Gov. Hutchinson attends Rage Fabrications opening in Trumann

About three years ago Ronnie Samuel’s son was searching for a bumper for his ATV. When Samuel saw what was on the market, he told his son they could make something better.

Rage Fabrications was born.

The company opened its doors on a new facility Monday (June 18) in Trumann. Samuel told Talk Business & Politics his company invested about $200,000 in the company and it employs 10 workers. The facility located in the Truman industrial park is owned by the city, but Rage has signed a lease for at least five years and it has options for it to be extended up to 20 years.

Rage produces 41 different products, mostly ATV accessories, Samuel said. The company just began making signs for different businesses, he added. The family has been in the automotive business for more than 51 years. One of the most shocking aspects of the business has been its global distribution, Samuel said. He’s received orders from as far away as Afghanistan and Kazakhstan.

“There’s a demand for it, and there’s a market for it,” he said.

The company plans to hire at least 10 more workers in the coming years, he said. Gov. Asa Hutchinson was on hand for the opening of the facility.

“It’s pretty exciting to see the manufacturing base expand in a small community like Trumann,” Hutchinson told Talk Business & Politics. “We want to support the industries that we have and want to expand.”

President Donald Trump recently announced billions in new tariffs with China, and Hutchinson said it could impact Arkansas businesses. Company’s that import cheaper steel from international markets could be affected, and Hutchinson said his administration is working on exemptions with the federal government.

The Delta Regional Authority spent $225,000 to renovating the building, including an upgrade to the electrical system, Delta Regional Authority (DRA) federal co-chairman Chris Caldwell told Talk Business & Politics.

Rage has grown rapidly during the last couple of years, and Caldwell said he thinks global markets are one reason. The company has sold its products in at least 20 countries, he said. One reason why Rage has grown so rapidly is such a short time is social media, Samuel said. Once they built their first bumper others saw it on Facebook, and they wanted one, too, he said. It then went viral.

“An investment like this is important for DRA,” he said.