How Custom Shock Bushings Turned One Broken Part Into a Growing American Manufacturing Business

Derek Goodlin is building a business around a straightforward idea: give people a way to repair what they already own.

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In 2014, Derek Goodlin had a problem with his 2000 Polaris Sportsman 500. A shock needed a new bushing, but the dealership couldn't sell him the small replacement part. The only option was to buy a completely new shock for several hundred dollars.Derek didn't think that made much sense. An engineer by background, he found the right raw material and, with help from a friend, turned a replacement bushing on a manual lathe. That one repair eventually became Custom Shock Bushings LLC.

Today, the company makes roughly 120 repair kits for equipment from Polaris, Can-Am, Harley-Davidson, Honda and other brands. The kits are built around specific OEM shock part numbers, giving customers a way to replace the worn component instead of the entire shock.

"We're trying to give people an option to repair something instead of throwing it away."

That idea continues to drive the business. About 70% of sales now go directly to consumers, with another 30% coming from repair shops. Derek originally sold through eBay before launching the company's own website, allowing Custom Shock Bushings to reduce marketplace fees and pass those savings on to customers. The company has also built a strong reputation with buyers, maintaining a 99.8% positive feedback rating on eBay.

What makes the business especially interesting is how often customers help shape what comes next. Derek is willing to work on unusual applications and create one-off solutions when a standard kit doesn't exist. Those requests have opened the door to new products, including Harley-Davidson applications and repair kits for lawn equipment such as Ferris mowers.

"If somebody has something that we don't have a kit for, we'll try to figure it out."

The company is also committed to keeping its products made in the USA. For Derek, that is an important part of the value he provides to customers looking for an alternative to lower-cost imported components.

Now the business is at another turning point. Production has traditionally relied on manual turning with support from a friend's machine shop. As the product line grows and parts become more complex, Derek is looking at whether bringing CNC machining in-house could make sense.

It's a familiar manufacturing question: when does it make sense to make the investment in equipment, and when is it better to continue with the current model? For Custom Shock Bushings, the answer could determine how quickly the company can grow.

That is one reason Derek joined the RAMP program after being introduced by Jerry Talbert. With his experience as a former plant manager, manufacturing is familiar territory. The opportunity is to apply that experience to the next stage of a business that has grown largely through solving one customer problem at a time.

Marketing is another area where Derek sees an opportunity. The company has a loyal customer base, but building a stronger social media and digital presence could help it reach more people. Derek is weighing the benefits of direct-to-consumer marketing against working with distributors and repair networks.

"We're a small family business, and we'd like to see it grow into something we can do full time."

That family connection is already part of the business. Derek's children help with tasks such as trimming parts and stamping them with the company's "CSB USA" mark. His longer-term goal is to build a business that he and his spouse can run together, potentially traveling to trade shows and growing the company's presence in the market.

What started with one Polaris shock has become a business with 120 repair kits and a growing list of possibilities.

The next chapter may involve CNC machining, new markets and a much bigger digital presence. But the basic idea hasn't changed: if a small part is broken, there should be a way to fix it without replacing everything.