Seeker, Fenwick, Sevenstrand, Berkley, Spiderwire, Stren, Abu Garcia, Abel and Shikari. Buchanan and Cunningham worked side-by-side at Fenwick at a time when the company was putting out 1,000 rods per day.
In about 18 months, Cousins Tackle has grown to a staff of 50 craftsmen building premium quality fiberglass, graphite composite and high-modulus graphite blanks and rods in its 13,000-square-foot factory in Huntington Beach, California. Cousins rods are finished with the finest components available, including top-grade Fuji and ALPS guides and reel seats, hand-sanded, hand-fitted Grade A cork grips, triple thread wrapping and three coats of UV-resistant slow-cure finish. All premium Cousins rods are backed by a lifetime limited warranty and Cousins factory service. A video of the Cousins rod building process can be viewed here.
In addition to top quality rods, Cousins also manufactures a full line of premium vinyl trolling lures and skirts for saltwater fishing.
To learn more about Cousins Tackle, or locate the dealer nearest you, call (714) 893-0423 or visit www.cousinstackle.com. Or contact Josh Cooper directly at josh@cousinstackle.com
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