This blog was written by Horse Glam, Equivont's Equestrian Lifestyle Blog Partner.
When I first read about AeroEquine’s arrival on the tack trunk scene, I was pretty intrigued. Like many, I’ve had my wooden tack trunk from Phoenix West for over 20 years. It still has my maiden name on it, it is covered in vinyl colors worthy of a 12-year-old’s taste and it looks like a 100 lb bottomless box for unorganized equestrian gadgets. Tack trunks have been on the barn aisle scene forever and they haven’t changed at all…until now. AeroEquine has created a line of modern tack trunks that weigh substantially less and are thoughtfully designed for the wannabe organized equestrian.
HG: Can you share more behind the personal story which sparked the idea for AeroEquine. When did you realize you were truly onto something?
GE: My husband, Brian, works with his brother at Edwards Interiors and they manufacture a lot of aircraft parts for Gulfstream. He has access to the latest and greatest substrates available on the market. When he met me, he had absolutely no horse experience, which we all know can be quite a culture shock! I had a hideously beat up/heavy trunk from Phoenix West. One Christmas a few years ago, he re-wrapped the vinyl on it with my farms colors. It worked fabulously (for me a least!) until I became super busy last winter with my two young jumpers hauling to shows almost every week. He of course was assisting me loading and unloading the trailer. One particular show after a few hours of unloading, set up, and schooling, we went out for dinner. He said “You know babe, your trunk is SO ugly and heavy…. what do you think if I just made you a completely new one out of some aircraft material at our shop?” Of course I wasn’t going to turn him down. A few weeks later he came home with a clean-lined tack trunk, that he could easily lift by himself. To be honest the craftsmanship surprised me so much I said you know, I think these things would sell like CRAZY…. I showed a few of my clients here at the farm and they said they wanted to be our first customers. It’s been a whirlwind since then!
HG: AeroEquine trunks weigh only 40lbs, roughly half the weight of traditional wooden trunks, which makes all the difference at the end of a long show week. What are some of the other major differences between AeroEquine’s basicBox and the traditional wooden box that is sitting in front of most stalls today? I personally love the organizational compartments, convenient catch-all mesh pocket, cork board insert, complimentary grooming tote AND bit box…did I miss anything?!
GE: We have now started spraying the interior of the boxes and all of the compartments with a truck Bedliner material. It provides extreme durability (I did prototype testing by beating on it with a hammer!) and easy cleanability! The basicBox also has lockable casters on the bottom. We can custom match most paint colorsand it adds a beautiful visual texture to the inside of the box. When you walk down our farms aisle at the show, the basicBoxs have a stunningly simple beauty about them. Clean lines, matte finish, custom logos, and most importantly, every basicBox is crafted by Brian himself (of course after I approve the design and paint colors :)).
HG: So far we have only talked about the basicBox…and there is nothing “basic” about it. However, I am drooling over the techBox. As an equestrian lifestyle blogger and small business owner (Pony Glam), I am always on my phone. I am either taking pictures, emailing orders or doing my social media catchup/homework. In other words, my phone is always dead. The techBox comes with an USB charging port AND bluetooth speakers!! I could simultaneously charge my phone while making Chloe listen to my (amazing) playlists! This is genius! I also saw that there is an ammyBox that is coming soon. Any hints?
GE: I debuted the first techBox at a show in Aiken, South Carolina recently and it was a HIT!!!! Everyone was stopping by to play their favorite song and catch a quick charge. The ammyBox was the brainchild of one of my amateur clients at the barn…. we are developing a cooling box that will keep your medications, water, cocktails, you name it, the perfect temp within easy reach! Also, I should mention we are doing a ponyBox, which will be a smaller size of the basicBox for the pony kids at the barn!
HG: In the future, do you see additional products that you want to add to your line or do you think you will focus solely on the trunks for now?
GE: We have a few new products working their way through our design stage. The wallBox is a wall grooming box that we anticipate will weigh around 10-15lbs, compared to traditional wall boxes at 40lbs! Also, be on the lookout for AeroEquine’s Wing. It is something everyone needs, but that is all I can say about it right now! I am also a bit of an equestrian fashion nut so I am hoping to be able to launch my own line of clothing sometime in the future, focusing on streamlined sophisticated style.
HG: Any good tips for running a new equestrian business with a spouse?
GE: You definitely have to have a sense of humor. Starting any business is so tough, and so many fail before you even get a chance to reap the benefits. The most important thing to remember is that you get what you put into it. If you truly believe you have a product that will make a huge impact on an industry, you have to put everything you have into it. And another key word is patience. Coca Cola sold 24 bottles their first year in existence. Our first year has been tough, and we don’t expect it to get much easier in the near future but we are firm believers in what we have to offer, and will do everything we can to make it successful!
Thanks so much Genevieve for giving me the scoop on AeroEquine. Best of luck to you and Brian- you have a truly great product and vision for the future! I can’t wait to hear more about the top-secret Wing! xx, HG
