Here’s an interesting photo I found in the November 11, 1962 edition of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. It shows Todd Sheldon, the founder of Sheldons’, Inc. and the man who built the Mepps company here in the United States. He’s pictured with his older brother Cecil, who at this time was the Assistant Manager of the company, and both men stand on either side of a large display of Mepps sales cards. I’ve explored the history of the Mepps company in other Bass Fishing Archives stories, and I’d encourage you to check out those other Mepps articles. However, the article in the Press-Gazette of Mepps’ Todd and Cecil Sheldon adds a little more background to the Mepps story. For example, before Mepps, Todd Sheldon owned a successful cheese factory in Charleston, IL. that sold a million pounds of cheese a year. The article, written by Press-Gazette correspondent Dave Duffey, says that 32 year-old Sheldon sold the cheese factory and moved to Antigo, WI. to open a sporting goods store in December, 1945.
At one point during Todd’s tenure at his sporting goods store former GI Frank Velec introduced the Mepps French spinner to Sheldon, a lure he acquired while stationed in France during the war. Eventually Sheldon acquired the rights to be the sole U.S. distributor of the spinner, and ultimately built a 72,000 square-foot assembly plant, warehouse and offices from the sales of the spinners. In 1962 Mepps employed 9 plant workers, with 31 women working for the company from their homes. They also had 23 reps calling on retail jobbers throughout the United States. Comparing those numbers to today’s figures, current President Mike Sheldon says that Mepps has increased its plant worker number to 33 employees and lowered its in-home employees number to five. Mike says that, “Over the years we have streamlined the production process and automated some of the equipment so we can do more with less. There are only 5 home workers currently. Over the years, as home workers have retired we have not replaced them.” Mike also told me that the number of sales reps has increased to around 35, elaborating, “They are independent reps, which means they represent multiple companies, not just Mepps. Typically they will have a number of fishing related lines and a group of fall lines to even up the sales year. I’m thinking they will have 15 product lines or so that they sell.”
The article also discussed Mepps’ use of squirrel tails, which is interesting. Duffey indicated that, in 1962, “Sheldon’s sent out a plea this year for 100,000 of the bushy appendages. It used 80,000 last year and increased business caught the company in short supply.” Mike Sheldon told me that currently they use around 100,000 a year, but that he “can remember buying 200,000 to 300,000 at one time but we are unable to buy that quantity nowadays. People don’t hunt squirrels like they used to and don’t get rich selling them.” When I inquired about the 200,000 to 300,000 number Mike said, “Actually we had a surplus when we were buying 200,000-300,000 and were building an inventory. Planning for a “rainy day.” Once we process the tails (wash, dry, put them on moth balls) and put them in storage they will keep for years. Slowly that surplus is diminishing with the amounts we are buying now.”
The article states, “Much of the production of the lures is done by housewives in their homes. The 31 persons now tying squirrel hair to hooks are carefully selected by Sheldon. First they are given aptitude tests which about 35 percent fail. The successful ones then attend a night school for special training by an instructor supplied by the management. From this phase of training only the best are chosen to do piece work. One squirrel tail will furnish enough hair for six lures. The larger lures, naturally, require more hair. One tail will furnish enough for two or three muskie baits while the same amount of raw material will be enough for 10 or 11 small trout lures.”
I asked Mike about Todd’s brother Cecil, who the Press-Gazette indicated was the company Assistant Manager. Cecil was 55 years-old at the time he joined Sheldon’s Inc, having come from a successful career in other industries. Mike said, “I would guess my uncle Cecil worked at Sheldons’ for 10-15 years. My dad built the building across the street across from the Dairy Queen in 1960 as a new facility. Prior to that he rented the old NYA center, which I believe was opened by the government during the depression. My uncle worked with my dad in that facility prior to 1960. The building we are currently in was built in 1972. I started working here in 1973 and my uncle was retired at that time.”
Mepps and Sheldon’s Inc. are a family run business, and really, that’s what interested me about this photo of Todd and Cecil Sheldon, and compelled me to write this story. There are so few family run fishing companies around today, it’s quite nice to see one that is still doing it the old school way. In fact, Mike said that he is retired now and has handed off the business to his own son, Dan. How great is that?!
