Inside Archery September / October 2020

www.insidearchery.com

®

SEPT / OCT 2020









INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020 | VOLUME 23 | NUMBER 8

People

36 Power of Participation
■ Bret Scott | Willow Creek Archery
■ Rick Forest |
Swhacker Broadheads
■ Jim Barbarossa |
OneSource Outfitters
■ Jeremy Ulmer |
Chasin’ A Dream Outfitters
■ Kevin Strong | ScentLok
■ Noble Sinclair | The Archery Shoppe

38 38 Realtree Outdoors
A Pattern of Success

52 By Patrick Meitin & Daniel Allred

Market Trends

16 New & Notable
Archery products with
strong sales potential

50 Crossbow Report
36 Ravin Crossbows R29X

By Patrick Meitin

52 2020 Broadheads
Maximized Terminal Performance
By Patrick Meitin

62 Gear Report
Veteran Innovative Products:
Veteran and Combat Veteran
Broadheads
By Patrick Meitin

64 High-Tech Bowhunting
Space-age gear to make bowhunting
efforts more en oyable and profitable
By Patrick Meitin

64 20

INSIDE ARCHERY (Volume 23, #8) ISSN #1940-3879, USPS #024-412 is published 10 times per year (Jan / Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep / Oct, Nov, Dec) by Apollo Creative Inc. PO Box 15827,
Colorado Springs, CO 80935. Periodical postage paid at Colorado Springs, CO 80935 and at additional offices. Postmaster please send address changes to INSIDE ARCHERY, P.O. Box 986, Levittown, PA 19055-9998.

6 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020



INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020 | VOLUME 23 | NUMBER 8

IInnsdiudsetrtyhe

12 Inside Track
Balance

18 Kinsey’s Business
Blueprint

Inventory Turns

32

20 Inside Retailing
Top of Utah Archery

24 Industry News
Information that keeps
you up to speed on news,
events and people in the
archery industry

36 32 ATA Action
Register for #ATA2021
By Cassie Gasaway / ATA

74 Industry 5Q
Five Questions on
Lancaster Archery Supply
with Rob Kaufhol
By Daniel Allred

64

62 50
8
INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020



INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 8

insidearchery.com Online Exclusives

Products

2021 Early Bow Release Coverge

As new bows launch for 2021, the Inside Archery
staff will be keeping up with manufacturers to
bring you new product releases as soon as they
are available.

Tournament Archery

Practice With Purpose

Practice with purpose instead of mindlessly
inging arrows. Read some tips on master-

ing the particular situations that are currently
holding you back.

Industry

Facing Unhappy Customers

The quicker you can satisfy a disgruntled cus-
tomer, the faster you can get back to business,
and the more likely you are to retain that cus-
tomer down the road.

Shooting

Improve Your Hit-to-Miss Ratio
by Adopting AAA Aiming

AAA aiming executed properly requires
patient mental reprogramming, but instill these
three steps into your shooting program and you
will improve your shot dramatically.

WebXtras: In this issue: “Inside Retailing” examines success at Top Of Utah

Archery; “Crossbow Report” tests the new Ravin Crossbows R29X; and “Gear
Report” examines VIP Broadheads.

Inside Archery Digital Edition

Now Inside Archery can be delivered to your door, viewed on your computer,
AND on your smartphone or tablet. VISIT INSIDEARCHERY.COM/DIGITAL

Fresh content daily
on social media!

INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE TRACK

Balance

I ’ve always managed to keep myself busy as a hook-and-bullet scribe, earn-
ing a “living wage” (a point my wife might argue) for more than 30 years.
At this stage in my career I crank out 100-plus features annually for major
outdoor publications, in addition to various blogs, columns and Internet shorts. I’ve
also been lucky enough to hunt and fish all over the world with hunting forays
through two-thirds of this great nation’s highly varied states (including 18 Alaska
adventures), across much of Canada, three African countries on nine safaris, Old
Mexico, France and the Russian Far East. Enjoying
that time away meant producing multiple articles in
a short span to assure ample free days, as hunting is
time consuming. Which is entirely the point.
My life’s goal has long been to finish my work as
efficiently as possible for the sole purpose of creating
free time for the things that make me happiest—a
work ethic instilled by my draconian military step-
father. If I wanted to play, I had to first complete my
assigned chores or face the captain’s wrath.
With bow seasons fast approaching, and having
recently purchased this magazine, the pace has been somewhat chaotic, includ-
ing weeks on end of 12- to 14-hour days. I could pace myself, of course, but it is full
steam ahead to bank away days for coming velvet whitetail stand-time and dogging
bugling elk over trackless mountains. Ironically, I maintain the insane work hours
to eventually preserve my sanity.
Keeping the wolves off the porch has become increasingly and indisputably chal-
lenging in the times we live in, making longer hours the “new normal”—a term I
absolutely loathe. But there is really no point in enduring the toil of modern life if
there is no reward in the end. It is important to pause occasionally, to refill the well
and shed the frustrations of everyday life, so you might approach business with a
smile on your face and a genuinely upbeat attitude. If you insist on measuring ev-
erything by a Calvinistic metric, it is also good for business.
It is a wonderous idea—developing a career in something you love—but when
that passion turns into all work and no play, well… Besides, how is one expected
to dispense pearls of wisdom, and acquire a deeper understanding of what makes
quality products tick, without real-world bowhunting experience?
So while keeping your nose to the grindstone is vital to success, so is making time
to enjoy life and the wonderful passion that is bowhunting. It’s important to busi-
ness and ultimately to how effective you are at empathizing with the patrons you
serve. It is even more important to your overall mental health. Anyone in this busi-
ness that insists they don’t have time to bowhunt, in my view, has lost their way.

Patrick Meitin, Executive Editor

12 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020



Publisher

Apollo Creative Inc

Executive Editor

Patrick Meitin • [email protected]

Associate Editor

Daniel Allred • [email protected]

Copy Editor

Lauren Molenburg

Contributors

Kurt Smith | Cassie Gasaway

Sales & Marketing Director

Stephen Mack • [email protected]
(814) 341-9313

Design & Production

ER Graphics / Ed Rother • [email protected]

Graphic Designer

Tara Bondar

Website & Social Media

Stephen Mack • [email protected]

Account Manager

Pam Ludlam • [email protected]

Subscription Services & Change of Address:

Inside Archery® Circulation Department
Inside Archery, PO Box 986, Levittown, PA 19055-9998
Phone: (844) 862-9286 • Fax: (888) 965-9961
[email protected]

ublication ce

Inside Archery® / Apollo Creative Inc
P.O. Box 15827, Colorado Springs, CO 80935
Phone: (719) 495-9999 • www.InsideArchery.com

Inside Archery founded in 1998 by Bill and Sherry Krenz

Inside Archery® Copyright © 2020 Apollo Crreative Inc. All rights re-
served. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permis-
sion from the publisher is prohibited. Inside Archery® is a registered
U.S. trademark of Apollo Creative Inc. Opinions expressed in by-lined
articles or columns are those of the author and do not necessarily
re ect the views of the publisher, the magazine or its staff.

Submission Guidelines: Apollo Creative Inc and Inside Archery® mag-
azine assume no responsibility for unsolicited editorial, photography
or art submissions. Contributors submitting articles, photos or art
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Apollo Creative Inc unless it is signed and returned by the Editor.

Archery, hunting and bowhunting are inherently dangerous activi-
ties. Improper use of hunting or archery equipment may cause se-
rious injury or death. Always follow state and local hunting safety
rules, and get required permits or licenses before hunting. Apollo
Creative Inc uses reasonable efforts to include accurate and up-to-
date information in our publications; however, we do not make any
warranties or representations as to accuracy or completeness. All
information in this magazine is provided “as is” without warranty
of any kind. Apollo Creative Inc is not responsible for researching
and investigating the accuracy of the contents of stories or advertise-
ments published in this magazine. Readers use the information in
this magazine at their own risk. Apollo Creative Inc assumes no li-
ability for any errors or omissions in the content of this magazine, or
arising from use by any person of the information in this magazine.

•—•ative inc Inside Archery®
is a publication of
p•—• ollo crea Apollo Creative Inc
Printed in the USA.

14 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020



MARKET TRENDS NEW & NOTABLE

Barnett Crossbows Cold Steel Click-N-Cut
XP Explorer Series Crossbows
Cold Steel’s Click-N-Cut is a utility knife with ultra-stout
Barnett’s XP Explorer Series Crossbows—XP370, XP380 and XP400—include durable laminated limbs, construction and strong locking mechanism. They are also
a CNC machined shooting rail, high energy cams, a generous 13.75-inch power stroke and 165- to a ordably priced. he ounce desi n is based on the com
200-pound draw weights. Adjustable length-of-pull and pass-through foregrip make them comfort- pany’s extremely reliable Tri-Ad lock. They come with three easily
able for any size shooter. They measure a compact 31-34-by-13.3 inches and weigh 6 interchangeable blades, including serrated and straight-edged drop
to 6.2 pounds. Each holds a TriggerTech frictionless trigger, including Anti-Dry point and a utility blade that is double the thickness of standard
ire A system, o Lok loatin ristle Arrow utility blades (1.5mm). The Click-N-Cut includes a Secure-Ex belt
Retainer and n er uards for safety. sheath that holds the knife with one of the blades installed and
Labels correspond to speed ratin s integral pockets for backups. Spare replacement blades are available.
and all come in ready-to-hunt kits The 420J2 blades are 2 1/2 inches long, and the 4-inch
with MSRPs from $329.99 to handle is high-impact ABS. ■ Learn
$449.99. ■ Learn more at more at coldsteel.com.
barnettcrossbows.com.

Inventive Outdoors LLC GutCheck Indicators Protracker Archery Bad Boys

Gut heck ndicators are arrow wraps o erin dual purposes helpin bowhunters make informed Protracker Archery’s Bad Boys make it easy for bowhunters to
decisions on how to follow up on ame, and pro idin a hi hly re ecti e isual clue to help locate increase arrow and impro e shot e ecti eness without
arrows faster a er the shot. hey are o ered in four hi hly re ecti e color schemes full sil er, or sil er sacri cin accuracy. Arrow is ust as important as speed.
with bands of green, yellow, or red. The team at Inventive Outdoors took the technology proven through their t can drastically a ect arrow i ht and penetration. rotracker s
original arrow wipes and embedded it into arrow wraps. GutCheck Indicators include chemical technology Bad Boys let bowhunters create ideal FOC weight without any
revealing if arrows have found vital organs or any portion of the digestive system on any big-game animal, hassle. ad oys t standard and micro sha arrows. hey are easily
allowing shooters to “Be DEAD Sure!” ■ Learn more at gutcheckindicators.com. interchangeable, and they are sold in weights of 100, 125, 150, 200,

SPYPOINT Link-Micro-S-LTE and rains. i ame hunters will nd them especially useful,
but Bad Boys can help archers of all varieties improve their shot
S s Link icro L and L are the smallest e ecti eness. ■ Learn more at pro-tracker.com.
solar powered, cellular trail cameras available. They provide
a . second tri er speed, foot ran e and ash,
resolution for photos, multi-shot modes and they operate on
an L cellular network. he inte rated solar panel powers
the rechargeable lithium battery, so users never have to buy
batteries. he Link icro sa es space, time and money with
a simpli ed platform and no super uous features. he unit
includes easy activation with no personal cell plan required,
with models o ered to pro ide the best co era e in
speci c areas. he camera re uires only downloadin
the SPYPOINT app, activating the new camera, then
installing the micro SD card and battery pack. Once as-
sembled, power on and enjoy receiving remote-access
images. ■ Learn more at spypoint.com.

16 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY BUSINESS BLUEPRINT Sponsored by

Inventory Turns

D uring these ever-changing restock your full inventory over a pe- Kinsey’s is the leading distributor to the outdoors and
and uncertain times it is good riod of time. This is calculated by di- archery industry. Carrying items from your favorite
to have liquid assets, or cash, viding the cost of goods sold by your brands, in stock and ready to ship, the company o ers
available to your business. One way store’s average inventory value over domestic and international retailers a wide array of
to ensure liquidity is to better man- the same time period. products and services. Kinsey’s also owns innovative
age your inventory turns. Inventory consumer brands including BlackHeart, Fin-Finder,
turns are important to managing a Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) Elevation and October Mountain Products.
businesses’ cash ow. For more information, please visit KinseysInc.com
Cash ow is important because Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) is the price
even though your business may be paid for the inventory that you have to equal 3.89. This means for 2019
making money, an owner must have sold during a particular time period. this store turned their inventory 3.89
cash available when needed to pay If you bought a bow case for $60 and times. This calculation can be run
bills such as rent/mortgage, wages, sold it for $100, your cost of goods sold monthly, quarterly, or annually.
utilities and inventory replenish- was $60. If you do this for all of your
ment. Inventory is usually the single sales you can find your total COGS. In The more a business can turn their
largest investment that a retail busi- 2019, if your store did $200,000 in to- inventory, the more efficient that
ness has. Having too much money tal sales at 35-percent margin, your shop is because they are not allowing
tied up in excess or slow-moving in- estimated COGS is $130,000 (200,000 stale inventory to tie up their cash.
ventory can cause a lot of strain on a x .65 = 130,000). There is a balance to this though,
business and its liquidity. as turning inventory too frequently
The best way to determine if you Average Inventory Value can be an indication that a store is
have too much cash tied up in in- insufficiently stocked and miss-
ventory is to calculate your inven- Average Inventory Value is the aver- ing out on sales because they do not
tory turns. Inventory turns are how age dollar value of your inventory have enough inventory to support the
many times you completely sell and over a period of time. The best way businesses’ sales volume. Each busi-
to calculate this is to add up the price ness is different, but on average an
paid for the inventory you have in efficient retail store turns inventory
about four times per year.
your store at the end of
each month and divide Use the inventory turns calcula-
the sum of the inventory tions to determine how efficient
by the number of months your business is. Continuing to im-
calculated. For example, if prove and analyze your business
your January—December can help you become a better busi-
2019 month ending Inven- ness owner or manager. Look for
tory Values are $26k+$33k+ more business insights from Kin-
$31k+$26k+$26k+$31k+$36 sey’s in 2020, as we help you navi-
k+$41k+$44k+$36k+$41k+ gate your business through 2020
$30k = $401,000 / 12 months and into the future. IA
= $33,416 average inventory
value for the year.

In the above example
the calculations would be
$130,000 divided by $33,416

18 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE RETAILING

Independent Utah Shop Thrives Amid Conglomerates

Top of Utah Archery,

Store rofi e year and brought in 13 different bow Top of Utah Archery owner, Lance Postma,
lines; including Alpine, Bear, Brown- front, is seen here awarding a ra e bow to
■ Headquarters: Logan, Utah ing, Bowtech, Diamond, Hoyt, Jennings, McKade, a regular customer.
■ Owner: Lance Postma Martin, Mathew’s, Mission, Parker, PSE
■ History: Top of Utah Archery grew from Archery and Archery Research. More ar- Mathew’s, Mission, Xpedition, Bear Ar-
humble beginnings to a force capable of chery accessories were also added, that chery, Quest Archery and PSE.
competing with Logan, Utah, area mega humble archery department now gener-
stores. Those humble beginnings in- ating $120,000 in annual sales. ■ Inside Numbers: Estimated Annual
cluded a 150 square foot corner of a team Revenue: $320,000 (bowhunting: 85%, tar-
sports store in 2003, where owner Lance From the beginning Top of Utah Ar- get and recreational archery: 15%)
Postma offered a small selection of ar- chery operated in leased retail or ware-
chery equipment, stocked with a mini- housing space, which also led to eight Retailing Q & A
mal investment of $5,000. By the end of relocations—each move costing the com-
that first year the department had tripled pany up to 30 percent of annual revenues. Inside Archery: How much of a national
inventory and oor space, with first year Postma deemed this unacceptable and in chain-store, sporting goods presence do
sales topping $42,000. 2008 made the decision to become an in- you have in your immediate shopping
dependent entity, a move that helped Top area, and how recently have they ap-
Top of Utah Archery was off and run- of Utah Archery to experience continued peared?
ning. They approached several bow and steady growth and eventually domi-
manufacturers directly the following nate the area market. For the past two Lance Postma: “There has always been a
years annual gross sales have been steady Nation’s Best Sports (NBS) in the area, but
Top of Utah Archery carries a wide variety of at around $240,000, but the pandemic has they never showed any interest in team
arrow brands, old Tip a local eehive tate actually sparked significant growth, with sporting goods or archery until I opened
product proving his best sellers. sales 200 percent above normal in the my store. Within weeks they added sig-
second quarter. Not bad for a company nificant inventory in an attempt to keep
founded on a $5,000 investment!

■ Square footage: 4,000 (1,500 for store,
2,500 for range).

■ ta fin Normally two full-time, two
part-time (one full-time since pandemic
started).

■ Bow Lines: Bowtech, Diamond, Elite,

Top of tah rchery operates out of a 4,000 s uare foot building in ogan, tah, where
it competes with larger bo stores in the area.

20 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020

Sponsored by

Plano Synergy

Participating retailers will receive $1,000 in
products generously donated by Plano Synergy.

me from taking any share of the market. In In order to compete with major box stores in his area Top of Utah Archery owner Lance Postma
2010 Sportsman’s Warehouse appeared six stocks a well-rounded selection of archery goods.
blocks away, and NBS bought 10 acres two
blocks from me to build a 60,000 square may have declined slightly, but revenues ployees and merchandise in both locations,
foot store.” didn’t show that. It was then I also start- I receive a lot of “over ow” from them and
ed weeding out or losing some of my bow general maintenance that is regularly
Inside Archery: Did you experience an ap- lines, as sales reps wanted me “pushing” missed, which their customers come to me
preciable decline in business with the ap- their bow lines and I refused unless they to make right. I probably service 0 percent
pearance of these large chains? Did store were willing to write me a monthly check of the Hoyt and Prime bows sold by NBS,
traffic remain consistent or did it improve and put me on their payroll, as my custom- and probably a higher percentage of the
ers were my bosses.” sales from Sportsman’s Warehouse.
Lance Postma: “I found that as these two
competitors drew people in from the ex- Inside Archery: Do any of the large chain Inside Archery: As an independent archery
citement of the newness of their business- stores you compete with offer archery set- pro-shop, how would you react should the
es my service revenues increased about up and tuning services, or are they ust sell- box stores near you offer expert set-up and
15 percent after Sportsman’s Warehouse ing archery/bowhunting gear? tuning services
opened, and another 15 percent after NBS
built their mega store. My walk-in traffic Lance Postma: “I find that both try to set Lance Postma: “NBS has hired three gen-
customers up, but with ever changing em- erations from one family who are heavily
involved in the local club and have some
background working on bows. But those
employees have no formal training from
manufacturers save what reps offer at
trade shows or during in-store visits. As a
result, the local club does nearly all of its
purchasing through them, but that store
is notorious for having a weekly “Best Sale
of the Year” throughout the year. Their ser-
vice people also regularly miss important
things that make a huge difference to the
overall feel and performance of their new
purchases.”

Abby, daughter of Top of Utah Archery owner Lance Postma, helps around the store Inside Archery: It is commonly stated that
whenever possible, including running the cash register. the only way to compete with national
chain stores is to offer the kind of personal-
ized services not found there. What specific
services does this actually entail

Lance Postma: “As a buy-group and ATA

SEPT / OCT 2020 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 21

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE RETAILING

Top of Utah Archery includes 2,500 square feet of indoor range, allowing customers to try out merchandise and shoot during wet or cold weather.

member, I feel that although the service including many of the popular brands/ proach you for setup and tuning?
factor is extremely valuable, there are models box stores carry. Most consumers
other ways to differentiate professional ar- can find any given product anywhere, but Lance Postma: “I’ve hung signage around
chery stores or departments from the box if they cannot find it at your store, you’re the store that lists our labor fees for setting
style stores. I’ve found that my first line of giving sales away. Even though other up new bows, along with a customer satis-
attack is having a robust product selection, stores may not offer the level of service you faction guarantee that says if they have us
can, you’ll lose those dollars because cus- perform work, we guarantee it to be sound
Top of Utah Archery carries several bow lines, tomers don’t want to make two stops if it (unless they take it to another shop who
including Bowtech/Diamond, Mathews/ Mission, isn’t required. As long as there is a reason- then messes with it, which voids our ser-
Elite, Xpedition, Bear, Quest and PSE. able margin, customers will place higher vice guarantee). We make the most of the
value in your expertise in setting it up. first visit, educating customers on the ben-
efits of their product and how it can help
Second is having intimate product them be a better archer. Most who come in
knowledge--from where those products once come in again for lessons or parts and
are made, to what they are made of, and other product upgrades because of the per-
how they function. Offering the product is sonalized care they get. I can’t match prices
one step. The second is setting it up in front with every online or big-box store offering
of the customer, when possible, to demon- this week’s great sale, but I sure can create
strate that your know-how is hard earned an atmosphere where they know our exper-
when you make it look relatively easy to tise will result in the job being done right
set up and tune those parts. Once they see the first time. Frustration is very expensive.”
that what might have been daunting, or
even impossible for them was easy for you, Inside Archery: Do you have any other ad-
they’ll have increased confidence in your vice for independent dealers to compete
abilities to exceed their expectations. This with a large, national box store that has
is better than the thousands of dollars the moved into their area?
box stores spend on advertising each week.
Lance Postma: “I think the most impor-
Third, having a place for customers to tant product you can provide is you. Ac-
test products before purchasing, or get- knowledge every customer and strive to
ting familiar with their equipment with learn their name. I struggle with this af-
you there, will further instill confidence ter 19 years collecting names, but I make
in their selection and your abilities to help sure they know I’m trying. Take a couple of
minutes to talk to them about their goals,
them reach a higher level expectations and past experience. Don’t
of competence, which talk down or badmouth other stores. Know
leads to pictures on your your product and how to make it work best
trophy board, Instagram for your customers’ needs. In a manufac-
or Facebook feed. Nothing turer training event in 2005, I learned that
inspires confidence like a anyone can sell a product, but your cus-
bunch of happy, success- tomers came to your store to find some-
ful customers.” thing more you. Sell them that.” IA

Lance Postma believes product variety is highly important, especially Inside Archery: How do WebXtra ■ To learn more about
when competing with large box stores. you approach custom-
ers who have purchased Top of Utah Archery, LLC, please go to
equipment in one of the insidearchery.com/topofutaharchery
box stores, but then ap-

22 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Pope & Young Club shaped my life as a bowhunter, sportsman New Bear Archery general manager Jon Lene
Announces Junior and person in so many ways since I was a
Outdoors Program child,” said Zack Walton, P&Y member and tion to the consumer and create value for
organizer of the Junior Outdoors Program. its customers.
In an effort to increase youth involvement “The relationships and opportunities that
in the Pope & Young Club, P&Y has developed have been afforded to me through this orga- “I am pleased to welcome Jon Lene to
the Junior Outdoors program. This program nization are things I would like to see count- Bear Archery,” says Scott Sincerbeaux, CEO
offers every P&Y youth member a chance at less other youth hunters have. With this of Escalade, Inc. “Jon brings a tremendous
one of three hunts—a Texas whitetail hunt program, we will be able to engage young amount of experience in the archery indus-
(donated by Barnes Keith Ranch), a Texas hog hunters in a way that P&Y has never before try to our team, and we are excited about
hunt (donated by Kyle Hudgins) or a Kansas been able to. For only $10, a kid has a chance the direction his leadership will provide to
turkey hunt and bass fishing trip (donated to win a hunt that may change their life.” our business.”
by Dirk Dietrich). A limited travel budget will
also be available to hunt winners. The Pope oung Club is a non-profit Lene says, “Bear Archery is a legendary
North American conservation and bowhunt- brand and is accompanied by an extremely
The Junior Outdoors program was cham- ing organization dedicated to the promotion successful portfolio of brands, including Tro-
pioned by P&Y members Zack Walton and and protection of bowhunting by striving phy Ridge, Fletcher Archery, Ca un Bowfish-
Dan Evenson. Their vision was to ensure the to increase awareness and appreciation of ing, SIK Broadheads and Rocket Broadheads.
next generation of kids have the opportuni- bowhunting foundations, principles and My entire career has been devoted to the ar-
ties to not only become bowhunters but also values | TO LEARN MORE GO TO POPE-YOUNG.ORG, OR chery industry, and I am excited to bring my
to love the Pope & Young Club as much as CALL 507-867-4144. previous experience to deliver world-class
Walton and Evenson do. This is an exciting products to our dealers and consumers.”
opportunity to welcome new youth mem- Jon Lene Joins Bear Archery
bers into the Pope & Young family. as General Manager Lene most recently served as vice presi-
dent of sales for Arcus Hunting and brings
Youth membership in the P&Y Club is only Bear Archery is proud to announce the hir- more than 15 years of hunting and archery
$10. All new and existing members will be ing of Jon Lene to serve as general manager industry experience.
entered into this drawing. We often see pro- for its legendary brands in the Bear Archery
motions aimed at the older generations, but portfolio. As general manager, Lene’s pri- Bear Archery was founded by bowhunt-
this is for P&Y youth members only. This is a mary objective will be providing leadership ing icon Fred Bear in 1933 with the intention
great way to get young bowhunters outside to the Bear Archery team to allow its ar- of bringing archery to the masses. Bear Ar-
and excited about our hunting heritage. chery brands to deliver meaningful innova- chery continues to produce legendary bows
with the same focus on reliability and tech-
“The Pope & Young Club has positively nology, while maintaining its rich heritage
of innovative leadership, quality products,
and family values. Bear Archery is a divi-
sion of Escalade Sports. | FOR MORE INFORMA-
TION, VISIT BEARARCHERY.COM.

Continued on Page 26

24 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Continued from Page 24

RubLine Marketing Adds New RubLine addition Reid Vander Veen Vander Veen lives on an Aronia berry farm
Versatility with Vander Veen in South Dakota with his wife and three chil-
quiet but significant role in the background dren. He is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys
RubLine Marketing is proud to announce the of many of our client’s success stories. We’re hunting pheasants, whitetail, elk and other
addition of Reid Vander Veen to the agency’s very lucky to have Reid on the team, and our big game. Reid holds a master’s degree in
team. Vander Veen brings a wealth of knowl- clients will definitely benefit from his added marketing and also teaches undergrad and
edge and experience to the team in all areas presence within the RubLine family.” graduate level marketing and sales courses at
of marketing, including both strategic and the University of Sioux Falls.
tactical leadership. Vander Veen has led the
marketing efforts for organizations of all siz- Get to know Reid by following him on Face-
es, including everything from small startups book @ReidVanderVeen or on Instagram @
to global, multi-division technology firms. ReidOutside | FOR MEDIA OR PRESS INQUIRIES, CONTACT
RUBLINE MARKETING AT [email protected].
“Reid is a powerhouse of a marketer that is
always full of surprises. He has a mind that Kinsey’s Focused on
operates on another level,” says Chase Rohlf- Strategic Growth &
sen, president at RubLine Marketing. “Com- Investment with New Hires
bine his experience as a marketing leader and
strategic director with his level of creativity, Kinsey’s is focused on strategic growth and
digital knowledge and writing capability you investment in all aspects of the business.
have something special. He’s known as the The company recently added five new hires,
Swiss Army Knife of the office because he
does so many things so well. He’s played a Continued on Page 28

26 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Continued from Page 26

promoted two current employees and is ac- bers in other areas of interest within the Heart Gear, Elevation, Fin-Finder and October
tively seeking two additional hires. With the company. Mountain Product lines.
current growth in archery and recent expan-
sion into FFL distribution, the changes were The Kinsey’s Consumer Brands Division Franks added, “The independent retailer is
necessary to help better serve the growing also invested in new hires. Building on the one of the most important parts of the sup-
customer base. importance of product strategy, innovation ply chain and Kinsey’s has its finger on the
and value-add, Nick Franks was welcomed pulse of what retailers need to be successful.
Kinsey’s welcomed three new regional aboard the consumer brands division as a I am excited to be a part of such an innova-
sales representatives serving the indepen- brand sales manager. Franks has been an tive team and I look forward to all of the good
dent retail segment—Colin Shable, Cody Jack- industry innovator and retail store manager work we will do in the future!”
son and Jake Arienzo. Each is an active en- for the past six years. His hands-on indepen-
thusiast in the industry. With the addition of dent retail experience will provide guidance Kyle Warfel has been hired as tech support
these new team members, Kinsey’s bolsters and support to the Alpine Archery, Black- and logistics coordinator for the consumer
the independent retail team to better serve brands division. Kyle’s role will support trade
the growing segment. Two additional hires shows, consumer event coordination and
are still being sought, one sales representa- product procurement needs.
tive and one sales support assistant.
Vice President of Sales and Marketing Jus-
Preferring to promote from within, Kin- tin Gorman expressed his excitement about
sey’s re-invested in the career growth of ex- the recent organizational moves. “The mar-
isting team members. Adam “Lenny” Lenhard ket is moving fast right now. Spotting re-
moved to alternative sales, while Jon Duckett source needs and acting quickly is important
moved to purchasing. These internal moves in a fast-paced sales environment. Continu-
help Kinsey’s to re-align talented team mem- ing to hire dynamic employees that add value

Continued on Page 30



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Continued from Page 28

to our customers is a priority as we build our through outfitter associa- periences, including Jim
growth strategy.” | FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT tions. These associations Shockey, Ivan Carter, Kristy
KINSEYSINC.COM. will provide direct assis- Titus, Nick offman, Chad
tance to guides and outfit- Belding, Gus Congemi,
SCI “Share The Impact” Event ters, making the most of Larysa Switlyk, Keith War-
Raises Over Half Million Dollars fundraising contributions ren, Pat and Nicole Reeve,
to Support Guides and Outfitters for those most negatively and Chris Dorsey.
impacted by the crisis.
Safari Club International’s Share the Impact “The challenges being
Outfitter Benefit online charity event ran SCI offers special thanks faced by outfitters have af-
from August 1-22 and successfully raised an to its many donors who fected us all. Without the
astounding $552,691 that will go to support provided unique, one-of- support of hunters, there
guides and outfitters negatively impacted by a-kind items and experi- will be devastating effects
the COVID-19 crisis. ences that generated tre- for the wildlife conserva-
mendous interest and fundraising support tion movement worldwide,” SCI CEO W. Laird
SCI launched the Share the Impact move- through the online auction. SCI’s unter amberlin said. “Thanks to these generous
ment to bring attention to the crisis faced by Legacy Endowment Fund, SCI member Larry donors and the bidders, we can do the vital
guides and outfitters negatively affected by Shores, SCI Corporate Partners Tri icon, Ken- work of sharing the impact of the pandemic
the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent etrek, Wildlife Partners and over a dozen SCI and supporting our guides and outfitters.”
threat to conservation they support which Chapters were among the many donors and SCI will continue to “share the impact”
hunters fund through guided adventures. The supporters. through cash donations, apparel sales and
Share The Impact Outfitter Benefit included ticket sales to a special event with the ac-
an online auction of donated items and An impressive roster of some of the best- tual horse soldiers portrayed in the movie 12
unique experiences, with 100-percent of the known celebrities and personalities from Strong. | PLEASE VISIT SAFARICLUB.ORG/SHARETHEIMPACT
net proceeds going directly to industry relief around the outdoor industry stepped up as TO PARTICIPATE. IA
well by donating one-of-a-kind personal ex-

30 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

Register for #ATA2021

BY CASSIE GASAWAY

H ere’s whatyou needto knowto reg- vention Center are taking health and all social-distancing guidelines.
ister for the 2021 ATA Trade Show. safety seriously. The Center features Now, take a deep breath and get

$7 million in safety enhancements, excited about #ATA2021. The Show
might differ in several ways from
Registration for the 2021 ATA Trade such as hospital-grade filters that previous ATA Shows, but the potential
to buy, sell, learn and prepare your
Show, to be held January 7-9 at the circulate fresh air from outside 24/7, business for 2021 is higher than ever.

Indianapolis Convention Center, and Clorox machines to deep-clean ere are five things you should know
about the 2021 ATA Trade Show’s reg-
opened on August 11. We spoke with the building throughout the day. Go istration process.

Becky Lux, ATA’s Trade Show senior to VisitIndy.com to watch a short You Must be an ATA Member
to Attend the 2021 Show
manager, to learn about the registra- video about Indianapolis’ ongoing ef-
The ATA Trade Show is a business-to-
tion process. forts to keep visitors healthy. business event. You must be an ATA
member to register for the Show,
First, though, let’s address COVID-19. The ATA’s priority will always be book your hotel room or enroll in
an archery-instructor certification
The question on everyone’s mind: the health and safety of its mem- class. Log into your MyATA member
dashboard and click “Pay Member-
Will the Show actually happen? bers, their families and businesses. ship Dues and Open Balances” to
renew your membership. If you’re
We’re moving forward as planned. As such, the ATA will continue moni- not a member or did not receive a
dues-renewal notice, click the “Join
Exhibitors are buying booths and toring the situation and make deci- Today” button at ArcheryTrade.
org to apply. Contact Wendy Lang,
preparing their marketing strate- sions about the 2021 Show that ben- ATA’s senior membership manager,
with questions at (507) 233-8134 or
gies; ATA staff are diligently orga- efit all industry members. ATA staff [email protected].

nizing the Connections event, the will continue to work closely with

Archery Industry Masterclass and the Indiana Convention Center’s

the entire schedule of events; and team throughout the event-planning

administrators at the Indiana Con- process to ensure everyone follows

Registration. PHOTO © ATA Registration Opened August 11

ATA members can go to archerytrade
.org trade-show registration to find
the registration link. You will be re-
quired to log into your MyATA mem-
ber dashboard account. From the
dashboard click on “Register and
Book Hotels.” You must enter your
first and last name, phone number

Continued on Page 34

UNITING THE INDUSTRY ARCHERY TRADE ASSOCIATION
archerytrade.org

32 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

Continued from Page 32

and email address to register. If you’re
registering multiple team members
you must enter a different email ad-
dress for each person. That ensures
everyone on your team receives an Ex-
press Pass with a QR Code. The Express
Pass allows you obtain your Show
badge and lanyard on site.

ATA simplified the registration
process for the 2021 Trade Show, so
it only takes a couple of clicks and
a few minutes. Press registration
opened September 22.

The Cost to Attend Varies You Must Register to Book cess. After registering online be sure
Your Hotel Room to click “Check Out.” Then, click the
The ATA has many membership types, “Book Hotel” link and follow the step-
which dictates how many badges you You’ll gain access to the ATA hotel by-step instructions to quickly book
may receive and at what cost. block during the final stage of the your room(s). Visit archerytrade.org/
ATA Trade Show registration pro- trade-show hotel to find a link to the
Visit the Trade Show registration hotel map, as well as a link for a list
page to learn more about badge cat- of discounted hotels in the ATA block.
egories and prices, and to learn which
days you can enter the Show oor. Information on the official ATA ho-
For instance, Buyer Day is back for tel block is only available from the
the 2021 Show. Buyer Day restricts the ATA or Visit Indy Housing. Beware of
Show oor to verified buyers and ex- scammers and remember all com-
hibitors on January 7, the first day of munications from official ATA Trade
the 2021 Show. Visit ArcheryTrade.org Show service providers are marked
to learn more. with the official ATA service-pro-
vider logo.

Register for the Show before booking your hotel. PHOTO © ATA. Register Early - The Deadline
to Register is December 22

With the health and safety of attend-
ees being our top priority, all attend-
ees and exhibitors must register for
their badges in advance of the Show

34 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020

to minimize contact points. Regis- Show webpage. If the Show is can- the ATA’s article “8 ATA-Member Bene-
tration for the 2021 ATA Trade Show celed by the convention center or fits ou Can Use ear-Round” to learn
will close December 22, 2020. No new local hotels before the Show’s sched- about important member-benefits,
member applications will be accept- uled date, attendees are entitled to a including the MyATA Learning Center
ed or processed on site. payment refund. Also, if an attendee and the ATA’s Resource Website.
cancels, but the event has not been
The ATA strongly encourages ATA canceled by the ATA, convention cen- That’s it! If you know and under-
members to renew and register as ter or local hotels, the attendee loses stand those details, registering for
soon as possible. If you register after all fees paid. the 2021 Show should be a breeze.
December 18, the ATA cannot guaran- If you have questions or need help
tee your request will be processed in ATA membership dues are non- when registration opens, please con-
time. refundable. Although attending the tact the ATA Trade Show’s business
Show is a huge ATA-member benefit, and membership office, toll-free at
If the Show is Canceled, an ATA membership offers much (866) 266-2776, option 1. ATA staff are
You Will be Refunded more. It provides tools and informa- happy to help.
tion to boost profits and improve op-
View the ATA’s Trade Show cancel- erations, while also supporting con- Remember to register early to se-
lation policy in the Attendee Rules servation, the industry and continued cure your spot and get access to the
& Regulations document, which is efforts to create new customers. Read best hotels in the ATA block. We’ll see
on the ATA’s Attendee Toolkit Trade you in Indy! IA

SEPT / OCT 2020 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 35

PEOPLE

PowerTheofParticipation
Archery Industry Members Participating in the Sport

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO: Visit insidearchery.com/pop or mail a color image with your name,
address, where the animal was taken, and archery gear used—both manufacturer and model—
to Inside Archery Power of Participation, P.O. Box 15827, Colorado Springs, CO 80935.

Noble Sinclair • Arizona Coues Whitetail Kevin Strong • Kansas Whitetail

Owner, The Archery Shoppe National Sales Manager, ScentLok Technologies

Bow ■ Bowtech Revolt Sight ■ Black Gold Assassin Bow ■ Bear Divergent Sight ■ Trophy Ridge React
Arrow ■ Victory RIP TKO Broadhead ■ SIK SK2
Arrow ■ Gold Tip Airstrike Rest ■ QAD UltraRest

Release ■ Scott Archery Quiver ■ TightSpot Rest ■ Trophy Ridge Release ■ Tru-Fire Releases

Broadhead ■ Slick Trick 100 Magnum Sync Drop Away

36 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020

Jim Barbarossa • South Africa Impala

Owner, One ource Outfitters

Bow ■ Mathews Vertix Sight ■ Trophy Ridge Hotwire

Arrow ■ Black Eagle Spartan Rest ■ Vapor Trail Archery Pro V
Broadhead ■ SIK Release ■ Scott Archery

Jeremy Ulmer Other ■ Vapor Trail Strings

• Arizona Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep

Owner, hasin’ ream Outfitters

Bow ■ Hoyt Carbon Defiance Turbo Arrow ■ Easton Injexion

Sight ■ Axcel Archery Armortech Release ■ Carter Quickie

Broadhead ■ Ulmer Edge Rest ■ AAE Pro Drop

Rick Forest • Arizona Mule Deer Bret Scott • Arizona Mule Deer

Owner, Willow Creek Archery LLC

Originator, Swhacker Broadheads Bow ■ PSE-Archery Stealth Mach 1 Broadhead ■ Annihilator

Bow ■ PSE-Archery Carbon Air Arrow ■ Victory Arrow ■ Victory RIP TKO Release ■ Carter Quickie
Broadhead ■ Swhacker 125 Sight ■ Garmin Xero
Rest ■ Whisker Biscuit Release ■ Free Flight Rest ■ Hamskea Archery Sight ■ Axcel Archery
Trinity Hunter Pro Rheostat

SEPT / OCT 2020 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 37

o can find ealt ee ca o a e atte ns on e e thin Big Things Have Small Beginnings

o bows and blinds to i e s ac s and e e da The people who leave the biggest marks on the archery in-
dustry are the people who care about it the most. No suc-
h ntin a ents o can e en find ealt ee atte ns cessful business in the archery and outdoor industry ever
begins with a desire to make easy money. Rather, every
on ite s co letel n elated to h ntin li e hone truly successful outdoor brand begins with a relentless
passion for the sport, and Realtree is no exception.
cases d ct ta e o li hte s o can d i e down an inte -
Bill Jordan spent his childhood hunting, fishing and
state in the co nt and the e is a decent chance o will falling in love with the outdoors, and this passion is
what inspired Jordan to dedicate his life’s work to the
see the ealt ee lo o on the bac anels o a ic t c outdoor lifestyle.

ealt ee tdoo s is one o the bi est na es in the “I’ve hunted and fished all my life, like a lot of people
have,” Bill Jordan said. “My dad was an avid outdoorsman,
ind st and its e tation is nothin less than iconic so I started hunting with him at an early age. Some of my
best memories are in the field with my mom and dad. We
Bill Jordan, founder of Realtree Outdoors, is the man be- had a little farm when I was growing up, here in Georgia.
hind this renowned brand. Back in the early 1980s, when I still think about those hot September days, when we
modern hunting camou age patterns were in their infan- would go out and shoot doves there. My love for archery
cy, Bill Jordan helped revolutionize the camou age busi- also started when I was a teenager. I bowhunted all the
ness with little more than his bare hands and gut intuition. time, and it became one of my true passions. I have only
the fondest memories of how my mom and dad raised me.
e managed to build an empire around the art of “remain-
ing hidden,” and now his company and his legacy are far
from invisible.

Realtree EDGE™ INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020

Realtree EXCAPE™

Realtree MAX-5® Camo

Realtree Timber™ Camo

Realtree WAV3

38

We lived the outdoor lifestyle, and that deeply in- unting and fishing were still a ma or part of my Bill Jordan used this simple experiment
uenced the rest of my life.” life, and I ust had this burning desire to do some- to display how effective his camo was
It only takes a brief look at Bill Jordan’s life to thing in the outdoor industry.” compared to the other options in 1 .
ordan’s pattern is the second one from
see that he’s always been remarkably talented. Jordan began dabbling in the outdoor industry the top, and it doesn’t take a long look to
In addition to being an avid bowhunter and tour- in the early 80s, but the creation of his first Real- see that he was ahead of the curve.
nament-winning bass fisherman, Jordan was tree pattern changed everything.
also a star football player. In fact, he played as a
wide receiver during his college days at the Uni- “As a passionate bowhunter I knew there was
versity of Mississippi, and his quarterback was a need for camo that worked with the up-close-
none other than Archie Manning, father of the and-personal style of hunting,” Jordan said.
Super-Bowl-winning brothers of the same name. “Around 1983 I started experimenting with my
own camo patterns. Of course, I had to do every-
e finished his senior year with another
quarterback standout, Norris Weese, who thing by hand in those days. I would go
later played for the Denver Broncos. out and take photos of trees, leaves and

“There were some good football limbs elements of nature that had
teams back in the day,” Jordan said caught my eye. I would enlarge those
with a laugh. “I was able to play in photos and use tracing paper to cap-
three Bowl games during my time at ture the shapes I wanted, and then I
Ole Miss, but unfortunately I would color it all in with colored pen-
tore a hamstring muscle and cils. I’m not the best artist by
started off and on for two years. Thankfully I kept any stretch of the imagina-
enough focus on school to earn my business de-
gree, and after I graduated, I came back home to tion, but I have always been a decent illustrator.
help my parents with the family business. They Those original Realtree patterns were all hand
had two marine boat dealerships, which was drawn, and I spent about three years fine-tuning
a great business for us. I did that for a bit, but them. I wanted to make the most realistic pattern
I knew I wanted to do something on my own. I could. I wanted to make something extremely
functional and truly effective. I wanted to make
something that really stood out.”

SEPT / OCT 2020 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 39

“We look at every facet

of business with our retail
partners, from distribution
to merchandising to
promotion and more to
ensure Realtree products
move off the shelves. We
know Realtree’s success is
100% tied to the partners,
products and promotion

”we bring to every store.

Brad Schorr

Senior Vice President

3

12

40 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020

Breaking Into The Industry Jordan is a big fan of NASCAR, and he used the exposure from NAS-
CAR sponsorships to make his company even more widely known:
Jordan managed to do exactly that. e unveiled his first camo 1 • Here is Jordan (center) celebrating with Dale Earnhardt and Rich-
ard Childress in the 1999 Talladega Winner’s Circle. 2 • The 2004
pattern in 1986, and the industry responded to it positively. It was

clear that he had created something special, but that’s not to say it

was nothing but smooth sailing for Jordan and Realtree after that. Kevin Harvick #29 Team Realtree car. Although archery and hunting

“I introduced the original Realtree pattern at the SHOT Show in are his key passions, sports in general have always been integral in
1986,” Jordan said. “Like with any new business, there were a lot of Bill Jordan’s life: 4 • In his college days, Jordan played as a wide re-
unknowns and challenges. My dad passed away in 1983 and never ceiver for the University of Mississippi, whose quarterback was NFL
saw Realtree, and he was my advisor for a lot of things in life. I star Archie Manning. 3 • Later on, he was able to introduce Archie
still had a very supporting mom and family, but I felt like I sort of to his son, Tyler. 5 • Bill Jordan introduced his son, Tyler, to hunting
had to figure it out on my own. We struggled, like any new busi- at an early age. Here you can see Tyler and Bill in 2004, with Tyler’s
first deer. 6 • Bill Jordan experimented with camo patterns through-

ness, for the first four or five years. We had to figure out how to out the early 80s, and by 1986, he had created the Grey Leaf pattern

market the pattern and show hunters how effective it was. Those seen here, sported by Jordan himself. 7 • Michael Waddell, seen here
were some really hard years because I was going into an industry at age 17, ended up working at Realtree for many years
that I knew very little about. I didn’t have any blueprint or guide a er the company discovered him at the ealtree rand
to follow, so a lot of it was ust on-the- ob training. I really owe a America Turkey Calling Contest. 8 • Jordan used his highly
lot to old-fashioned gut instincts. I knew I had to reach the end- effective camo to harvest this Washington turkey. ordan
consumer, and eventually I figured out how to do that.” also happened to be the first bowhunter to ever complete
a . . spring turkey slam with every hunt filmed.

Jordan is also adamant that he didn’t build Realtree alone.

He has a team of very dedicated and loyal employees who played critical

roles in the beginning.

“I was just trying to make a living back in those early days, and I really

didn’t know if I was going to make it,” Jordan said. “I had a group of about

eight employees, and I’m very loyal to that original group because they stuck

with me when they probably shouldn’t have. When things started coming

our way in the early 90s, I tried to repay them with good benefits and quality

retirement plans, and I am very proud of the fact that all eight of those origi-

nal employees either retired from Realtree, or they still work here.”

For Jordan, the employees at Realtree have become much more than

simple colleagues. 7 8
“The most important resource any business has is its people, and I have

been extremely blessed in that regard,” Jordan said. “My team has become

like my extended family. I’ve watched many of my employees get married.

I’ve seen their families grow with kids, and I’ve seen those kids grow up and

graduate high school. I want to help my employees the best I can. I wouldn’t

6

45 41

SEPT / OCT 2020 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

be here without them, and they really do feel coaching each of them as they came along. Basically, we
like my family now.” live the outdoor lifestyle as a family everyday, and for us,
it couldn’t be a better experience.”
Realtree has certainly come a long way
in the last 35 years. The brand is now a Taking Center Stage
household name, and countless hunters
around the world rely on Jordan’s extremely effective Considering its humble origins, the growth and success
camo designs to get the job done.
But as the Realtree family has grown, so has Jordan’s of Realtree is truly remarkable. Jordan founded Realtree
nuclear family, and for him, this part of his life is at the
forefront. Outdoors with a simple desire to make better camo, and
“I am thankful for my loving wife and three children,”
Jordan said. “Shannon and I have a 28-year-old son, Ty- he managed to build that ambition into one of the most
ler, who is in the business and an avid hunter, and that
is a dream come true for me. We have a 14-year-old recognizable brands in the outdoor industry.
daughter, Graycen, who also lives the outdoor lifestyle,
and we have an 11-year-old son, Colton, who is active in How did Jordan do it?
hunting and fishing as well. We love going out and doing
things together, including stick-and-ball sports, where Well, simply put, he created patterns that got the job
they are all very active, just like I was. It’s been great fun
done, and he showed those patterns to hunting consum-
Passion for the outdoors runs deep with the Realtree team: 1 • Bill Jordan harvested
this impressive Montana buck in 2019. 2 • Long-time employee David Blanton ers who were seeking an edge in the field.
tagged this whitetail in 2019. 3 • Tyler Jordan took this buck in 2019. 4 • Realtree
Fishing has become an integral part of the Realtree experience. 5 • Michael Waddell “The two things that really helped put Realtree on the
gives Tyler ordan a li on one of their hunts together. 6 • Bill and Tyler Jordan spend
a lot of quality time together at Realtree Farms. 7 • The Realtree production team is map were outdoor writers and television,” Jordan said. “I
always hard at work producing popular hunting content.
knew that the outdoor writers were always writing arti-
1
cles, and they needed photos to accompany those articles.

I started inviting outdoor writers to hunts down here in

Georgia, and they were very gracious to come here, hunt

with me and shoot photography of Realtree patterns in

action. They became good friends of mine, and that expo-

sure in outdoor magazines was very important for Real-

tree. On top of that, we started getting the Realtree pattern

in front of the television audience. We began airing the

Realtree Outdoors television show in the early ‘90s. We

aired it on TNN, and we had a pretty

captive audience, since there weren’t

many outdoor channels at the time.

We also came out with the Mon-

ster Bucks VHS tapes, which showed

some cool hunts and also displayed

the effectiveness of our patterns.

Combined, those media avenues

helped Realtree get into literally

millions of households, and that

was the catalyst that really helped

Realtree gain momentum.”

The true success of Realtree,

though, hinged on the effec-

tiveness of the company’s

camo patterns. Jordan 4

23
42 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020

“Creating the right Realtree

manufacturing partner and
product mix is critical to
making sure our retailers
succeed. And promoting
these partnerships and
products is part of our
DNA. Our team works hard
to ensure that consumers
are eager to purchase new
Realtree gear as we move

”into each new season.

Brian Doughman

Director of Licensing

5 67

SEPT / OCT 2020 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 43

44 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020

Inside Archery: How’s it been working with your dad?
Tyler Jordan: It’s been the best experience of my life. Dad has so much
knowledge that he shares with me on a daily basis that it’s impossible
not to learn something new almost every day from someone who has
30+ years of experience in this business. Dad and I have always been
very close, but our relationship is even stronger now because of our love
for Realtree and the people who are a part of it. Even when we aren’t at
the o ce, we usually talk 3 times a day about things that need to be
done. We both have a mutual respect for one another and he listens if
there is ever anything I disagree with him on. But for the most part, we
hardly ever argue because our goals are very well aligned on how we
would like to see things be done. I fully recognize the phase I’m at in my
career, but I can’t ask for a better mentor and best friend to learn from.

knew that his camou age had to be second to none, and he effective approach, and once the company had the atten-
knew he had to satisfy all the consumers he was reaching. tion of independent pro-shops, the company really began
to thrive.
“The whole purpose of the last 3 years was to build a
brand around the product,” Jordan said. “When I intro- “In the early days, more and more manufacturers
duced the first pattern in 198 , my most important goal started believing in Realtree, and through licensing deals
was to make it realistic and believable. It had to be the with these partners, our Realtree patterns ended up on all
best possible pattern for multiple hunting situations, and sorts of products hunters needed,” Jordan said. “Of course,
that goal still defines our approach today. esterday’s independent dealers helped us get these products in front
consumer and today’s consumer both want the same of consumers. I can’t emphasize enough how important
thing. They want something that works for them and these shops were and still are. Without their expertise,
something they can believe in. And there’s actually a lot bringing in so many hunters for help with bows and all
of work that goes into making the perfect pattern. ou the other things they do, things would have been a lot
have to consider every little shape and every shade of col- harder for Realtree. A lot of our success is tied to the hard-
or. The coloration alone is actually extremely important. working men and women at retail, and we still put much
The colors have to be believable, and they have work in a of our focus and appreciation on them to this day.”
variety of situations.”
A Highly Versatile Company
Realtree began to steadily create loyal followers with its
Today, you can’t go to a hunting camp without seeing Re-
Bill Jordan is a family man through and through, and he deeply cherishes the time altree patterns on a variety of products. Realtree’s highly
he spends with his children Tyler, Graycen and Colton. Jordan was adamant about effective camo offerings have become synonymous with
introducing all of his kids to the wonders of the outdoors, and they certainly spend a hunting and outdoor lifestyle in general.
lot of time hunting and fishing together, but he also helps them with other aspects
of life, like homework and little league baseball. Realtree’s current hunting camo patterns include EDGE,
EXCAPE, MAX- and TIMBER, and each one of these patterns

SEPT / OCT 2020 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 45

exemplifies the effectiveness and versatility that
Realtree strives to create.

“Realtree EDGE is our bread and butter,” Jordan
said. “It’s mostly used for whitetails, but it has a
lot of other uses, too. It’s very helpful in the tur-
key woods and elk country out West, and we’ve
had people use it in a variety of other situations.
Our TIMBER pattern is also very popular. We had
a lot of people asking us for something that would
be good in ooded timber for waterfowl hunting,
so that’s what we made. Again, though, the pat-
tern and colors worked in other situations, and
we started having hunters use TIMBER for turkey
and deer hunting, too. MAX- is still the leader in
waterfowl patterns, as it has been for years. And
our new EXCAPE pattern is doing extremely well.
It was designed as a western, open country pat-
tern, but has found its way to other types of hunt-
ing across the country. We try to make all of our
patterns versatile across all types of hunting and
never want to make something that’s simply one-
dimensional.”

Realtree is also using its wide reach in the me-
dia landscape to promote and celebrate the out-
door lifestyle.

“Print and television is still as important to Re-
altree as they were 30 years ago,” Jordan said. “I
believe that print and television are still crucial for
the whole industry, but of course, we also need to
take advantage of all the social and digital plat-
forms that have been created. The ultimate goal is
to promote hunting and fishing in a positive way,
and we are going to reach consumers and promote
hunting in every way we can. We have a very ac-
tive social media presence that we use to reach
more than . million consumers. We also have
Realtree 3 , which is the digital streaming ser-
vice we launched last year. It’s loaded with amaz-
ing hunting content, and consumers can watch
it whenever and wherever they want. In the past
year, 11. million minutes of Realtree content has
been watched on Realtree 3 , and we are ust go-
ing to keep growing that.”

Of course, so much of Realtree’s content comes
from the industry’s top hunting and fishing pros,
outdoor writers and in uencers. “We’ve had a
great team of people helping us from the start,”
Jordan said. “Many of them have been with us for
so long, they’re truly like family. David Blanton
came onboard back in 1991 to help us start a video
program, which none of us knew much about.
From that grew Realtree Outdoors and all of our
other TV, video and digital outlets. Michael Wad-
dell actually worked in the office for many years
after we discovered him at the Realtree Grand
America Turkey Calling Contest. e was only 17 at

46 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020

the time but obviously full of talent. It’s been great watch- Inside Archery: What is it like working
ing him become so popular, successful in business, and to with Bill Jordan?
watch his kids grow up. There are really too many people to Sherry Graddy: I’ve worked as Bill’s Exec-
mention, but all of them helped with the growth and suc- utive Assistant for 27 years now. He is and
cess of Realtree.” has always been a great leader for our com-
pany. Besides his own family, one of the
All of Realtree’s efforts end up having a full-circle effect. most important things to Bill is taking care of his employees and their families, in-
Realtree’s immense media presence is not just promoting cluding great health benefits, fair compensation, 401k matching, profit sharing and
the company’s patterns. Rather, Realtree is promoting the time off. That’s why several employees have been here 30 years or more. We’ve all
multitude of products that carry a Realtree pattern, and the watched our children grow up as part of the Realtree family. My oldest son stared
company is also driving customers to the shops that sell working part-time during summer school breaks and now works full-time for Re-
those products. altree. Bill also values his partnerships with our licensees, manufactures, retailers
and independent dealers. He’s always been a loyal partner to those who’ve been
“Everything we do ties back to the retailers,” Jordan said. loyal to him. With Bill’s leadership, we’ve always been able to pull together as a
“We want to reach their customers, and we want to adver- team and become one of the leading camouflage patterns in the Outdoor Industry.
tise and promote for them. We also license our patterns to
so many different categories, so there are tons of different 5
products for dealers to choose from. Back in the day, part 6
of my sales pitch was saying that I don’t just want pants
and a jacket with the pattern on it. I want matching gloves, 34
matching boots, a matching bow and a matching neck gai-
ter. I wanted to melt into the environment, and I needed
an entire system to do that. Now, our patterns go on much
more than just apparel. They can be found on literally thou-
sands of items, and that helps retailers offer an assortment
of Realtree products all year round.”

Realtree clothing has also become a fashion statement
in its own right. Members of the hunting and fishing com-
munity use Realtree to simply display that they enjoy the
outdoor lifestyle.

“Our patterns are on a lot of things that don’t really
help a hunter hide anywhere, but Realtree has become

Bill Jordan is proud of the fact that most of his employees work at Realtree until they
retire. 1 • Below is a group of Realtree employees who have been with the company for
more than 20 years. 2 • Jordan, seen here with his original Realtree drawing, considers
his employees his most valuable resource, and he goes above and beyond to foster their
success and inspire loyalty. Here you can see some of the key team members, including:
3 • Brad Schorr, SVP; 4 • Brian Doughman, director of licensing; 5 • Lamie Haga, COO;
and 6 • Daniel Thomas, Realtree 365 manager.

2
1

SEPT / OCT 2020 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 47

something that’s just a part of the outdoor life- have grown into a global phenomenon, and he
style,” Jordan said. “Our fishing patterns, for ex- has helped foster the outdoor industry he loves.
ample, have become extremely popular. We’ve
always been pretty focused on the hunting side, But for Jordan, the simple things in life are
but we are also very excited about the fishing still the most important.
side, and our fishing patterns have gained a lot
of momentum. Our patterns just reach the lives “For many years, our tagline has been ‘Fam-
of so many people who live the outdoor life- ily, Friends, and the Outdoors,” Jordan said.
style. I was at my youngest son’s travel baseball “Those are still the most important things for
practice the other day, and I saw four Realtree me today. Family, friends and the outdoors—
coolers there at the field. Experiences like that those are the elements that define our everyday
are extremely rewarding for me. I can see that lifestyle, and those are the elements that have
Realtree is part of our outdoor community, and defined Realtree. My employees are a strong
it creates a sense of belonging.” foundation of friends, and we treat each other
like family. It’s been an honor to watch Real-
Conclusion tree become a part of so many people’s lives,
and I’m really looking forward to where Real-
The outdoor industry can certainly continue to tree is going next. We have some big things in
expect big things from Realtree in the future. store for the industry, and I know we’re well
The company isn’t ust a definitive leader in the positioned for a bright future. I have some very
camo industry. Realtree helped build the camo bright young employees mixed in with my vet-
industry from scratch, and it became a power- erans, and I have a wonderful 28-year-old son
house of a brand in the process. who is very invested in this industry and this
company. I also like to oke that my 1 -year-old
Meanwhile, Bill Jordan has thoroughly prov- daughter will be running the company one day,
en that he has a real knack for giving the hunt- and my 11-year-old son is also very involved in
ing industry what it wants. The camou age the outdoors. Who knows, maybe they’ll be on
patterns that he crafted with his bare hands the cover of Inside Archery in 20 0.” IA



MARKET TRENDS CROSSBOW REPORT

Ravin Crossbows R29X
BY PATRICK MEITIN
industry, pushing arrows to 450 fps. That
T here are certainly older compa- may not be so apparent. kind of speed offers more precise shot
nies than Ravin in the crossbow Crossbows are unquestionably un- placement, extends range and makes
range judging at average ranges much
game. But despite being a rela- wieldy. Ravin’s 6-inch cocked limb stance less critical.

tive newcomer to the world of horizontal helps remedy some of that inherent awk- Speed Factors

bows, Ravin Crossbows started right out wardness, especially in the woods or while HeliCoil Cam technology is the engine
that drives Ravin Crossbows, and also
of the gate with some of the most tech- in a treestand or blind. It makes Ravin allows a design with such compact axle-
to-axle dimensions to drive bolts to such
nologically advanced designs and hot- crossbows easier to carry, easier to shoot scorching velocities. Further, this break-
through innovation allows the cams to
test performance in the industry. Ravin around obstacles such as tree trunks, work in perfect synchronicity for unsur-
passed efficiency and excellent accuracy.
Crossbows’ technologies were so ahead and easier to maneuver while inside a HeliCoil technology coils split cables in
helical tracks through the center of the
of their time, in fact, the basic concepts cramped pop-up blind. Accompanying cam to keep everything in perfect bal-
ance. The design allows cams to rotate a
that drive their performance have begun attributes which may be less apparent remarkable 340 degrees during the cock-
ing process, while keeping both cams
to appear on many more established include a parallel limb dynamic that 100-percent level during the draw cycle
and after triggering. Overall, the HeliCoil
brands—largest among those ideas is the decreases shot noise and increases system allows Ravin Crossbows to pro-
duce a lot more from a lot less.
super narrow axle-to-axle specs. mechanical efficiency, as the split limbs
Another part of the efficiency equa-
Before Ravin Crossbows, you would work together instead of against one tion is Ravin’s revolutionary Frictionless
Flight System. This is a patent-pending
have been hard pressed to find a cross- another. technology that allows crossbow arrows
and the bowstring itself to free- oat well
bow with limb tips set as narrowly as The 2020 Ravin R29X includes a new, above the rail, with the arrows riding

the company’s run-of-the-mill models. fully integrated Silent Cocking System,

The 2020 Ravin R29X under discussion measures a compact 29 inches from front

here measures 6 inches cocked and 10.5 to butt, and weighs less than 7 pounds.

inches at rest between the axles. That For most customers, though, the real

kind of slim geometry offers some very hook will be the R29X’s incredible speed.

obvious selling points, and others that The R29X is one of the fastest in the

1

3

1 The scope on the Ravin R29X is attached to a solid
Picatinny rail system, providing adaptability to various
shooters’ length of pull or personal preferences. The
Tactical scope includes reticles marked from 20 to 100
yards.

2 The Ravin R29X includes a compact stock holding

2 comfortable pistol and webbed fore-end grips. The
pistol grip provides controlled triggering, the front grip
keepin shooters n ers safely away from the i ht
deck.

3 The Silent Crank System, found on Ravin’s R29X,
reduces draw weight by 80 percent, meaning anyone
can cock this crossbow. It also allows safely letting the
crossbow down, without rin a bolt.

50 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT / OCT 2020