All positions are adaptable for the right person!

View the positions available below for a baseline of what we're looking for. Positions can be altered for the right person.

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have a strong desire to work in the ski industry and can demonstrate how your skills could be best utilized at Shaggy's!

Pickleball Paddle Production Technician

Full-Time | Boyne City, Michigan

At Shaggy’s Skis, we build high-performance skis and Thompson Pickleball paddles by hand in Boyne City, Michigan.

We’re hiring a full-time Production Technician whose primary responsibility will be manufacturing pickleball paddles. Depending on production needs, this person will also spend approximately one to two days per week helping with ski production, finishing, and shipping.

Thompson Pickleball is growing quickly, with new paddle models launching and production increasing. This role does not have to become a leadership position, but for the right person, it could develop into a Pickleball Production Lead role as the brand grows.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Preparing carbon fiber, paddle cores, and other materials
• Performing paddle layups and casting urethane sidewalls
• Trimming, sanding, cleaning, and finishing paddles
• Managing paddle materials, work-in-process, and finished inventory
• Operating a 3D printer for production tooling and components
• Maintaining quality, consistency, and an organized work area
• Helping improve paddle production as volume increases
• Assisting with ski production, finishing, packing, and shipping
• Gaining exposure to CNC router operations and other shop equipment

Some specialized CNC and cutting operations will continue to be handled by trained team members, but this position will have opportunities to learn more as our new CNC router is brought into production.

Who This Is a Good Fit For

You’ll likely enjoy this role if you:

• Like working with your hands
• Take pride in building high-quality products
• Are dependable, organized, and detail-oriented
• Can follow a process and notice when something is not right
• Are comfortable with sanding, trimming, adhesives, urethane, and shop equipment
• Are willing to help wherever needed in a small manufacturing team
• Want the opportunity to grow with an American-made sporting goods company

Experience with composites, woodworking, fabrication, automotive work, machining, construction, or other hands-on work is helpful, but not required. We care most about work ethic, attention to detail, and willingness to learn.

Schedule and Work Environment

• Full-time position
• Primary focus on pickleball paddle production
• Approximately one to two days per week supporting ski production and shipping
• Work takes place at our manufacturing shop in Boyne City
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and stand for much of the workday
• Must be comfortable working around epoxy, urethane, adhesives, dust, and common shop materials

Compensation & Benefits

• Hourly pay based on experience and growth
• Opportunities for pay increases as you develop in the role
• Healthcare Insurance (75% employer paid)
• 401k with up to 3% employer contribution
• Paid time off and holidays
• Free custom skis
• Ski industry discounts
• Free ski passes

Interested?

Apply below and send us a short note about yourself. We’d especially like to hear about anything you’ve built, repaired, fabricated, or worked on with your hands.

Pickleball Paddle Production Technician - Part Time

At Shaggy’s Skis, we build high-performance sporting good products by hand in Boyne City, Michigan. In addition to custom skis, we also manufacture Thompson Pickleball paddles in-house using many of the same hands-on production principles: precision, consistency, and pride in the finished product.

We’re looking for someone to join our production team and help build pickleball paddles from raw materials, with a focus on layup, urethane sidewall casting, material prep, finishing, and inventory management.

This is currently a part-time position, likely 2-3 days per week. As Thompson Pickleball grows, this role could grow with it. But if you’re simply looking for consistent part-time work in a hands-on manufacturing environment, that works too.

What This Job Is

This is a hands-on role working with:

• Carbon fiber paddle faces

• Polypropylene paddle cores

• Urethane sidewall materials

• Adhesives and composite materials

• 3D printed production parts

• Finishing tools and shop equipment

You’ll be helping build premium pickleball paddles from start to finish, learning how the materials come together and why each step matters.

This isn’t an assembly line job. The process requires attention to detail, consistency, and the ability to notice when something isn’t quite right.

How You’ll Start

You’ll work under Shaggy’s and our Production Manager to:

• Understand the paddle building process

• Learn material prep and process flow

• Build consistency and speed

• Develop hands-on production skills

• Understand quality standards and repeatability

As you gain experience, the goal is for you to take ownership of most of the pickleball production process outside of certain specialized operations.

Who This Is a Good Fit For

You’ll likely enjoy this role if you:

• Like working with your hands

• Are detail-oriented

• Enjoy building, fixing, or making things

• Are comfortable working in a real shop environment

• Don’t mind sanding, trimming, adhesives, urethane, and hands-on production work

• Can follow a process and notice when something seems off

• Are dependable and willing to learn

• Want a part-time role where your work directly affects the finished product

You don’t need pickleball paddle manufacturing experience. But you do need a good attitude, a steady work ethic, and a willingness to learn.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Preparing raw materials for paddle builds

• Performing paddle layups

• Casting urethane sidewalls

• Operating a 3D printer for production-related parts

• Managing pickleball production inventory

• Trimming, sanding, cleaning, and finishing paddles

• Tracking work-in-process and completed paddle inventory

• Keeping the pickleball production area clean and organized

• Helping improve the process as production grows

Some parts of the paddle process, including CNC router work and Zund CNC knife cutting, will continue to be handled by other trained team members.

About the Team

We’re a small group that works hard, helps each other out, and takes pride in what we build.

Our shop is cross-trained, meaning people learn multiple parts of the process over time. This role will start with training and support, but over time the right person will become an important part of the paddle production process and help us grow Thompson Pickleball.

Schedule & Work Environment

• Part-time position

• Expected 2 days per week, with the possibility of 3 days depending on production needs

• Flexible scheduling may be available depending on the person and production schedule

• Work takes place in our Boyne City manufacturing shop

This could be a great fit for someone looking for a consistent part-time role, a side gig, or an opportunity to grow with a new American-made pickleball brand.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs

• Standing for much of the workday

• Frequent movement, including bending, lifting, trimming, sanding, and handling materials

• No sensitivities to urethane, epoxy, adhesives, or shop materials

• Comfortable working in a hands-on production environment

Interested?

Apply below and send us a note, especially describing anything you’ve built or worked on with your hands.

Apply Now