Jim Oostdyk on the Adventure of Business, Family, and History

Host Scott Brady interviews Jim Oostdyk, founder and president of OK4WD, discussing his nearly 47 years in the four-wheel-drive industry. Jim shares the origins of OK4WD, which began in 1979 after he rebuilt his rolled Jeep, growing from a small garage to one of the country's most respected off-road shops. The episode covers the company's evolution, including demonstrating capability to customers, importing overseas products, and moving into product design and manufacturing with his son Rin and long-tenured staff. Jim also discusses mission and adventure travel with his children in Ghana, Haiti, and South Africa, his interest in the Edison "Vagabonds," partnerships with Mountain State Overland, and support for accessible off-roading. He concludes with valuable advice on perseverance, humility, and surrounding yourself with great people. 00:00 Meet Jim Oostdyk 01:34 Starting a Garage 02:57 Mustang Sacrifice 04:49 Jeep Crash Lesson 06:56 Building OK4WD 08:19 Where OK Comes From 09:50 Early Business Breakthroughs 13:37 Finding Global Gear 15:25 Working With Family 19:04 Mission Trips in Ghana 22:40 Southern Africa Adventures 23:55 Edison and Local History 25:34 Edison Camping Tech 27:26 Lodge Breaks and Resets 27:50 Overland Journal Support 28:55 Why Camp Matters 30:12 Mountain State Overland 32:40 East Coast History Runs Deep 34:25 Golden Era of 4x4 35:25 Advice for New Builds 39:01 Avoid Overbuilding Rigs 40:39 First ARB Air Locker 43:00 Industry Relationships Matter 44:45 NORRA and Adaptive Access 49:17 Final Career Advice Website | https://ok4wd.com/blog/author/jim-oos... Instagram |   / ok4wd   YouTube |    / @ok4wd   Facebook |   / ok4wd   TikTok |   / ok4wd   ARB Launches Their New Experiences Series | https://expeditionportal.com/arb-laun... Our No Compromise Clause: We do not accept advertorial content or allow advertising to influence our coverage, and our contributors are guaranteed editorial independence. Overland International may earn a small commission from affiliate links included in this article. We appreciate your support.