"While everything is going global and companies are being bought out by larger and larger conglomerates," he continues, "Bean is homegrown."
Though the three engineers are the ones doing the construction, the fledgling company is, says Leary, "almost too collaborative at times.
"Each one of us has our specialty. However, every step and change of direction, whether it be engineering, graphical, or PR driven, gets the attention of all. We give our input on each decision of the business, and although it can be sometimes frustrating getting five minds to agree all the way around, it's our differences that open up alternate and sometimes better options for our business."
One option the group had discussed was upgrading its headquarters. Running water, not to mention heat, would be nice. But for now, Bean Snowboards is staying in its garage. Up next are new boards. "We are planning to expand the line as soon as our capacity grows enough to support it," says McGraw. "The next model we'd like to build is a women's model, which would come in shorter sizes and have a more narrow width. We'd really like to get a kid's board into the mix, tentatively called the Bean Sprouts line, soon too."
On a more personal level, the five talk longingly of being able to break even. Of making Bean Snowboards a self-supporting venture. Or even, McGraw acknowledges, a career.
"I, and I think the rest of Bean, didn't want to give in to the typical 9-to-5 lifestyle without taking a shot at something more fun and more fulfilling," says McGraw. "That led us to trying our hands at building a board, and we've been expanding and perfecting the art ever since."
