Inspired by a love of military history and fueled by an Instagram account, Aiden Olson and Logan McGrath have built an online retail outlet based in Appleton that has become a national brand.
Americana Pipedream Apparel launched in 2021 after McGrath dropped out of college and leaned toward starting his own business.
Olson and other friends encouraged McGrath, suggesting he could follow his interest in military history. McGrath had an Instagram account with 110,000 followers that he had created in high school where he posted military history.
McGrath took $1,500 from his savings account and purchased a few thousand Belgian police navy blue balaclavas. The business has never had to raise capital beyond that initial investment.
“It started in Logan’s basement,” Olson says. “We always thought it would kind of be a hobby. We never thought it would be what it is today.”
Today, there are 26 employees in two warehouse spaces, one of which houses offices, a design studio and video production facilities. They still purchase and sell military surplus clothing and gear, but have expanded into sporting goods, outdoors equipment, ebikes and have tested the waters on branded apparel.
“Anything we can get our hands on that is outdoor related or that we think will relate to our customer base or can cross sell, we’ve tried to dip our toes into,” Olson says. “It’s kind of trial and error. If it sells we carry it and if it doesn’t we just move on to the next idea.”
The ebike idea falls into the category of an idea that sells. An associate was a fan and convinced them to give them a try.
While the surplus products still pay the bills, the partners believe the branded apparel will fuel further growth and provide stability that is hard to maintain with surplus products that might be one-time buys.
The Americana branded products are all made in the United States. They started with the McGrath Bomber Jacket, but are working on fleece jackets, flannel pants, hats and more.
“The problem with surplus is that it’s finite,” McGrath says.
They also have built relationships with U.S. manufacturers and want to support them through their own brand.
They intend to remain an ecommerce business, citing overhead and inventory costs as reasons, combined with access to customers nationwide and internationally. In addition, ecommerce leans into their marketing savvy which has helped them build a community surrounding Americana Pipedream.
“The marketing is what makes the company,” McGrath says.
The importance is evidenced by the inclusion of a digital studio and a digital production room in their facility.
Olson adds, “It’s what allowed us to grow to the size that we are today — the marketing and the stories that we tell.”
