Like everyone else in this community, I got bit by the 4×4 bug and started down the rabbit hole on OEM, third-party, and custom mods for my 4Runner. I think we’ve all been guilty at some point of buying that one product or brand that just sucked. It either didn’t fit right or the packaging looked like it was dragged behind the delivery truck.
These poor experiences leave you wishing that there was a premier destination for quality parts. Well, my friends, SRQ Fabrications & True North Fabrications answered that call, and we were able to take an in-depth look at their shops!
Find Them Online
- SRQ Fab: View Website
- True North Fab: View Website
Table Of Contents
About
So who are they? Based out of Sarasota, FL, they offer a plethora of awesome products from top-tier brands. So, I loaded up the 4Runner and trekked down to the land of my birth.
First of all, Sarasota is banging! It’s so much more youthful and fast-paced than when I grew up here. As I near SRQ/True North, I find a 50/50 blend of new and old. The area is an array of large industrial buildings with one unique thing, the row of massively built-out trucks in the parking lot! It’s a mecca for off-road enthusiasts.
After meeting with Matthew Berman, CEO of SRQ Fabrications, True North Fabrications, and more, I’m shortly united with his right-hand man, Kai Jacobsen. We set off to see how they make, customize, and fabricate all products for Toyota trucks and the new Ford Bronco.
Fabricated In Florida
Here’s the funny thing about fabricators – if you don’t see raw steel tubing and smell metal getting welded, you’re more than likely at a company that simply “white labels” someone else’s products with their logo. Not here, though.
Throughout the shop, sparks are flying, metal is grinding, and music is blasting. When you see listings on a wall that detail specific products in stages of “build times,” you’re talking about REAL American-made products.
It was reminiscent of my childhood, where I spent my formidable years building high-end boats for Wellcraft, Chris-Craft, Donzi, and more. There’s something about the town that rolls up its sleeves and gets to work.
From there, we walked through various product inventory, packaging, and fulfillment areas. There’s also a separate facility where custom lighting, retrofits, body mount chops (BMC), powder coating, R&D, and laser-cutting CNC magic happens.
As Kai explained, each station acts in concert to assemble a series of products found on their website. Kai even does a walkaround of his project truck and shows me an array of excellent modifications. It included, but was not limited to, True North Fabrications armor, and more.
A Sneak Peek
Sometimes, your timing is just spot on. As a white 4Runner parks in the lot, I discover it was Matthew’s wife’s Toyota sporting the recently released 5th Gen 4Runner Hybrid Rear Bumper.
There’s something special about seeing where a product comes from and knowing the time and attention to detail that went into its assembly. Moreover, it’s also nice to see a company take the time to craft a low-profile, stealthy-looking piece of armor. Nowadays, everyone else seems to make their parts closer and closer to a Mad Max battering ram.
Interview
Trail4Runner: Thanks for opening your doors so that Trail4Runner can come in, get a tour, and kick the tires! How did you get started in all of this?
Matthew: I originally got a 1997 4Runner for my 16th birthday from my parents. It was actually a 4Runner my dad bought new in 1997. I went to school at Florida State University and decided I wanted to build a custom grill for the front of my third-gen 4Runner. So, I knocked one out, installed it, added an emblem, and then posted it on the T4R forum.
Trail4Runner: Wow, that’s very pioneering for the time. What was the response like?
Matthew: All of a sudden, a bunch of people were interested in having me build a grill for them. So, I took a few orders and built them in my dorm room at school. From there, it started growing, and I began selling more and more grills. Eventually, I would go to my buddy’s apartment to build them because I needed more space.
Trail4Runner: Very cool, like so many entrepreneurs, you started by filling a need any way you could, and you did all the marketing yourself as well?
Matthew: A lot of small fabricators like myself on Facebook and T4R who didn’t have websites and used those platforms to post their products. So, I thought, “I’ll make a website, and you can showcase your products on it,” and it kind of grew from there. I continued to do that and eventually had a ton of small fabricators on my website. Now, here we are.
Trail4Runner: Seeing the growth of what you’ve created for yourself is very inspiring. Now, I have a little background, having been born in Sarasota, but most may not know where your name came from.
Matthew: “SRQ” is actually the airport code for Sarasota, Florida, so I thought it was kind of cool and a little different. A lot of places down here use “SRQ” in their name, but to the rest of the country, it’s different.
Trail4Runner: But clearly, you didn’t stop there, did you?
Matthew: In 2019, I bought True North Fabrications from the original owner, who was selling his products on the SRQ website. He was one of the original fabricators reselling on the website. Since then, I’ve continued to expand the line and production. True North Fabrications is our full armor lineup for Toyota vehicles and the new Bronco. It includes front bumpers, rear bumpers, rock sliders, skid plates, body mount chops, etc.
Trail4Runner: So, what should our Trail4Runner readers know about your products for SRQ?
Matthew: On the SRQ side, we have a bunch of in-house products such as retrofit headlights, our custom grills that we’ve been doing since the beginning, and some other small interior products for 4Runners.
Trail4Runner: That said, you’re selling more than your products, right?
Matthew: We also do a lot of resale for bigger brands for suspension and other interior and exterior products for Toyota trucks.
Trail4Runner: I really appreciate your ongoing commitment to smaller brands as well.
Matthew: We still try to push a lot of the small fabricators we’ve been with since the beginning. So, we still have those on the website in addition to some of the larger brands you see in the industry.
Trail4Runner: So, what’s next for you?
Matthew: We’re definitely continuing to grow our product lines, especially on the True North side. On the SRQ side, we’re still very model-specific, with most of our products related to 3rd Gen 4Runners. We’ve recently gotten into the 4th Gen and 5th Gen 4Runners and have pushed into some of the Tacoma models. We still have a lot more products to develop for the newer models. I think that’s really going to help us expand in the market.
Trail4Runner: Tell us a little more about how you create new products.
Matthew: We do a lot of CAD design for our products. For us, it would be about getting a 6th Gen 4Runner. We bring it here and fully 3D scan it, which allows us to bring it into CAD. From there, we can do whatever we want regarding product design.
Trail4Runner: I think, myself included, don’t fully appreciate the R&D process.
Matthew: It’s definitely not as quick or cheap as people think. We spend a lot of time dialing in products before releasing them to the public. Even then, sometimes you have issues.
Trail4Runner: Walk us through how you interface with customers to make the best products.
Matthew: We pride ourselves on working with customers. If something happens and there’s a way to make a product better, we spend the time fixing it and releasing new versions. We always allow previous customers to get an updated version.
Trail4Runner: I love that. Sometimes, I think brands just make what they think customers want, without doing the due diligence.
Matthew: We like working with our customers on the R&D process. We’re limited on how much we can do before putting it out in the wild and testing it.
Trail4Runner: I hear that people talk about your support and how you cover all the touchpoints.
Matthew: Social media, Instagram, Facebook, email, phone—we’re here to listen and hopefully make a great buying experience.
Trail4Runner: You’re so busy here! What’s the next evolution for you?
Matthew: We’re on the hunt for something bigger. Once we get into that location, maybe even add in an install shop and a showroom so customers can come check us out.
Trail4Runner: That said, you still know where you came from! You always want to work with brands and products at all levels. What does that look like?
Matthew: We’re also talking with smaller fabricators who are looking for a bigger platform to showcase their products. Just like how I started in college, having small fabricators is what started the business. So, if anyone’s interested in having their product showcased on SRQ’s website, we’d love to reach out and talk with them.
Trail4Runner: Thanks, Matt, it’s been great talking with you. You’re a great model for people who have a dream and make it happen.
Final Thoughts
For me, at least, in a world where mass production and cookie-cutter designs often overshadow craftsmanship and authenticity, SRQ and True North Fabrications stand out as beacons of quality and innovation. They’ve built a reputation not just on the strength of their products but on their commitment to preserving the spirit of the off-road community and its industrious minds.
From their roots in Sarasota to their expansion into new markets and vehicle models, they’ve managed to stay true to the ethos that started it all – creating badass products without sacrificing where they came from.
It’s clear that their dedication to quality, customer satisfaction, and supporting fellow fabricators isn’t just a business strategy; it’s a way of life, for anyone looking to elevate their 4Runner, Tacoma, or Bronco build, SRQ Fabrications, and True North Fabrications are premier destinations for top-tier, American-made products that you can trust.
What’s up with that new 5th Gen 4Runner rear bumper? No shots of that thing or what? lol –