Gabe Gile
The driving force behind Overkill Engineering, Gabe Gile has been building trail rigs, fabricating parts, and designing off-road systems since the age of 16 when he first bought an early Bronco from his father. Since then, Gabe’s appetite for bigger, cooler, more cutting-edge projects has only continued to grow.
After a short stint working in a 4x4 wrecking yard, Gabe hooked up with the off-road innovators at S.N.O.R.T., where he quickly developed his fabrication skills and learned about building 4x4s from the ground up. During this period, Gabe also made his first trips to four-wheeling hot spots like the Rubicon and the Hammers. From then on there was no looking back: Gabe’s passion for the world of rockcrawling was set in stone.
By 1999, Gabe’s desire to test and develop his own ideas led him to establish his own fabrication shop. Aggressive Offroad focused on hardcore Jeeps and Toyotas that regional rockcrawlers built for the most brutal conditions. From roll cages, tube beds, and bumpers to custom suspensions and his own line of beadlocks, Gabe continued to refine his R&D skills and build parts and systems that four-wheelers in the Pacific Northwest still run on their rigs today.
Eager to take his skills to new levels, Gabe joined forces with Road Armor in 2004 to launch Overkill Engineering. The new entity was conceived for the sole purpose of bringing his years of hardcore parts design to a completely new line of products for serious off-road enthusiasts. And now, that flair for design has launched the most innovative product in Overkill’s arsenal: the Atomic Axle.
This one-of-kind concept is poised to change how four-wheelers think of their sport, and it gives testament to Gabe’s belief that anything can be done.
Travis Kirkman : Lil General
Every fabrication shop needs a taskmaster who knows how to get things done. Someone who has an exacting eye for detail, an insane commitment to quality control, and an absolute refusal to take no for an answer. For Overkill Engineering, Travis is that man.
In 2001, Travis was working for a big ring-and-pinion supplier when he happened to drive by Aggressive Offroad and see all the cool rigs sitting in the lot. He pulled over, walked inside to tell Gabe he wanted to work for him, and a partnership was born. The two of them have now built more than 150 rigs together, and whether it’s prototyping bumpers or hand fabbing parts for custom trail rigs, there’s hardly a product that leaves the shop that doesn’t have Travis’ signature on it somewhere.
Mark Hanson : Cutter
In 2002, Mark bought his first Road Armor bumper, and that’s where it all began. Convinced that the product line was the best in the market, he invested in the company and took over corporate sales. Since then, Road Armor has continued to expand its market share and evolve into one of the most recognizable brand names in the bumper industry.
By the end of ’05, Mark found himself fully at the helm as the company’s new CEO. And it was then that he and Gabe Gile committed to launching Overkill Engineering. Between his tireless salesmanship and Gabe’s R&D experience, they were convinced that they could bring the off-road industry a complete range of innovative parts that would capitalize on Road Armor’s unique styling and Overkill’s hardcore edge.
Andon Sawyer : Wolverine
Although Andon officially joined Overkill in 2008, his affiliation with Gabe Gile goes back years. The two first met when Andon took his ’90 Toyota 4Runner to Aggressive for a straight-axle conversion. The two got to talking and before long Andon was designing logos, ads, T-shirts, and websites for the burgeoning shop.
As a professional designer and devoted four-wheeler, Andon still has the Toyota trail rig and is now doing for Overkill what he did for Aggressive: acting as the in-house design guru. Our logos, T-shirts, and websites are all products of his fevered imagination.
Tyler Terry : Big League
As a former Spec War Officer, Tyler likes to push the limits. He’s built Harleys for a living and broken records at the dragstrip racing them; he’s acted as a hunting guide to big-time sportsmen; he’s even run his own construction company. Tyler approaches everything with the goal of being the absolute best. With a degree in engineering and a background in fabrication work, he brings a critical eye to the crew. And all because he walked into the shop one day and just loved what saw.
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