Meet Stan Rudman | Owner & Co-Chairman

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stan Rudman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stan, so many of the folks we connect with are focused on having a positive social impact on their community or the world at large. Can you talk to us about how you are helping the community?
My company, Hook & Tackle is the leading brand in fishing apparel since 1989. I never realized till Covid-19 hit all of us hard how fishing became one of the leading outdoor sports in the world over these past months. It was a great way to get outdoors, quarantine and have fun with nature all at the same time. Many became anglers overnight and my company made sure they were all covered up and protected from the sun. Our gaiters became the premier face covering now being used by millions of people around the world. My business works very closely with the community and being a partner of the Miami Dolphins foundation for over 20 years, we have helped with children’s education, as well as, to find a cure for cancer with the Dolphins Cancer Challenge. Our annual FINS Weekend fishing tournament has raised millions of dollars over the years and benefiting the Miami Dolphins foundation. I am a co-chairman of the event and it is amazing to see the how the funds work in our community. Also during the recent hurricanes in Puerto Rico we donated over a quarter of a million dollars in apparel to the island. It felt so good to be able to give back. I will Always come in and help when the need is there

What should our readers know about your business?
I have to tell you, the most important thing about ones business is the reputation. We, as a 57 year-old company, spent all of those years building up our reputation as being extremely honest, offering superior quality merchandise, customer service and being kind. As you know your rep can be lost in an instance, and we are known in the industry as a friendly trading partner to all How many companies do you know that celebrate an employees 30, 40 and even 50 year anniversary working with us. That says it all. We all have major challenges and we overcome I was always taught to look forward, Time spent thinking about a competitor is time lost bettering my company. When things happen, no matter what, it will always get resolved at the end of the day just face it and move on! I am a very creative and extremely organized person. I am a fan of creating product watch it go through the process of production, sales and finally watching a consumer wear it proudly. What a feeling of accomplishment. Sometimes, I walk up to them and say “nice shirt and by the way, I made that” their reactions are amazing….our consumers are great & so loyal to our brands. Today, many retailers have shut down due to the Pandemic, we are all taking hits. But there are always new doors opening. Plus with our online stores (hookandtackle.com & weekendersportswear.com) open 24 hours people are enjoying the access to product from all over the globe.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Wow, that’s a great question. I am known as “Stancierge”, the concierge of Miami. Everyone calls me to make reservations or to make their itinerary. I have the best group of friends whom i love but so many have left Miami. When they do come to visit we my go to some of my favorite restaurants including, Prime 112, Macchialina, Joes, Lucali, Planta, Bodega and Pubbelly, these are my true local spots. As far as Happy Hour, one of my favorites is Bay Club at Sunset Harbor, I am also a big fan of the Standard hotel, Swan, Regent Bar, Smith’s & Broken Shaker. So now that I got that out of the way, a typical night in South Beach would be happy hour and sunset at Smiths & Wollenskys, then walk over to dinner at Joes or Prime 112 followed by fun at SLS. I also love Wynwood nights with dinner at KYU, enjoying the Wynwood walls and drinks at Wood Tavern. Another spot coming up and I work just a mile north is the design district and am its biggest fan with so many restaurants opening up! I am a huge fan and collector of the arts and attend almost every Basel event there is, but it’s always nice to show friends the PAMM and enjoy some culture. I am a proud founding member. Other good times are taking a walk on Lincoln Road for a nice lunch at Books & Books, wow, when I think of my grandfather who once worked on this street as a tailor. He paved my way…. I love MIAMI, born and raised here and so proud to see how far we have come culturally…. and where it is going.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It’s a pretty amazing story, but I dedicate my shout out to my mom and dad.(Mimi & Frank “Pancho”) Both sets of my grandparents emigrated from Poland during the war and the ship ended up in Cuba, My parents grew up having a great life, my grandfather was a tailor back in Poland and decided to start an apparel manufacturing business in Havana. It grew to almost 700 employees. Life was good, My parents met and married as teenagers. Then in 1960, when the Castro Regime took over it happened again and my grandfather along with the entire family fled to Miami, My mom was only 19 and she had set up a beautiful life and brought just a few items (pots & pans) with the hope of going back. Well that never happened. It is a feeling that stays with so many people that left the island at that time. All of their belongings, possessions were left on the island. They came to the US with little or no money and moved into an efficiency on Miami Beach and had to start all over again. My grandfather became a tailor on Lincoln road and my father went to the University of Miami to study accounting at nights while working days. Finally in 1963, My dad and grandfather (Raul) got together and decided to rebuild their business in Miami, introducing their first national brand called Weekender, which initially made tailored guayabera shirts and cabana sets. The company had luck opening stores throughout Miami and then national stores included JC Penney co and more came aboard. Business took off and soon became the licensee for the first ever men’s Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) swimwear collection followed by surf brands and more. The resilience my parents have are beyond measure. With 3 sons, eventually myself and my two brothers Abe & Jeff, came into the family run business and helped in its continued growth. We had a vision for the Hook & Tackle brand and noticed that there were 68 million fishing licenses renewed yearly, Anglers, boaters needed great quality product that was hi-performance, functional and affordable. We introduced the brand at shows and people fell in love with it, especially our first item, called the Beer Can island short! Perfect pocket to store your beverage can as soon as your line tightens up! We soon perfected the UPF 50+ sun protection tee shirt, one of the very first companies to bring it to the industry. The line today is top in the industry and continues to evolve. It’s amazing how you need to be resilient & adaptive this industry and that is one thing my dad still teaches me daily. He lived it! They both continue to live a beautiful lives with their sons, grandkids and now great grandkids. (my mom is super young) Their circle of friends they grew up with in Cuba are all their best friends today and that says so much and has taught me personally to live and love life..

Website: www.sportailor.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stanrudman
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanrudman/detail/recent-activity/posts/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stanrudman?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanRudman
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=ZvgMhKrP6V0t8ZYKcLMpFg
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Hookandtackle