She took calls while stocking bananas at Trader Joe’s. Then Jaime Holm and Matt Hannula's $800 side hustle grew to $20 million

Jaime Holm began Tinker Tin with an $800 vintage camper and an idea to rent out unusual trailers. At the time, she was working at Trader Joe’s, taking calls about her side hustle between stocking bananas. More than a decade later, the business had grown into a $20 million design and manufacturing company run by Holm and her brother, Matt Hannula.

The original plan was to repair vintage campers and rent them out for road trips, but as customers began asking for branded trailers, retail displays and eventually entire stores, the business moved well beyond rentals.

An $800 Camper Launched the Business

Holm came up with the idea after reminiscing about living in a camper and surfing in Australia. When she and her husband searched for vintage campers or unusual vans to rent in California, they found few options that matched what she wanted.


They decided to buy an old trailer, fix it up and rent it out. Their first camper cost $800.

Tinker Tin soon began renting vintage trailers to Hollywood studios for films and commercials. It also created branded trailers for cosmetic companies such as LUSH and Pacifica, along with promotional projects for Facebook, Pepsi, Williams Sonoma and New Belgium, according to an Entrepreneur report.

Clients initially wanted retail displays to accompany the trailers. Eventually, they began ordering displays without the trailers, and the work expanded from individual products to designing and building entire retail stores.

She Left Trader Joe’s to Focus on Her Side Hustle

Holm continued working at Trader Joe’s as Tinker Tin attracted more inquiries. Eventually, the growing workload prompted her to leave her job and concentrate on the business full-time.

The company earned a couple hundred thousand dollars in its first year, Holm told Entrepreneur in a May 2025 interview. The income was enough to support her family, earlier than she had expected.

Its projects also included the Manson family trailers featured in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'.

Her Brother Helped Turn It Into a $20 Million Company

Holm said the company kept a small team for too long, contributing to burnout. She later brought her brother into the business, allowing her to focus on design while he concentrated on operations and growth.

Hannula joined Tinker Tin as an owner and CEO in 2018. The company had generated $650,000 in revenue the previous year. He introduced lean manufacturing principles to streamline operations as the business expanded, as per the report.

By the time of the 2025 interview, the siblings said Tinker Tin had grown into a $20 million company with no debt. Three family members were working in the business full-time, replacing the volunteers who had helped in its early days.

The company also expanded manufacturing in Mexico through a nearshoring strategy. The siblings said they planned to continue strengthening their manufacturing presence in both the United States and Mexico.

A Missing Truckload Cost More Than $250,000

Manufacturing brought its own risks. Hannula recalled a supply chain problem in Mexico that left a truckload of products worth more than $250,000 missing for about two weeks.

According to Hannula, the supply chain went silent. The company sought help from the sheriff, the Department of Justice and local CIA offices while investigating what had happened. After the incident, the siblings replaced their supply chain partners, despite having spent more than a year developing that network.

Holm also recalled designing retail stores and displays for prospective clients without charging for the work. Some clients used the designs elsewhere without hiring Tinker Tin to manufacture them. The experience led the company to rethink its approach and recognize the value of its design work.