I came to know Woodley Co. about a year ago. Founder Jack Albritton runs the show out of Nashville, and is currently managing growth in the only way he knows how: hard work. His products are exactly the type of leather pieces that get me excited. They are extremely well made, effectively by hand, and are tough as nails. Their hats are a nod to the annual Federal Duck Stamps and are all the rage during (and after) Waterfowl season.
I have quite a few Woodley Co. products – more on that in a later post – all of which get good use. His story is fantastic, and he was nice enough to give us a look behind the curtain.
What is the history of Woodley? With my father and grandfather being gearheads, I was a catalog addict. I loved to flip through them and familiarize myself with the products, prices, and materials. As a kid, I could tell you the specs of many items in Orvis, Filson, Kevin’s, and the Hardback Cabela’s (with the tabs!) catalogs. At the time, there was not much youth apparel on the higher end, so I longed for the day I could finally fit in an Adult Small.
I dabbled with making things as a kid and learned how to use a sewing machine, as my mom had a monogramming business and later a children’s clothing line.
I say all of this to paint the picture of my interests in refined outdoor products, entrepreneurial spirit for product development, and my family’s mercantile experience. I had long wanted to make my own products.
As for the name, Woodley is the name of the road to our family farm in Montgomery, AL. Growing up, we lived 20 minutes away from the farm, and I spent every spare minute there. I spent many late nights traveling that road with my dad after working into the night on projects, planting fields, fixing equipment, filling feeders, and not quitting till the job got done. We would turn back around in the morning, listening to an old bluegrass band The Seldom Scene, while we discussed the wind, weather, which stand we were going to hunt, how we would approach the turkey roost, or how to set the decoy spread.
When I drive south to the farm and make the turn onto Woodley, I turn up the volume on the bluegrass and mash the pedal a little harder as I’m almost there. Woodley Co. has been my way to bring a piece of that journey to my new home in Nashville. Turning the corner onto that road, the memories and excitement overflow. Similarly, turning the corner on a new product gives me ‘that’ feeling.
Another important note is that Woodley Road is also known as ‘Seven Bridges Road’, the namesake of the Steve Young song popularized by the Eagles.
How would you describe your product catalog? With personal interests and tastes ranging from fine men’s clothing stores to hook & bullet stores, I find my personality to be somewhere in the middle. The catalog embodies that personality. Many items were made out of necessity, others out of desire or request. I wanted a four-box shell tote like a few of my dad’s old ones, so I drew inspiration from them to make my own. The line makes way for the customer to feature the story they want to tell with the product. Whether it is a monogram or a custom logo, we put the customer front and center on the product with our logos present but not overpowering.
Any favorite pieces? My favorites are the sling, the four-box tote, and the duck stamp line.
The sling incorporates classic style with a modern spring loaded cam buckle commonly seen on tactical slings. I like my sling to work on my shoulder but also cross-body over a backpack. The cam allows me to make both of these options happen with ease.
The four box tote because it was my first product to make with waxed canvas and inspired by dads totes.
The duck stamp line is special to me because growing up, my dad would always pick up our duck stamps at the post office. I have a collection starting back when I was 16 years old. Now, I sell both duck stamps and officially licensed products. With every purchas,e we give back to the migratory bird conservation fund. Over $1.2B has been raised to purchase over 6 million acres of wetlands to make the Duck Stamp program the longest-running, most successful conservation program in history. The purpose, tradition, and nostalgia of duck stamps make it exciting year after year to see the artist compete to paint the perfect picture on the new stamp.
Why is quality so important? I want products to last and be able to be passed down to the next generation. The key to making that happen is solid materials and trustworthy manufacturing. With that in mind, I seek to source materials from the finest manufacturers of leather and waxed canvas. Manufacturing all of our leather goods in the USA allows me to keep a tight rein on quality.
A 300-degree hot iron stamping a finished piece of leather with initials, a hunting camp logo, or a conservation group logo is as classic as it gets. Hot stamping allows our customers to “stamp their story” on our product. Whether they want it plain or with a duck, a pheasant, a monogram, or a logo is up to them.
Any new products coming out? We are in the process of adding a pistol and long gun buffalo leather gun case, a simple canvas tote bag, and a 1” Women’s belt. The cases are unique and take time to produce so they will be more of a made-to-order item. Also, we have some garment bags making a debut soon.
What do you like to do outside of Woodley? Many times I tell folks that I have too many hobbies – so I go through seasons of hunting, fishing, sailing, and building. I hunt deer, turkey, ducks, and quail back in Alabama. I fish for trout in Tennessee, tarpon in Florida, and a good ole pond bream wherever I can – always on my own flies. I have worked in construction and structural engineering so I am always building things from desks to trade show displays to adding on to my shop.
What is on your Spotify playlist? This summer, I have been playing Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and Tedeschi Trucks Band. As fall rolls in, I am liking the new Tyler Childers Album.
My driving down Woodley Anthems are:
The Seldom Scene “Act 3” and “Live at the Cellar Door”
Alison Krauss Live at the Palace Theater, Louisville 2003
For all of your die-hard Dead Head followers, the Seldom Scene’s (I know you) Rider is arguably the best version of the song.
You can see the entire Woodley Co. catalog online, and their Instagram is a good follow.
