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Mason Tackle Company – MI

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Mason Tackle Company gets hooked on solar

By: Gabe Hutchison

Since 1938, Mason Tackle Company has outfitted anglers with fishing tackle and equipment. The third-generation family business is proud to produce all of its products in the state of Michigan. To remain competitive with overseas manufacturers, they prioritize reducing fixed costs wherever possible to keep pricing accessible. In 2024, they went solar to support this goal and ensure the business remains successful well into the future.

“We’ve been building products in America for a long time, but if we’d like to continue to do that, we have to find new and better ways—and more efficient ways—to run our business. And this was one of the steps along that path,” said Mike Powell, who manages the family business and oversaw the solar project. He shared that learning about a grant opportunity through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) motivated them to go solar. 

Through REAP, rural businesses can secure federal grant funding for renewable energy and efficiency projects. The program was crucially expanded in 2022 by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). “That extra money makes it feasible for a small company to actually invest in something that big. It would not have been something we would have been able to do without it,” said Mike.

Mason Tackle Company installed a 90-kilowatt (kW) roof-mounted solar array in March 2024. The REAP grant covered 40% of the $312,500 project. They secured additional savings on the system through the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which the IRA restored and extended to 30% until 2032. These federal incentives lowered the business’s costs to go solar by about $218,000.

The solar system they installed covers 100% of their energy needs. “Now we run a negative balance all summer long with the utility company,” said Mike, who estimates their annual savings will be around $30,000. With these ongoing benefits and the initial cost reductions, they anticipate paying off the system in under three years.

Manufacturers with high energy demands are acutely impacted by rising electricity rates, which can strain their operating budgets. Going solar allows them to shield against these volatile price hikes and gain more control over their energy expenses. “That was another thing we were trying to hedge against by getting out of the business of buying power.”

As a business in the outdoor industry, Mike finds that powering his operation with renewable energy is appealing not only to him but to his customers as well. “People want to buy sustainable goods. They want to buy things made in America,” he said while acknowledging that there is a limit to the premium consumers will pay for these products. Solar is helping them maintain their tradition of American-made products, boost marketability, and reduce fixed costs so they can continue to thrive.

For Mason Tackle Company, establishing their energy independence would not have been possible without the federal support they received, highlighting the crucial role these programs play in encouraging solar adoption. The prospect of reducing fixed energy costs lured them in, but it was the IRA incentives that got them hooked.

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