Summary
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell had the opportunity to chat with Scott Holley, the president and co-owner of Eddyline Kayaks. Scott brings a unique perspective and opportunity to Bentonville and he is excited to share it with Bentonville Beacon listeners. James and Scott discussed the ins and outs of the kayak industry, as well as Eddyline’s mission to partner with its customers to protect the ability to enjoy the waters they depend on for their craft.Thanks for tuning in!
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Show Notes:
(0:47) Introducing Scott Holley
(2:31) All about Entrepreneurship through Acquisition
(7:23) Deeper Look at Eddyline Kayaks
(9:20) Exploring the Technological Aspect of Making Kayaks
(17:15) Scott and Eddyline Kayaks’ Connection to Bentonville
(26:20) Scott’s Vision for Kayaking’s Impact on Northwest Arkansas
(28:34) Scott’s NWA Kayaking Bucket List
(39:23) How Bentonville Can Help
 (42:10) Superpowers and Closing Thoughts
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‍Links
OZARK KAYAK
EDDYLINE KAYAKS
JAMES BELL
SCOTT HOLLEY
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Quotes
“We are out there helping people to safely access healthy and clean waterways. So for us, the safety portion is really important. We use all of our products, and we make sure that we design all of our products for a comfortable, high performance experience on the water, but also with safety in mind.” Scott Holley, (7:23)

“One of the things that we’ve seen, especially during Covid, is that consumers are looking to have a more direct relationship to the brand. So whereas before, a retailer would really push product out to consumers, consumers are now coming in armed with a lot of information, a lot of foreknowledge…We know that we need to maintain that relationship with the end user. ” Scott Holley, (23:58)

‍“What I would love to see if we fast-forward 5-10 years from now is that the development looks a lot like what we’ve seen [with] mountain bikes and biking in general, and I can’t think of a place anywhere that has really created that model better than Arkansas.” Scott Holley, (26:20)

“If you have people who kayak, they’re going to be intimately aware of shoreline health…so it’s a little bit of a virtuous cycle, right? More people will kayak if you have healthy waterways, and then the more kayakers you have on healthy waterways, the more that they’re going to be invested in protecting and preserving those, and then creating new opportunities for access.” Scott Holley, (30:42)
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Paddling through Northwest Arkansas with Scott Holley of Eddyline Kayaks
‍On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell had the opportunity to chat with Scott Holley, the president and co-owner of Eddyline Kayaks. Scott brings a unique perspective and opportunity Bentonville, and he is excited to share it with Bentonville Beacon listeners. James and Scott discussed the ins and outs of the kayak industry, as well as Eddyline’s mission to partner with its customers to protect the ability to enjoy the waters they depend on for their craft.

‍Eddyline Kayaks
‍“We are out there helping people to safely access healthy and clean waterways. So for us, the safety portion is really important. We use all of our products, and we make sure that we design all of our products for a comfortable, high performance experience on the water, but also with safety in mind.” Scott Holley, (7:23)
As Scott Holley describes the craft he has made his passion, it is easy to hear the aspects of it that are the most important to him. One of those is his commitment to excellence in Eddyline’s products. Eddyline had the pleasure of being crowned the number one touring kayak on paddling.com’s 2021 review, an award that is based solely on customer reviews for products. 

‍“If you have people who kayak, they’re going to be intimately aware of shoreline health…so it’s a little bit of a virtuous cycle, right? More people will kayak if you have healthy waterways, and then the more kayakers you have on healthy waterways, the more that they’re going to be invested in protecting and preserving those, and then creating new opportunities for access.” Scott Holley, (30:42)

Another important aspect of kayak-building is the environmental impact, both in the warehouse and after the final product is in consumer hands. Eddyline Kayaks was the first company to thermo-form a kayak, a process that leaves the builder with less waste and less of a footprint than using fiberglass or other more dated processes. Scott takes the health of waterways very seriously, and Eddyline sets an example for its customers in preserving the environment. 

‍Why Bentonville?

‍“One of the things that we’ve seen, especially during Covid, is that  consumers are looking to have a more direct relationship to the brand. So whereas before, a retailer would really push product out to consumers, consumers are now coming in armed with a lot of information, a lot of foreknowledge…We know that we need to maintain that relationship with the end user. ” Scott Holley, (23:58)

Scott has a unique reason to love Bentonville and commit to its growth and success. Because of the business’s dedication to its customers and its desire to provide its products more quickly and without the transportation overhead that drives up prices, Eddyline sought out a location in the heartland to place a distribution center, and Bentonville has everything the business wanted for this branch of the company. Eddyline is hitting the ground running to connect with the area and find its place in Bentonville.

‍“What I would love to see if we fast-forward 5-10 years from now is that the development looks a lot like what we’ve seen [with] mountain bikes and biking in general, and I can’t think of a place anywhere that has really created that model better than Arkansas.” Scott Holley, (26:20)

No small part of Eddyline’s dive into Bentonville culture is outside of its master plan to make kayaking a powerplayer in the outdoor culture here. Scott expresses a desire to build new partnerships and connections here, including others in the business’s growth and asking for a seat at the table for the city’s. In Scott’s #BecauseBentonville moment, he describes sitting outside of Onyx Coffee Roaster in downtown Bentonville where person after person walked by and stopped to chat with him after only meeting him briefly prior to that. It is so fitting that the people of this city would accidentally drive home part of the very reason Eddyline chose Bentonville in the first place.

Get Connected!
‍Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Bentonville Beacon! Join us weekly for more stories from entrepreneurs and business leaders who are making a positive impact on Bentonville’s culture, community, and lifestyle. Don’t forget, Bentonville is a place where you can have more of what you want and less of what you don’t!