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The New York Times: Durable Designs for Women Who Wrangle and Weld
Sarah Calhoun had worked years in physically demanding jobs, including five years in the field for the outdoor education nonprofit organization Outward Bound. She once resorted to duct-taping the crotch of her men’s work pants when the seams came apart. After spending six months at a company in Bozeman, Mont., sewing backpacks to learn about production, she began making a single pants style she designed herself. She and her roommate at the time were the models. Then she started her women’s workwear company, Red Ants Pants, in 2006, in White Sulphur Springs, Mont.
Learn moreThe Huffington Post: Can The Arts Help Save Rural America?
Ten years ago, Sarah Calhoun became a 21st century pioneer, staking a claim in a town far from her Connecticut roots: White Sulphur Springs, Montana, population 939, located in what was then the poorest county in the nation. The logging industry had dried up in the mountain town, but Calhoun saw potential. So she launched Red Ants Pants, manufacturing work wear for women. She started an online business and opened a brick and mortar store, and then a music festival with big-name talent like Lyle Lovett and Wynonna Judd.
Learn moreThe Seattle Times: Women who wrangle and weld need rugged clothing that works; entrepreneurs step up
In 2004, she shared a table at a local coffee shop with Richard Siberell, a veteran outdoor-gear designer. He encouraged her with advice and contacts. Later, he became her mentor and a board member. “He said, ‘Sarah, you’re on to something big here; you need to move on this now,’ ” Calhoun recalled.
Learn moreUnder the Big Sky: Red Ants Pants video feature
In 2006 Sarah Calhoun moved to the 900 person town of White Sulphur Springs to start an apparel company. Workwear for women was a product that previously didn’t exist until Sarah came along and recognized the need. The company’s name came naturally. In colonies of red ants, “women do all the work.” As excitement and momentum gathered around the company so did the scope of it’s goals. The three day Red Ants Pants Music Festival hosts 16,000 people annually, with the proceeds going to the Red Ants Pants Foundation. The Foundation gives out grants to women’s leadership, working family farms/ranches and rural communities, all of which parallel the mission of Red Ants Pants.
Learn moreMSNBC: Made in America Series – Female business leader makes work wear for women
Sarah Calhoun, founder of the Red Ants Pants company, makes durable work gear specifically designed for women’s bodies. Interview with Ali Velshi.
Learn moreIntel: #SHEOWNSIT Sarah Calhoun, Red Ants Pants – White Sulphur Springs, MT
Finding a gap in the apparel industry, Sarah Calhoun created Red Ants Pants—specialty workwear for hard-core women. She uses technology to help her live the life she wants under big skies in rural Montana.
Learn moreHelena IR: “Always remember to put on your cape”: Helena College graduates more than 200 “superheroes”
Sarah Calhoun, founder of Red Ants Pants, served as the featured speaker at the event. She has nearly two decades of leadership experience in both the nonprofit and small business sectors, working in the outdoor education industry before starting her work wear for women company in 2006. Calhoun wrapped up her advice under the theme of pickup trucks. “I have five points to make about trucks and your future,” she told the graduates. The first is work. “Trucks are designed for work and so are you,” she said. “Now the real work begins.” The second is drive. The key is to keep moving even through roadblocks of deep snow and mud. These challenges are part of the journey. This takes patience and problem solving, she said. “Now is your time to drive forward,” Calhoun said. The third is bed. Allow time for rest. She said people should perform routine maintenance on themselves just as they do to their rigs. The fourth aspect is pride. Graduates should revel in their work the same as they revere their trucks. Be the best firefighter, nurse or welder you can be, she said. “Always be proud of your work,” Calhoun said. “You are the foundation of this nation, truly.” Last, and perhaps the most enjoyable, is tailgate. The tailgate is known as the location to party but it can also be used as place to reflect on the road traveled. “Don’t forget to look back,” she added.
Learn moreMontana Living: Making a Better Women’s Pants, Rugged and durable women’s clothing from a Montana woman
And it is her passion for making a pair of work pants that actually fit a women’s body that keeps this company’s products flying off the shelf. It hasn’t been all easy. Yet she had the self confidence to move her business forward. With a lot of hard work you should get there,” Calhoun says. “And about those mistakes you’ll make … just don’t forget to learn from them.”
Learn moreUNH Extension: Why Entrepreneurs Matter in Small Towns
Last week, I had the privilege of attending the joint National Extension Community Development Professionals and Community Development Society conference in beautiful Big Sky, Montana. One of my favorite sessions was the plenary featuring Sarah Calhoun of Red Ants Pants, a company that produces outdoor work pants for women. The session got me thinking about how entrepreneurs, especially women, have the power to positively affect a rural community.
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