the staple wasp origin story: A better stapling tool born in the field

Every good tool starts with a real problem. In this case, the Staple Wasp started with a single customer and a simple request.

Years ago, a contractor using a Canadian autofeed stapling tool asked Sam, our founder, if he could manufacture staples for that gun. Sam is a machinist, inventor, and problem-solver, so he said yes, but once he watched how the tool performed in real erosion control and landscape installations, he noticed something bigger.

Yes, he could make the staples. But more importantly, he could make the tool  better.

Sam explained that the current gun was heavy and very difficult to repair. He offered to engineer a lighter-weight tool that could be serviced faster and more conveniently. But, the customer didn’t want to redesign the tool. So Sam did.

Inventing a Better Autofeed Stapling Tool

Instead of accepting the limitations of the tool already on the market, Sam set out to design his own autofeed stapling tool built specifically for erosion control blankets, weed barrier fabric, and geotextiles. ​

The result was the Staple Wasp:

• A durable, manual autofeed stapling gun

• Designed to reduce jamming and downtime

• Built for minimal maintenance in rough conditions

• Engineered to perform consistently as soil conditions and materials change

As erosion control blankets and geotextiles became thicker, denser, and more varied, Sam kept testing and refining both the staples and the spring-loaded plunger action of the tool. Staples had to drive cleanly through the fabric and into the ground every time, because anything less slows a crew down and costs money on the job.

Built for the Field, Not the Shop

One of the defining features of the Staple Wasp is that every part of the tool is replaceable. Components can be shipped directly to job sites so crews can swap parts in minutes and get back to work without shutting down production.

That design philosophy comes from respect for the people actually using the tool: contractors, installers, and laborers who work on slopes, ditches, and rough terrain—not engineers sitting at a desk. The Staple Wasp had to be something they could trust, fix quickly, and run hard day after day.

The Real Competition: Loose Staples

The Staple Wasp’s biggest competition isn’t another stapling gun. It’s loose landscape staples.

On paper, loose staples look cheaper. In the field, they come with hidden costs:

• Slower installation and more time spent bending over

• Repeated hammering and repositioning on tough or rocky ground

• More physical strain on backs, knees, and shoulders

• Higher labor costs and shorter careers for good workers over time

The Staple Wasp was invented to solve those realities, speeding up installation while improving ergonomics and productivity on real job sites where time, bodies, and budgets all matter.

American-Made, Start to Finish

From the beginning, it mattered to Sam, and to Gene Fisher, who has been involved from day one, that the Staple Wasp be 100% American-made.

• Parts are made in the United States

• Manufacturing and assembly happen in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota

• Sam is still directly involved in the operation

• Many of the machines used to manufacture the guns and staples were designed and built by Sam himself

This isn’t outsourced innovation. It is hands-on craftsmanship, built and refined by people who know what these tools go through in the field.

From Pelican Rapids to All 50 States (and Beyond)

Today, Staple Wasp tools are used across all 50 states and in multiple countries, a reach built through the persistence and grit of Sam and Gene over many years.

The company now serves contractors through a two-pronged sales and distribution model:

• Direct-to-contractor sales through the Staple Wasp e-commerce site

• A growing distributor network that includes landscape supply, building supply, and erosion control companies

All service and repairs still run through Pelican Rapids, maintaining the same accountability, quality control, and pride in the work that defined Staple Wasp from the very beginning.