Forged in the Northwoods

Lori Kaye Lodes

Contributor

August 3, 2026

RHINELANDER –  The hodag has long been tied to the identity of the City of Rhinelander.

At Basecamp Metal Works, Owner Charlie Esp said he is using the mythical creature as inspiration for a line of handcrafted steel artwork.

Using American steel and precision cutting equipment, Esp said he creates detailed hodag silhouettes that celebrate a piece of Northwoods culture.

The signs, he said, are among the newest additions to Basecamp Metal Works’ growing product line for the family-owned business built on craftsmanship, creativity and products designed to last for decades rather than seasons.

Business evolution

Beyond its stock products, Esp said Basecamp Metal Works also offers custom fabrication and sign work.

The company’s product line, he said, includes rocket stoves, collapsible firepits, collapsible charcoal grills, cast iron spatulas made from American-made cast iron pans and a variety of custom signs.

Esp said many of the designs start as ideas in his head before becoming finished products through the use of his CNC plasma table.

The spatulas, in particular, he said, have developed a following and represent how the business has evolved in its short history.
“We purchase new Lodge [Cast Iron] pans, American-made in Tennessee now, but we used to hunt down old pans,” he said. “It was cool, but finding them was getting more and more difficult.”

Esp said the hodag was first introduced in 1893 as an elaborate lumberjack hoax by local resident Eugene Shepard before becoming the city’s official mascot. 

Today, he said Basecamp Metal Works creates its own steel hodag artwork, giving residents and visitors a way to take home a piece of Rhinelander history.

Though the hodag draws plenty of attention, Esp said custom signs for Northwoods homes and cabins remain one of Basecamp Metal Works’ signature offerings.

“That’s where we’re going to shine,” he said. “We can do scenes, like deer scenes or wildlife scenes, but we create a wide variety. Our plasma table will do a 5-foot-by-10-foot sheet, but can do something larger by piecing it together after we cut it.”

Building something of their own

Long before Basecamp Metal Works’ official launch in 2025, Esp said the idea was already taking shape. 

He said he and his wife spent roughly five years planning the business while expanding the workshop on their Rhinelander property and balancing full-time careers. 

Esp said the business itself began taking shape in 2024 before production started the following year.

For him, Esp said entrepreneurship represents a return to familiar territory.

Growing up, he said he was surrounded by family-owned businesses, including a NAPA Auto Parts store in Marquette, Michigan, before eventually building a career of his own. 

Esp said that path took him to corporate America with NAPA in Denver, followed by more than two decades in Wisconsin working as a project manager and estimator for a dirt work company. 

Along the way, he said he also worked briefly as a welder for John Deere and developed a lifelong appreciation for building and repairing things.

Esp said that experience played a role in sparking his interest in creating a business like Basecamp Metal Works. 

“We began making products in 2025, because we just wanted to do something for ourselves,” he said. “I like building and creating things with my hands, and I’m mechanical, so we thought we’d be good at this.”

Esp said bringing the business to life also meant preparing the space where the work would happen.

After years of improvements to their lake home and workshop, he said he and his wife permanently relocated to Rhinelander.

Esp said the workshop expansion created room for the company’s CNC plasma table, which allows him to transform digital designs into precisely cut steel pieces.

Creativity meets technology

Though steel fabrication is often associated with heavy industry, Esp said much of his work begins on a computer screen.

The CNC plasma table, he said, allows him to create intricate digital designs before converting them into finished metal products.

Esp said that capability opens the door to highly customized work tailored to individual customers.

The artistic process, he said, varies.

In some cases, Esp said customers come in with a specific vision, while in others, he helps develop the design with ideas of his own. 

“If you have a name for your lake house or cabin or camp, we’ll incorporate that [into the sign],” he said. “If you like pine trees or deer, we can add those things to the sign and create a landscape that suits the customer.”

Esp said the technology still requires experience and artistic judgment, a challenge he enjoys.

“The computer is [built into] the plasma table CAD program, so I can create whatever you like and then tweak it,” he said. “It sounds easier than it is – it does take some finesse and you definitely have to know what you’re doing on it. I’m learning more every day.”

Because Basecamp Metal Works is a member of the Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce, Esp said he is able to use the chamber’s Hodag design.

However, he said the artwork required some adjustments before it could be converted for plasma cutting. 

Built to outlast the competition

Though custom design draws customers in, Esp said he believes quality is what ultimately separates Basecamp Metal Works from less expensive alternatives.

Many of the company’s outdoor products – including its collapsible charcoal grills, rocket stoves and firepits – he said, are made from heavy-gauge steel intended to withstand years of use.

Rocket stoves, Esp said, have become a popular product, especially among campers looking for rugged, portable cooking equipment. 

Though he acknowledges that some products may appear similar at first glance, especially when compared with lower-cost options online, Esp said he believes the difference becomes clear in the quality and craftsmanship. 

“[Customers] really like the custom work and even the base products, because the quality is fantastic,” he said. “But we have to get it in front of them, and they have to physically see, hold and touch it.”

Esp said durability is one of the company’s strongest selling points.

“If it does rust, it’s fine because once it builds, it protects the steel by building a scale on it,” he said. “If you have a firepit [from us], it won’t rust away… because it’s thick steel – 10-gauge or 11-gauge steel – and doesn’t just disappear.”

Esp said the company also paints its own products, giving customers another level of customization while maintaining quality control.

Growing one customer at a time

Like many entrepreneurs, Esp said he is still refining Basecamp Metal Works’ product mix while expanding awareness throughout the Northwoods and beyond via its social media platforms.

Basecamp Metal Works, he said, sells its products directly through its website and on social media – with Facebook proving particularly effective for reaching local customers. 

Esp said Basecamp Metal Works continues to expand its online product offerings while building inventory for community events and craft markets.

With UPS pickups available directly from the shop, he said the business can ship products nationwide.

Esp said Basecamp Metal Works’ product lineup continues to evolve as new ideas take shape.

“The mix is trial and error,” he said. “We try not to make too much [of any one thing] and see what sells. It’s doing a test on a very small scale.”

As a two-person operation, Esp said careful growth remains essential.

One of the biggest challenges, he said, has simply been letting people know the business exists.

“Getting people to realize you’re here is a big challenge,” he said.

To help draw attention to the business, Esp said he even installed a flashing caution light near Basecamp Metal Works’ roadside sign to make the shop easier for passing drivers to notice. 

“You have to grab everyone’s attention, and that has brought more people in,” he said.

Giving back to the community

As Basecamp Metal Works continues to grow, Esp said community involvement has become another important part of the business.

He said he and his wife volunteer with the Northwoods Honor Flight Benefit, helping support the organization’s mission to provide veterans from North and Central Wisconsin with the chance to visit Washington, D.C., and the memorials recognizing their military service.

Esp said the company also contributes products for the fundraiser’s auctions.

Past donations, he said, have included rocket stoves, cast iron spatulas and cast iron cookware, with a gift certificate planned for this year’s event along with a booth showcasing Basecamp Metal Works products.

A fitting name

Esp said the company’s name reflects both its location and its purpose.

Years before it served as inspiration for the business’s name, he said they were already calling their Rhinelander property “basecamp” because it served as their home base between trips to visit children in Maine, Colorado and La Crosse. 

As the business began to take shape, Esp said the name already represented the sense of place and purpose he wanted to create.

Today, he said Basecamp Metal Works reflects a family business rooted in craftsmanship, community and products built to last.

“It’s fulfilling to have your own business and take pride in what you do,” he said. “[It’s satisfying] to see the look on people’s faces when they see the finished product.”

For more, find Basecamp Metal Works on Facebook.