CLN Insider: Carroll Spur Company

I am so excited to bring back some phenomenal articles around businesses in the western industry. What better time to share stories and promote businesses that embody everything about our industry. The first in this new series is the Carroll Spur Company. I have been following these folks for quite some time and LOVE their work. I’m sure after this article, you will love them and their work as well. Enjoy!

CLN: Can you give our audience a brief introduction to yourself and your company? (Background, about you, and what your current title/role is).

Dustin: I’m Dustin Carroll, I’m co-owner/maker here at Carroll Spur Co. I rode bulls professionally for five years until I had a bad wreck. After that, I did some local amateur stuff but eventually decided to pursue a different dream. I have always loved art, mostly sculpture. So, I moved to New York and attended art school. I started dating Mehgan after I moved back home. We now have three amazing kids and we’re working on another dream of mine, building our own cattle ranch.

Mehgan: I am Mehgan Carroll, co-owner and operator. I attended the University of Minnesota and graduated with my B.A. in Business Management/Marketing. I also do all of our photography, which is one of my favorite things to do. I had my own a photography business for a while, but as Carroll Spur Co. was growing, so was our family. Ultimately, I decided to close it and focus on our family and Carroll Spur Co. Now, I get to combine all of the things I love to do, and I get to live that every day.

CLN: How did you start your business?

Dustin: It started out as a thank you gift for my dad. I really wanted to make him a pair of custom spurs. I knew it was something he’d wanted his whole life. I started with rasp, but it was so restrictive. So, I took a different approach. I decided to create the spurs that same way I create my sculptures. Looking back, the first set wasn’t my best work, but he loved them, wore them everywhere. He was working out on the oil fields out in North Dakota at the time. Pretty soon, I had all his friends and friends of friends calling me and asking me for set

Mehgan: I was like, okay, I’m already working on our company name and logo. I’ll have a Facebook page up shortly and that’s how Carroll Spur Co. was born.

CLN: What products do you offer and which ones are you most well known for?

Dustin: We make handmade custom bits, spurs, conchos, headstall buckles, spur strap buckles, rings, and pendants.

Mehgan: We’re most well-known for our spurs and our engagement rings.

CLN:What is your favorite thing about what you do?

Dustin: For the most part, I get to do something different every day. I really enjoy coming up with new designs and ideas, then bringing them to life. I get inspired by the ideas our customers have.

Mehgan: When I get a message or email saying “she said yes.” When we get to play a small part in someone’s engagement or putting a loved one’s handwriting on a pair of spurs, seeing how much these pieces mean to our customers, it’s so rewarding.

CLN: What is your goal for your business five years from now?

Mehgan: There are lots of goals that I want to accomplish. I want to shorten turnaround times, I want to do more clothing, spur straps, the list is endless, really. It’s just the two of us right now, so I definitely want to start expanding and building a team in the near future.

Dustin: I would also like to build up our design portfolio.

CLN: Who is somebody that you really look up to that has helped shape your business and attitude?

Dustin: Besides my wife, she’s the real reason this company exists. I may be the dreamer, but she turns my dreams into reality. I would have to say my dad. He works hard and he lives and breathes the cowboy way of life.

Mehgan: This is definitely going to come back to haunt me in the future, but I’d have to say it’s Dustin. He is such a dreamer, he is never afraid to take risks, and he’s not afraid to fail. I think that’s why we’re here today.

CLN: Do you have any closing thoughts about you or your business that you’d like our audience to know?

Dustin: We’re not just making and selling our products, we’re using them too. I see a lot of people on social media commenting on our spurs things like “too pretty to wear” or “I’d be afraid to get them dirty. I make them because I want to provide our customers with a high-quality set of spurs, the ones that they can leave on their boots and then pass down to their children. How they look is just an added bonus.

Mehgan: I think just how much time and love goes into each piece, each order is personal and unique. We’re so grateful for all of our customers and all of the support, and we’re excited about the future.

I don’t about ya’ll, but this was a superb interview to bring back this great series. I want to thank Mehgan and Dustin for sharing their story and their business with us. If you have a business that you’d like to do a CLN Insider feature on, make sure to reach out!