Outdoorsman With Style: Jeff Tietz Shows You How

Growing up in a small town two miles from the St. Croix River, Jeff Tietz and his friends liked to hunt, hike and fish to pass the time. And sometimes they'd park their trucks amid the corn stalks for “field parties.”

“The only entertainment we had was the outdoors,” Tietz said. “We spent a lot of time on the river.”

Years later, Tietz still draws from his small-town childhood and love for spending time outside as he curates an online shop for the “sophisticated outdoorsman.”

“I’ve always seen the need to tie good design and good quality products in with the outdoors,” Tietz said. “You can be an outdoorsman, a hunter and a fisherman, but you don’t need to give up style and quality products to do that.”

Tietz launched William Rogue & Co. after a stint working for Target in e-commerce and shipping. That background helped him plot out the logistics for his new company, but the experience also taught him what he didn’t want to do.

Containers of products arrived at Target on a regular basis from overseas. Discouraged by what he saw, Tietz decided to only sell products made in the United States.

“I grew up with a lot of hardworking people,” Tietz said. “I want to do what I can to support the people that have awesome skills and crafts.”

From painted canoe paddles to leather wallets embodying infamous mobsters, Tietz has found plenty to support in the Midwest. Nine of William Rogue’s more than 70 manufacturers call the Midwest home (check them out below).

“They say that the Midwest is a flyover area where people don’t want to take the time to stop and look around,” Tietz said. “But we’re doing great things in Midwest.”

The Skinny:

• Fun Fact: Tietz decided on “William Rogue & Co.” because the name William runs in his family and also happens to be his middle name. 
• William Rogue & Co.
• Minneapolis
• hello@williamrogueandco.com
• 612.412.4327

Coming Soon: In the upcoming months, Modern Midwest will tell the stories behind the stylish Midwest brands at William Rogue (below), and give readers a chance to win their homegrown products.

Flyover Press: “This brand is about bringing awareness to the Midwest and taking it from what used to be a flyover area, to a ‘stop and say hi’ [area],” Tietz said.

UnderFit Shirts: UnderFit believes your undershirt should be cut with the same precision as a suit. You can’t go wrong with a well-designed basic, because who has time to worry about the shirt under their real shirt?

 Great Lakes Collection: Sure, you could go to Ralph Lauren for a polo shirt. Or, you could turn to this Minneapolis company for shirts more fitting of a lake lifestyle. Think loons over polo horses.

Wisconsin Products, Inc.: Tietz calls the company's stump cooler design, with the outdoorsy influence, “innovative and genius.” Don’t lose your drinks among the trees!

Bittercube: Drinking is as much of a part of American history as apple pie, especially when it comes to an outdoor lifestyle. These bitters will bring you back to the way your grandparents drank whiskey.

Ashland Leather: "They associate all of their products with the Chicago mob, so I instantly took a liking to it,” said Tietz. This wallet pays homage to infamous mobster Louis “Little New York” Campagna.

Sanborn Canoe Co.: “The fact that you can take a standard canoe paddle and add a design to it, it becomes a completely different piece,” said Tietz of the Winona, Minn., company’s “Minnetonka” paddle.

Duluth Pack: Classics truly never go out of style. After more than a century, this northern company still has it. “Duluth Pack is an unbelievable company,” Tietz said. “Their designs are awesome, it’s high quality and the craftsmanship is unbelievable.”

Defy Bags: “They do an incredible job of tying in existing materials (such as old seat belt straps and bike tires) and creating something new from it,” Tietz said.