An Inside Look at
Carroll Spur Company BY KRYSTA PAFFRATH
Carroll Spur Company embodies everything about the Western industry. Here’s a Q&A with Carroll Spur Co. co-owners Dustin Carroll and Mehgan Carroll.
CLN: CAN YOU GIVE OUR AUDIENCE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO YOURSELF AND YOUR COMPANY? 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
20
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.