Originally published Tinker Tin Champions Domestic, Nearshored Manufacturing on by https://www.sdbj.com/manufacturing/tinker-tin-champions-domestic-nearshored-manufacturing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tinker-tin-champions-domestic-nearshored-manufacturing at San Diego Business Journal
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VISTA – When founder and VP of Design Jaime Holm started Tinker Tin with her husband in 2012, she had no idea it would turn into a $20 million retail design company.
At the time, the company was the first in the U.S. to rent mobile vintage trailers. Its business slowly evolved from renting trailers for Hollywood sets to building activations to retail experiential design.
“We’ve been really good at pivoting and seeing what the market wants and needs,” Holm said. “That’s one of our strengths—outward vision, seeing what’s coming down the pipeline and not being so stuck on the original concept.”
In 2018, Holm’s brother and now CEO, Matthew Hannula, joined the Tinker Tin team. When he joined, the company was making about $600,000 each year in revenue. This year, it’s on track for $20 million.
In that same time period, the company grew from three to 30 employees.
“I’ve been a builder my whole life—I’ve been engineer-minded,” Hannula said. “So, to be in manufacturing is a dream. I can build stuff every day and work with my hands. [When I joined the team], we dug our heels into the ground and decided, yes, we’re going to build a manufacturing company from what was originally a trailer rental business.”
Today, Tinker Tin designs and manufactures displays for the storefronts of big box retailers—from overall layout to fixtures and finishes—and strives to do so with flair and attention to detail. A few of its customers include Barnes & Noble, Redbull, Maxi Cosi and Cody James.
Tinker Tin also designs and manufactured store packages that include displays, fixtures and more for Boot Barn in every state, including Alaska.
“I love design. I love to make things beautiful,” Holm said. “However, within our first six years of business, I thought, ‘I can only take this so far on my own.’ Matt is very business-minded, process-focused, and was able to take the overall vision and put a ton of processes in place to help us grow.”
Domestic, Mexico-Based Manufacturing
While a large portion of Tinker Tin’s competitors outsources work, Holm and Hannula draw great pride from keeping their over 500,000 square feet of manufacturing facilities U.S.- or Mexico-based.
“I think the way we approach manufacturing is very different than how it has been done in the past,” Holm said.
In 2020, Tinker Tin reevaluated its “long-game” manufacturing strategy. The company did some manufacturing in China but noticed political and economic tensions rising. At that point, it solidified operations in the U.S. and Mexico.
“Mexico has not been shielded from tariffs, but there has been a better dynamic,” Hannula said. “And because there’s the USMCA, it gives us more flexibility in what we are allowed to cross the border without having tariffs. I think our biggest challenge with tariffs is understanding the laws because sometimes they can be very vague.
“It’s a very complex situation that we’ve navigated,” he continued. “Our strategy around the whole thing was to not make any rash decisions. In boating, there’s a saying that when you’re in a storm, you never turn your sails either way, because you have no idea where it will take you. That’s kind of how we’ve approached tariffs.”
Another benefit Holm and Hannula attribute to their manufacturing approach is better quality control. With domestic and nearshored operations, the company can ensure desired results. From their experience sourcing from China, Tinker Tin endured between a 2% and 5% loss on product because of damages and quality issues.
“If you factor in everything from warehousing to shipping to overall costs…[manufacturing domestically and in Mexico] ends up becoming so much more comparable than people realize,” Holm said.
In California, Tinker Tin operates facilities in San Luis Obispo and Vista, opening its newest one in Carlsbad last year.
Innovation and Lean Manufacturing
While developing Tinker Tin, Holm wanted to grow a company that paid its employees higher wages and ran leaner. Fostering creativity and community with employees is a central part of the business’s philosophy.
One way that the company encourages lean manufacturing is through its lean improvement process (LIPS) bonus program. Each team member can earn bonuses by fulfilling LIPS goals and improving efficiency.
“Years ago, I had a mentor who told me, ‘Don’t confuse busyness with progress,’” Holm said.
Tinker Tin implements artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline operations and handle mundane tasks like consolidating spreadsheet or notifying employees when it might rain so that the woodyard can be covered.
“We’re looking at areas where we can get people off of their computers and doing the things that they are really good at—which are building and creating,” Hannula said.
Tinker Tin’s work is meeting the changing retail landscape where it’s at, said Hannula. He asserted that the modern-day shopper looks for experiences and can detect inauthenticity from a mile away.
“To survive in brick-and-mortar retail these days, you have to provide experience,” Hannula said. “Someone has to be able to walk into a retail location and go, ‘Wow, I want to stay here. I connect to this brand.’ I think that is our differentiator.”
Tinker Tin
FOUNDED: 2012
CEO: Matthew Hannula
HEADQUARTERS: Vista
BUSINESS: Manufacturing
EMPLOYEES: 30
REVENUE: Over $20 million
WEBSITE: www.tinkertin.com
CONTACT: [email protected]
SOCIAL IMPACT: Tinker Tin repurposes all scrap wood into its in-house furniture line, minimizing waste while maximizing purpose.
NOTABLE: From day one, Tinker Tin made a conscious decision to grow without external loans or debt—preserving creative freedom and long-term vision. The company remains zero-debt to this day.
Born and raised in San Diego, Madison takes great pride in local storytelling. Her coverage at the San Diego Business Journal includes tourism, hospitality, nonprofits, education and retail. An alumna of San Diego State University’s journalism program, she has written for publications including The San Diego Union-Tribune and The San Diego Sun. At the 2024 San Diego Press Club awards, Madison was recognized for her exemplary profile writing. She was also a speaker for the 2023 TEDx Conference at Bonita Vista High School. When she’s not working on her next story, Madison can be found performing music at a local restaurant or on one of San Diego’s many hiking trails.
Originally published San Diego Business Journal
