I’m Joe Crampton, the founder of North Coast Supply Co.

I’d describe my style as "Great Lakes Utility." It’s sitting right at that intersection where heavy industrial workwear meets a sun-faded, 1980s summer. My creative process is really about tactility. We live in such a digital, polished world, so I’m drawn to things that have grit—waxed canvas, heavy grain footage, oxidized brass. I’m trying to build a brand that doesn't feel "designed," but feels like it was dug out of a time capsule in a boathouse.

What first sparked your passion for this?

It was really about representation. You look around and you see surf culture dominating the West Coast, and that polished "Yacht Club" vibe on the East Coast. But the Great Lakes? We are a ghost town in the design world.

We have this incredible, gritty, industrial freshwater culture—it’s rust belts meets sand dunes—and nobody was telling that story visually. The spark was just a desire to capture the specific cinematic feeling of the North Coast. I wanted to build the uniform for the place I live.

Tawas Ties

  • What makes Tawas special to you as a local & as a creative?

    Tawas is essentially a living time capsule. Because we are tucked away on the sunrise side, we haven't been paved over by the generic "modern world" yet.

    As a creative, it’s an endless source of texture. You walk down the street and see 50-year-old ice cream shop signs, sun-bleached boat hulls, and peeling paint that has survived thirty winters. The town has a natural patina that you can't fake in Photoshop. I stay here because the aesthetic isn't curated—it's earned.

  • Is there a specific spot in Tawas or a local memory that heavily influences the aesthetic of your work or your new brand?

    I like to go out on the state dock in late September. There is this fleeting week where the season breaks. The tourists have gone home, the town gets quiet, and the light hits the water at this low, golden angle. But the wind has turned cold.

    Standing there, you get this mix of warm, nostalgic summer memories colliding with the reality of the freezing winter ahead. That specific feeling—warm colors but cold air—is the core palette of the brand. I’m always chasing that "September on the Pier" feeling.

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  • The brand is North Coast Supply Co.

    The "Why" is a matter of identity. For decades, American style has been dominated by the coasts: The surf culture of the Pacific or the prep culture of the Atlantic. But the Great Lakes? We’ve been the quiet giant in the middle. We have an "Inland Sea" culture that is industrial, dangerous, and incredibly beautiful, but it had no uniform.

    I launched this brand to finally give the North Coast its own voice. We aren't trying to look like California. We are building the flag for the fresh water.

  • What can people expect from the brand once it’s fully live?

    Expect a commitment to Technical Treasure.

    In a market obsessed with "disposable," our mission is to engineer future artifacts. You can expect gear that feels like a discovery—like finding a rare, high-spec tool in a surplus locker that still works perfectly fifty years later.

    My promise is that the shirt you buy on launch day will be the item you refuse to trade away in five years. We are building the "grail" items of tomorrow. If it doesn't feel like a piece of equipment worth keeping, we won't ship it.

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Tell us about the videography work you’ve been doing lately. What kind of stories have you been telling through your lens?

I come from the world of commercial broadcast production—where everything is lit perfectly, scripted, and clean. That’s the discipline.

But my recent work for North Coast is a deliberate rebellion against that polish. I’ve been moving away from the "perfect shot" and experimenting with atmospheric vignettes. I’m stripping away the studio lighting to capture visual silence—heavy fog, rain hitting the deck, the way light dies on the water in November.

In my commercial work, I’m selling clarity. In this work, I’m selling a feeling. I want the viewer to actually feel the dampness through the screen. It’s less about the "action" and more about the texture of the environment.

You are launching a new clothing brand! What is the name, and what is the "Why" behind it?

The brand is North Coast Supply Co.

The "Why" is a matter of identity. For decades, American style has been dominated by the coasts: The surf culture of the Pacific or the prep culture of the Atlantic. But the Great Lakes? We’ve been the quiet giant in the middle. We have an "Inland Sea" culture that is industrial, dangerous, and incredibly beautiful, but it had no uniform.

I launched this brand to finally give the North Coast its own voice. We aren't trying to look like California. We are building the flag for the fresh water.

How does your eye for videography translate into the designs you are creating for this brand?

It comes down to composition.

You can pause an Oscar-winning film at any second, and that single frame is a painting. Nothing is accidental. Every shadow, every line, every prop is placed specifically to create that "holy moment" that outlives the ages.

I treat a garment the exact same way. The pocket placement, the width of the hem, the way the collar breaks—that is the composition. I’m trying to engineer that perfect visual balance so that the gear doesn't just look "cool," it feels inevitable. I want every piece to feel like a frame worthy of the film.

You are currently in the Kickstarter/Launch phase. What does it mean to you to have the community’s support during this "ground floor" moment?

It distinguishes the "Passengers" from the "Crew."

A passenger waits until the ship is built, safe, and docked to get on board. But the Crew? They are the ones standing there in the cold, handling the lines, helping us cast off.

This "ground floor" moment is about finding the people who want to build this with me. The people backing us now are the ones who get to say, "I was there when this was just a sketch." That’s a bond you can’t buy with traditional marketing.

Where can people find your Kickstarter link and follow your journey?

We are documenting the entire build—the failures, the design process, and the testing—over on YouTube at youtube.com/@northcoastsupply. That is where you can see the 'Technical Treasure' concept actually being engineered.

But if you want to secure a piece from the first run, you need to get on the Pre-Launch List. We are offering limited 'Early Bird' pricing for the crew that is there on Day 1.

Click here to visit our Kickstarter Pre-Launch Page and hit the 'Notify Me on Launch' button. That is the only way to guarantee you don't miss the drop.

Follow the KickstarterWatch the Journey on YouTube

What is one project you are most proud of so far?

Without hesitation, it’s North Coast Supply Co.

It’s the most fulfilling work I’ve ever done because I’m not just manufacturing product; I’m trying to engineer a feeling. My obsession is "Heirloom Quality." I want every piece of gear we ship to feel like a discovery. Unboxing a jacket should feel like cracking open a rusted locker on a decommissioned freighter. It should have that weight, that history, and that sense of mystery—like you’re exploring a shipwreck before you even put it on.