Accelerated business: NASGW streamlines communication, generates growth!

With nearly 50 new shooting sports manufacturers joining the ranks of exhibitors at the 2007 National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) Meeting and Expo, Nov. 7-9, 2007, in Reno, Nev., business optimism was at an all-time high.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

"In all the years we've been attending NASGW, I've never seen the industry so energized, so willing to look at new products, and so willing to order and stock meaningful merchandise that will provide turns and margins," said Bob Morrison, president and CEO of Taurus. "These really are the good old days."

The NASGW event, which attracted more than 150 exhibitors and nearly 1,400 attendees, is very important to the industry, according to Hewitt Grant, president and CEO of Ellett Brothers.

"The NASGW is the most important show of the year for distributors. It allows us to get pricing and product information ready for our dealer shows the first week of January, and without this show, we wouldn't have the information until the SHOT Show in February," Grant said.

According to industry executives, the shooting sports market has experienced strong consumer demand for shooting and hunting products during the past two years. Product sales in virtually every category have exceeded any period in history, often by a wide margin.

"Business throughout 2007 has been strong, driven mainly by handguns and ammunition. Hunting firearms are a little soft, mainly bolt-action rifles and shotguns. I anticipate 2008 to be another good year with smaller increases than in 2007," Grant said.

Optimism in the shooting sports market is not confined to wholesalers in the United States. Detlef Reuss, president of Hoffmann, a European distributor based in Mellrichstadt, Germany, said, "The somewhat weaker dollar and the strong U.S. economy has had a strong impact on our wholesale sales throughout 2007 and I expect 2008 to be equal or better."

Wayne Smith, NASGW president, was pleased with the 2007 event.

"There is no question the NASGW show has a new look, a new feel and a vibrancy that has not been typical in years past. Manufacturer and sales representative attendance is significantly up at the show, as well as media attendance. Wayne LaPierre's (NRA executive vice president) keynote address at our awards breakfast was a particular highlight for the attendees. We all have a much better understanding of how important NRA membership is to this industry and the important role each of us play," Smith said.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

New Information System

Of significant interest to NASGW members at the show was "ItemHQ," a new information system introduced by the association.

"ItemHQ represents a major advancement for product information management systems within the shooting sports," said Michael Brown, NASGW chairman. "We now have the ability to identify, develop and launch the kind of industry tools that will contribute to a better business environment for the entire shooting sports market."

The new communication tool benefits everyone in the industry, according to Brown.

"ItemHQ is essentially a comprehensive online Product Information Management System (PIMS) to expedite and streamline the transfer of item information between manufacturers and the wholesaler. This technology will also greatly benefit the retail network," Brown said.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Laurie Aronson, president of Lipseys Inc., urged manufacturers to review ItemHQ and its benefits.

"We really appreciate the NASGW taking such strides to get better information from the manufacturers to the distributors, and certainly we value the manufacturers who will be participating. This is yet another powerful tool that will strengthen relations within the two-step distribution system," Aronson said.

Visit www.itemhq.com for a complete review of the new system.

Honoring Manufacturers

Each year, NASGW recognizes significant manufacturer contributions to the shooting sports market. At the Expo's industry breakfast, NASGW presented the Chairman's Award for Industry Leadership, and awards honoring the Firearms Manufacturer of the Year, Ammunition Manufacturer of the Year and Accessory Manufacturer of the Year.

The association's wholesale members, who cast one vote in each category, selected the awards' recipients.

"The winners are sterling examples of dedication to both continuous product line innovation and to the two-tiered distribution system," Brown said. "There were many outstanding candidates for the awards this year and we depend upon them all to help grow our businesses and our industry. We applaud them for their ongoing hard work and commitment to excellence."

The 2007 Chairman's Award for Industry Leadership was presented to Savage Arms.

"This is a spectacular honor," said Ron Coburn, chairman and CEO of Savage. "To receive this kind of industry recognition from the people we serve and who are so well respected is the very best we could have hoped for. We enjoy being a leader and taking calculated risks, and we all work hard to ensure that we truly understand our market and what our customers need--and identify ways that we can effectively provide them the best way possible."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Coburn says Savage has focused on "putting the heart and soul" back into their company, starting with the factory.

"It all begins where the product is manufactured. If the employees don't know what they are making or for whom they are making it, there's a potentially negative trickle-down effect that ultimately can spread to the wholesalers and dealers. If it's not right at the factory level, it won't be right when it reaches the consumer," Coburn said.

Savage's independent sales reps are trained to carry the message of what Savage product truly represents, as well as provide feedback from the industry to the company.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

"Getting reliable information to the wholesalers and dealers and back to the factory is paramount. You can't be a one-year wonder in this competitive market and survive. You've got to continually prove yourself and get it right every single year. We know our position in this industry--we're a blue-collar worker company, which means that we need to provide our customers both quality and value. We will continue manufacturing superior products that way," Coburn said.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Sturm, Ruger & Co. was honored with the Firearms Manufacturer of the Year award. Accepting the award was Ruger President Steve Sanetti.

"Committed as we are to the two-tiered distribution system, we very much appreciate how the NASGW continuously provides us with better ways to effectively interface with our wholesale partners--both formally and informally--through its own ongoing communications efforts," Sanetti said. "We also solicit and value the opinions from the distributor network, meet with them frequently, and get their suggestions for products, distribution and special makeups."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Ruger's recent unprecedented and successful product launch of its SR9 striker-fired pistol may have set in motion a wave of the future. Rather than the typical lengthy wait between product announcement and product availability, Ruger used a new strategy with the SR9.

"We went to the distributors and asked for the names of their best dealers and drop-shipped four samples of the new product to be there on the day we announced the launch to the world. This coincided with e-mail blasts sent to thousands of potential customers, along with the release of articles, all coordinated to appear simultaneously. I think everyone is better served with this method, and we're proud to have led the way," Sanetti said.

Ammunition Manufacturer of the Year honors went to Federal Premium.

"We've been part of the NASGW since its inception and feel that the association is closely tied with the heartbeat of the industry," said Rick Stoeckel, brand manager of ATK's Civil Ammunition. "This is a true honor!"

In addition to introducing new products, Stoeckel said, "Federal works very hard to design true industry-leading products that aren't necessarily price-point engineered. We have a strong Premium Partners Dealer program where we meet annually with our partners and have in-depth discussions asking them what we can do to help them enhance sales. Their feedback is extremely valuable to the success of our company."

For the second year in a row, the Accessory Manufacturer of the Year award went to Leupold & Stevens. Accepting the award was Andrew York, Leupold vice president of sales and marketing.

"The NASGW tries to acknowledge the many manufacturers that support the industry--and there has been an amazing amount of innovation introduced this year. It all starts with the product--which is why we have an extensive research and development budget invested in our future and the future of the industry. We're seeing the fruits of our labors and the distributors are seeing it, too," York said.

York said that when he joined the 100-year-old company in 2002, its most popular products had not been fundamentally changed in decades.

"We have since updated the manufacturing infrastructure and have introduced new creativity into existing categories, as well as launching new ones. We have, subsequently, seen a significant amount of growth--nearly doubling in the last five years. Looking forward, we expect to see more expansion, set an even faster pace and increase our competencies, while continuing to bring value to our customers," York said.

2008 Meeting & Expo

* Nov. 5-7, 2008

* Westin Peachtree Plaza

* Atlanta, Ga.

NASGW National Headquarters

Wayne Smith, President

P.O. Box 881525

Port St. Lucie, FL 34988-1525

[phone]

[phone] (fax)

E-mail: [e-mail]

NASGW Operations & Administration

Tracy Kolojeski

[phone]

[phone] (fax)

E-mail: [e-mail]

www.nasgw.org

www.itemhq.com

The Author

Ray Oeltjen is the owner and president of High Sierra Consulting LLC, and a senior contributing editor for Shooting Industry magazine. Oeltjen has more than 30 years experience in shooting sports retail, wholesale and manufacturing. Contact him at [phone], e-mail; [e-mail].

Story & Photos: Ray Oeltjen

Award Photos: Bear Enthusiast Marketing Group