Q&A WITH OLD TOWN’S DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING, SEAN RUSCH

Innovation is a foundational value at Johnson Outdoors and it transcends our entire family of brands. Old Town, our canoe and kayak brand, is at the forefront of watercraft innovation. Although they’ve been around for over 120 years and are best known for the canoe, they continue to push the boundaries of the small personal watercraft experience. We chatted with Old Town’s chief engineer, Sean Rusch, to learn more about what they do to keep pushing the innovation envelope and how they do it.

How do you define innovation and why does it matter?
“Innovation begins with a great idea and ends with the implementation of a new or revised product, service, or process that adds value for our consumers. We are always looking for ways to make paddle sports more accessible, improve the consumer experience, and reduce our environmental impact.” 

How often does Old Town launch new products?
“We strive to bring something new to market every year. Each project will have its own launch timing depending on complexity and other factors.”

How many engineers work at Old Town? What are the different types of engineers at Old Town?
“We are fortunate to have an experienced and hard-working team at Old Town representing all the major technical disciplines.
Industrial Designers, Mechanical Engineers, Electrical Engineers, and Quality Engineers all work together to design, engineer, and validate components, systems, and complete watercraft. Our Manufacturing Engineers establish the shop-floor processes in molding and assembly, so production is completed in a safe, efficient, and repeatable manner. There is a great team spirit, and everyone pitches in to help, wherever necessary.”

Where does your team glean inspiration for innovative ideas?
“Our inspiration comes from many places. We are all “doers” outside of work – we enjoy the great outdoors in all its glory - and this ensures a steady flow of creative thought and discussion, whether related to materials, colors, components, or manufacturing methods. We are continually evaluating ideas for their application to our products and are always asking the questions; do these ideas add value for our consumers? On what products might they fit? In what ways can we best implement?”

What role has innovation played in Old Town’s position in the fast-changing, competitive market?
“Continual innovation has been key to building and sustaining our market-leading position. We know that our competitors are also working to win the hearts and minds of consumers, so we can never rest on our accomplishments; but need to keep driving forward with the best concepts, professionally executed.”

From idea to product launch, typically how long does it take to launch a new-to-world product?
“This is a bit of a difficult question, since we take on so many varied projects and each is different. But if I were to offer an answer – the duration of a new-to-world development project can range from one to five years. We are always working to improve our methods and deliver more innovations to the market.”

What role does consumer feedback take in determining how Old Town innovates?
“Consumer feedback is an integral part of our innovation process at Old Town. For example, in the early stages of a new product development project, we will strategically market-test our assumptions to make sure we are on the right path with a design we are considering.
In the later stages of a project, when the product is fully designed and prototypes have been manufactured, we will schedule long-term on-water testing with an exclusive group of trusted partners. These are expert consumers who know the sport well and use kayaks and canoes in their daily routine. We make sure there is time in the project to review and react to their comments, making changes as necessary before we go to production. 
Once a product has been put in production, we continue to focus on consumer feedback. All unsolicited input is captured and summarized, and our internal experts review this data regularly. We focus on understanding this information and take action when appropriate.” 

What are some recent examples of innovation in design and engineering at Old Town?
“The Old Town Sportsman line is a great example of innovation in a kayak platform that truly offers something for everyone. These watercraft have a feature set optimized for angling and also work well in purely recreational use. Ergonomics and seating deliver all-day comfort. There is enough carrying capacity and onboard storage to satisfy the most demanding consumer. For propulsion, we provide consumers with the choice of paddle, pedal, or powered, making these kayaks some of the most accessible in paddle sports. The AutoPilot is perhaps the perfect marriage of Old Town hull design and the Minn Kota GPS Spot-Lock technology, delivering maximum value to the kayak angler on every outing.”

What is the most challenging aspect of what you and your team does?
“Normally it would be easy to answer this question with a response that mentions the continual need to juggle product features, quality, and cost and maintain project launch timing.
In all honesty, the global pandemic has upended everything we do as a team and certainly altered how our business operates. In the last eighteen months, we have leaned on each other, and into our work, with even greater creativity and intensity. I’ll give you a perfect example: have you ever attempted to conduct detailed market research in a safe, socially distanced way? It’s something we have had to learn how to do well to keep the strategic innovation pipeline moving.
Entire supply chains have been disrupted, both domestically and internationally. As a team we meet regularly to ensure that we have a consistent supply of quality parts to build the boats our consumers want.
Finally, the cadence of our own work has changed so much due to the virtualization of our workplace. Good thing is, as we adapt to challenging circumstances, we have grown stronger and closer as a team.”

What is the most rewarding aspect of what you and your team does?
“By far, being part of the team that is on the forefront of growing paddle sports and seeing firsthand the joy that Old Town Canoe brings to each one of its consumers.”

As evident in Old Town’s Director of Engineering, Sean Rusch’s answers, innovation is a driving force in the team at Old Town and an integral aspect of the Johnson Outdoors business. Check out the new Outdoor Adventure Blog to learn more about how innovation is a leading element in all of our family of brands.