The Shop. ULA World Headquarters (!) 1,200 sq ft of sewing paradise. ULA moved into The Shop (former 3-car garage...classy!) in late December 2003. Up until late January 2004, The Shop was heated with an 'ol wood stove. Once the wood ran out, and sewing in 0 degree weather for a week was demmed inefficient, a radiant propane heater was installed. A definite improvement!

	My house is approximately 20 paces from The Shop. The allure of work is often hard to ignore being so close. Anyway, the following images should give you an idea of the workspace. I'll post some 'action shots' at some point to give you a sense of how things come to be...
	Basically the shop consists of a lot of tables. Tables for cuttin', tables for sewing', tables for shippin'. Most of the tables were built by my hiking buddy Brandt. He is quite a craftsman and knows his way around a toolbox.
	Everything ULA eventually sews up, starts on this table. The Design Table is where the ideas in my head and the feedback from customers come together. From the impending chaos, prototypes are born.
	Next step is The Big Table. The Big Table is primarily used for cutting. Since it is 12 ft long, it is easy to roll out a bunch of material and cut lots and lots of packs at one time.
	Once materials are laid out, the cuttin' begins. Cuttin' is accomplished by using one of many Cutters. Cutters are really sharp and have no respect for soft, human flesh. One must be careful when in the company of any of the Cutters.
	Here I am using The Foam Cutter...you guessed it... cutting foam. Whatever materials are being cut, it also requires the use of lots of weights to keep the materials compressed to ensure an accurate cut.
	Lengths of webbing also need to be cut before product assembly can begin. Gary the Chopper is used for small batches of webbing, bungee, or cordage. GTC is operated by using a manual foot pedal.
	For larger batches I use the automatic webbing cutter. An air compressor provides the power to the hotknife, while the control box allows me to specify the length and speed in which the webbing is fed through the machine. Definately a helpful machine for a small operation.
	Now the sewing can begin. The majority of stitching is done on these machines...Big D, Flora, and Ms. Juki.  Ms. Juki was my first industrial sewing machine. Without question this special lady has played an important role in my life. I find her 60 watt glow so soothing...
	Although my role in the business has changed since its inception, I still spend time behind the needle. The headset is goofy but necessary equipment to keep tabs on the phone and get other chores done during the day.
	Bartack Central. Bartack machines are used to reinforce high-stress areas of the packs and are either computer or cam driven. They are incredibly durable machines.
	Some of the products require grommets. Instead of whacking away with a die-set and a hammer, I picked up a grommet-setter which is MUCH easier and results in far fewer headaches and smashed fingers. Above the grommet-setter is the XM Satellite Radio -- critical to having a productive day in The Shop. Anything from punk rock to latin pop. Something for everyone or every mood.
So, whom is responsible for production at ULA? Other than myself, namely the two fine ladies pictured below: Ruth Quitanilla and Tomasa Gonzalez. Visit the sewers link for some background about these two hardworkers. The image below is the party they threw for me at The Shop before I set out to hike The Hayduke Trail.
	Upon completion, ULA products find their way to The Shipping Table to await being matched up with the correct order.
	My Corporate Cubicle. In the warmer months the garage doors are open which is a welcome relief from my winter bound, four-walled world. Chores in the Corporate Cubicle include: processing orders, answering e-mails, and scheduling delivery of supplies.
	This is Wred Dog. He has no corporate duties. He has too much independence to become a Corporate Mascot. Other than to sleep, shed, and demand 'frisbee time' he is a loyal fellow that nips heels to keep strangers at bay and all of us on task should we be caught loafing.
	Once the paperwork is complete, product is boxed up. When the weather is poor, The Rig is loaded up for delivery.
	However, when the weather is good, which it typically is, I load up The Bike and head to the Post Office and UPS for delivery.
	This is The Storage Shed. It primarily houses rolls of foam. The doors were originally drab corrogated steel. ULA grafitti courtesy of Brent who is a local Tattoo Artist.
	That concludes the tour of The Shop. If you ever find yourself in Logan, UT and would like to swing by, feel free. Please call ahead to give me time to look busy...