I am not a big Surly promotor; however, I do believe they were the first to deliver the following to the general public:
1) Fat Bikes
2) Bike-specific frame built around the Xtra-Cycle utility platform
3) A cross-bike better designed for commuting
4) A fixed gear bike that is actually designed to run on the street
5) A large-payload utility trailer
6) A steel touring bike for the masses
7) A steel expedition bike for the masses
You may be weary of their ownership, marketing, target demographic, etc, but they have been a hell of a lot more creative in the odd-ball markets than Trek, Specialized, Giant, Raleigh, modern Cannondale, etc.
Further. their bikes, though not perfect, tend to be designed for the maximum flexibility, with generous clearences and lots of mounting points for different things. They may be a bit on the heavy side, but Reynolds 531C ain't good for everything. Now take the last two sentences and see how much similarity there is between Surly and Rivendell. Same god, different prophet, IMHO.