Grapentin Specialties was born in 1983 when Jeff Grapentin purchased his first sinker mold from Jack Biewer to make fishing sinkers for R&R's Sporting Goods, Pat Creger, his mother-in-law's store, in Almont, Michigan.

His dad Wilfred L. Grapentin told him that his Uncle Harold had operated his own fishing tackle business "Halken Specialties" located in Roseville, Michigan.

He and his wife, Del, manufactured fishing sinkers and leaders for area stores.  When his Uncle Harold moved, he gave Jeff his fishing sinker molds.

Jeff began to make sinkers.  Then he went on the road to sell what he had made.  He had gone to several stores with no luck.  Ready to give up and forget it all, Jeff said to God "If I don't sell to the next store, I'm done!".  He went into KK Party Store in Harrison Township and made his first sale.  That year, his total sales were $500.00.  Then in 1984 Grapentin Specialties was established.  Jeff then informed Diane she was to quit her current job at R&R's Sporting Goods and be his salesperson.  Diane laughed "No way!" "I'm not selling sinkers!"  Diane is now in charge of day-to-day operations at Grapentin Specialities.  Diane's favorite fishing is pan fishing or perch, especially ice fishing, while casting with crawler harnesses in Ohio is a close second.

Grapentin Specialties began in a one car garage in Almont.  Doing sales out of the trunk of a Chevy Caprice, with her three sons (Joshua, Jonathon and Andrew) the sales began.

Diane heard about a large shop on 10 mile and Jefferson (Lakeside Fishing Shop).  She got directions and decided to check it out.  Walking in she said "Hi, my name is Diane Grapentin, I was wondering who I'd talk to about fishing sinkers".  "Me, my name is George, we already have a sinker person."  End of conversation.

The following week, Diane went back to Lakeside but this time to purchase a gift for her brother Bob.  Running into George again, he said "Aren't you the sinker lady?"  "No, not me", Diane replied "I'm just here to get a gift".  "No, weren't you here last week on sinkers?" George said.  "Yes" Diane replied.  "Do you have any on you?"  "Yes, let me see."  Diane opened the trunk of her car and showed George a trunk full of sinkers in coffee cans.  "I'll take them all!."  George said.  Having no calculator and no pre-packaged sinkers, Diane counted each sinker, added them up by hand while another owner, Dan Chimelak, held little Andrew, only one years old at the time and showed him the minnows.  George told Diane "You're gonna have to get a van if you're going to supply us".  So we bought our first van "by faith" from Kevin Lahaie.

In May of 1988, we purchased Reilly's Enterprises, owned by Donald H. Reilly.  This business consisted of fishing sinkers, sinker molds, chugg'n boards, chugg'n sticks and chugg'n sinkers.  The same products we still sell today.

Then in 1989 or thereabouts, we purchased Walter Jaster's business which consisted of fishing sinker molds, lead army men molds, sinkers, cannon balls and spreaders.  This also increased our sales and product line.

Even with this purchase, we still needed more molds.  Wilfred Grapentin, Jeff's Dad, made us our first custom mold, a 1/2 oz. and 3/4 oz. in line trolling sinker mold.  Then because of demand, he also made us our depth finder mold, all our tolling sinker molds, our 10 oz. to 2 lb. triangle sinker molds, a multi cavity 1 oz., 1 1/2 oz. and 2 oz. bell sinker mold, all our wire benders, as well as a wire cutting machine.  He did all of these things by hand in his basement.  He helped us in so many ways, he encouraged us when we wanted to quit.  He was an inspiration and our "main man" while we had him.  He left us on May 8, 1989.  He will always be missed — but never forgotten!