Fishing industry vets Richard Dunham & Abbie Skeen enrich tackle company’s creativity, culture

Ladson, SC (December 10, 2024) – It’s just some random Tuesday, and the vibe inside Z-Man headquarters is popping. Offices and their occupants pulse with positive energy. Phones buzz and rattle off desks. Front doorbells chime, nearly nonstop. Up and down halls, spirited voices punctuate perpetual watercooler repartee. Roughly 12,879 times a day, some version of the word fish makes an audible appearance. Meanwhile, multiple office dogs do their rounds, lending a nice laidback mood to the madness.

In short, business at Z-Man is booming. Evidence of its free-spirit subculture are the people—a cool collection of fishy characters of all stripes, united by their excitement to work under the big Z banner.

Lately, the twenty-year-old fishing tackle company has exhibited undeniable signs of success—an increasingly rare indie-fishing operation that thinks for itself. Today, an expanded, newly minted warehouse, distribution center and lure lab coalesce for efficient workflow across all departments. Among a growing staff of over 100 full time employees, its two newest associates—Richard Dunham and Abbie Skeen— are already injecting fresh perspectives, youth and a passion for epic bites.

Dunham, a lifelong bass fisherman and industry veteran, recently joined Z-Man as its newly created Product Manager—aka hardcore fishing dude with a knack for designing innovative new tackle. Jumping into Z-Man’s Marketing Specialist role, Abbie Skeen is already enriching the company’s image and visual branding via exceptional photo and video, as well as mad skills in graphic design.

When asked how he got his start in the biz, Dunham hopped on the wayback machine: “When I was 18, a new Bass Pro Shops opened near my home in Indiana and I was lucky enough to snag a job there,” recalls Dunham, already two years into his tournament bass gig at the time. “That first job in the fishing industry opened so many doors for me. Met so many awesome people who worked in fishing, which eventually led to jobs at two major fishing tackle distributors.

“Every day since I can remember, I’ve woken up knowing exactly what I wanted to do: catch bass and contribute to the angling community in meaningful ways. This (new position at Z-Man) is especially cool because it’s legitimately my dream job,” admits Dunham.

A graduate of Southern Illinois University, Dunham fished on the collegiate bass fishing team, serving as president in 2006. He fished five national college championships before participating in B.A.S.S. Opens, Toyota Series and FLW Tour as a co-angler. While Dunham has fished across the country, his favorite pursuit remains power fishing for big Florida largemouth bass near his home in Tampa—speed dragging a Turbo FattyZ™ or slinging a ChatterBait® bladed jig.

Adds Z-Man President Daniel Nussbaum: “I’ve known Richard for around fifteen years and have felt for a while that he’d be the perfect fit for our team and culture,” notes Nussbaum. “His years of retail and wholesale sales experience have fostered a keen understanding of the lure market as well as strong organizational and analytical talents. Richard’s background, skills and passion for bass fishing will absolutely take our product development efforts to the next level.”

Working alongside award-winning lure designer and Director of Product Development Jose Chavez, Dunham will immediately elevate the creativity and fish-catching allure of Z-Man baits.

On an equally aquatic path, having grown up around boats and water, new Z-Man Marketing Specialist Abbie Skeen brings a fresh eye and keen talents to the team. A graphic communications major and 2022 graduate of Clemson University, Skeen acquired valuable experience in marketing, photography and design during tenures with Sportsman Boats and Toadfish. A North Carolina native, Skeen now lives in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina near Z-Man headquarters.

“My dad worked in the boat industry for a long time, which instilled in me a love for being around boats and water from day-one,” said Skeen, whose current angling obsession is stalking bull redfish with a fly rod. A talented competitive water skier, Skeen was recruited by the prestigious Clemson University Waterski team, where she specialized in the 3-event circuit. She remains active in the sport yet today, frequently participating in South Carolina and Southern Region tournaments.

“In just a few months here, I’ve grown to really appreciate the Z-Man team,” adds Skeen. “It’s been a super supportive, welcoming community. Every day offers a different challenge. Plus, you gotta love a company that lets you bring your dog to work,” she laughs. (Skeen’s field retriever/Gordon setter mix fits right in with the office’s eclectic collection of labs, setters and spaniels.)

“Abbie’s talents are already making a strong impact on our marketing and branding efforts,” adds Nussbaum. “We’ve run with a lean marketing team and needed to add a jack-of-all-trades who’s well-versed in multiple areas. From the moment I met Abbie and studied her portfolio, her strong graphic design, photography, social media, and email marketing skills jumped off the page. Right away, I knew Abbie’s positive attitude and can-do demeanor would help the Z-Man brand continue to thrive and grow.”