Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Bender.
Hi Thomas, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Phew—where to begin? Looking back, I’d say two things shaped me early on: cycling and a degree in Industrial Design (ID, which is really just a fancy term for product design).
I grew up racing bikes—and still pretend to—and found a home in the local cycling community. It’s a pretty incredible mix: people from all walks of life show up to the weekly group ride, push themselves to the limit, then go back to whatever Tuesday looks like for them. Between those rides and weekend races with my folks, I met a lot of people. One of them—a friend to this day, 30 years later—told me about his job in “design.” He explained that he came up with ideas for products, sketched them, and made them. To a kid like me, that sounded like magic. That conversation led to a college visit, and eventually, a four-year degree in Industrial Design.
Both cycling and design still run deep in my life. Cycling gave me an unmatched work ethic; design gave me a way to see and build the world differently. I’ll spare you the TED Talk for now…
Today, among a few other ventures, I own and operate ACME Overland Limited Co. We build high-functioning, purpose-driven vehicles made for long-distance travel—capable of crossing continents. Words don’t quite do them justice, but visuals help: www.acmeoverland.com
That’s the quick surface level snapshot of “me.” I could go on, but you get the idea…
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Anyone who describes running a small business as “smooth” is out of their mind! It’s not for the faint of heart—or mind—but it does have a way of strengthening both, if you let it.
Over the years, we’ve faced everything from supply chain breakdowns to inflation, tariffs, and the rest. These are complex, shifting challenges, but I’ve learned that flexibility, transparency with our clients, and a willingness to adapt are the keys to navigating them—and even improving because of them.
Do I enjoy those challenges? Not exactly. But at a certain point, all you can do is keep showing up and doing what you do best. That’s the mindset I try to stay grounded in—most of the time, anyway.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about ACME Overland Limited Co.?
We (my wife and I, Jess) founded Acme Overland out of necessity.
We were in the market for an adventure rig that would deliver an escape from routine, letting us travel, work, and play in an ever-changing variety of locations. We were discouraged by what was available at the time: a mix of poorly executed DIY builds and unaffordable high-end luxury campers. We wanted something in the middle, a well-built van with properly designed systems and a reasonable price tag.
We took our expertise in engineering, product design, interior design, unique materials, and an unwavering aesthetic and got to work fitting our own van. Very soon after we took on our first client (whom we are still very close with today and have since built a second van for).
We saw the potential in our first build, saw how we could improve, and more importantly, it showed us the opportunity in the market to create a new business around it. Today, vans are a much smaller part of our business. We now almost exclusively build ‘expedition vehicles’ that set us apart in an ever-growing industry. Our recent builds can be viewed in our gallery on our website.
We’ve literally gone through every emotion, high and low, in the 9 years since we started this business. Jess and I had our first boy, Wolfe, in August of 2020, and in October of the same year, I lost Jess in a tragic accident. This has drastically changed how I personally operate and has made what we built that much more special.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Loosely in order: my boy, family, dogs, and ACME Overland. I tend to feel a little lost most of the time but there is no question when it comes to the items on the list there is no room for floating – things just need to be completed to move forward. Without this short list I’m not sure where I’d be or what I’d be doing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.acmeoverland.com
- Instagram: acme_overland
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acmeoverland
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasjeffreybender/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ACME_OVERLAND
