Inside Archery November 2022

clockwise from bottom opposite page: ■ A Lancaster Archery Supply Pro Shop tech- 51
nician helps a customer. ■ Giveaways are a big part of the Lancaster Archery Customer
Appreciation Day. ■ MMA fighter Corey “Overtime” Anderson shot his bow alongside fans
on the Steel Target Challenge range. ■ Customers line up outside the Lancaster Archery
Supply Pro Shop well before the doors open on Customer Appreciation Day. ■ A customer
takes aim on the Steel Target Challenge range. ■ A customer tries shooting his bow from
a Trophyline saddle and platform set up on a “tree” placed outside so customers could see
what it’s like to “hunt” with the saddle gear. ■ One customer showed up before the doors
opened and made breakfast for himself and his friends and family.

NOVEMBER 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

■ top: Scott Willcutt of Deception Scents was at and mingle with our customers. Attend-
the Customer Appreciation Day to help sell his ees are able to talk to bow-manufacturer
company’s products, which added to the sales representatives to see if they can connect
force for the day. ■ left: Big smiles come with you with one of their local professional
the arrow carnage on the Steel Target Chal- archers. Often, the manufacturer will ar-
lenge range. ■ below and bottom: A Lancaster range to have a pro spend the day, or part
Archery employee uses a T-shirt cannon to launch of it, at your event.
shirts into the outdoors crowd; Two customers
run to catch one of the shirts. Speaking of those manufacturer repre-
sentatives, we invite them to be part of our
event as well. They come out and help us
demonstrate and sell their products. Extra
help on the sales floor always helps move
the business needle.

Be creative when incorporating manu-
facturer representatives. For example,
with the explosion in tree-saddle hunt-
ing popularity, we invited representatives
from one of the companies we work with,
and then built a series of telephone pole
“trees” outside so customers could take the
saddles, sticks and platforms this compa-
ny sells for a test ride. That hands-on ex-
perience helped us sell a lot of tree-saddle
gear on Customer Appreciation Day.

We arranged for local food vendors to be
part of our event so that customers had no
reason to leave our shop in the middle of
their fun day. They were able to come and
spend as much time as they wanted, and
could get food and drinks whenever it was
needed.

The only “special deal” that we offered in
store the day of Customer Appreciation was
10 percent off everything in the store from
8 a.m. until noon. That is not a major sale,
yet our overall sales at the counter were the
highest for a single day so far this year.

Again, the focus of our event was not
on special deals. It was on creating a fun
event for our customers to attend and to
immerse themselves in archery. In the
end, though, the event turned out to be a
successful day for sales.

At Lancaster Archery Supply, we are for-
tunate to have room to shoot indoors and
outdoors, which broadens our ability to
create fun activities. But you can modify
those activities to fit whatever area you
have to work with at your store. The goal
is to make your event something that your
local customers won’t want to miss. When
you put the emphasis on engaging and
entertaining them, they will show up and
spend. That is a win-win for everyone. IA

52 INSIDE ARCHERY NOVEMBER 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY LEADING ARCHERY MANUFACTURERS

The Bohning Company num arrow shafts, now known globally
as Fletch-Tite Platinum and still an in-
BY INSIDE ARCHERY STAFF dustry standard.
■ 1958: Fletch-Lac Finishes—paints,
T he Bohning Company is an archery industry Recognizing the need for a more reli- clear-coats and tools for cresting ar-
icon in everything fletching, and beyond. able product to adhere broadheads to rows; items still sold globally to the tra-
ditional archery community.
arrows, Rollin launched his business ■ 1975: Extruded Vanes—a Bohning
original industry introduction.
Bohning has been located outside Lake by creating Ferr-L-Tite, which is still in ■ 2001: Lynx Quiver—the first quiver
designed to mount tighter to the bow
City, Michigan, since its inception in production today, meeting the needs of riser.
■ 2004: Blazer Vane—the vane that rev-
1946. Since that time Bohning’s facili- modern archers as well as it did upon olutionized the archery industry with
its new shape and design, and world’s
ties have grown from a block barn to a its 1946 introduction. No. 1 selling vane since.

10-building campus, occupying a line in During the infancy of the modern Bohning’s testing labs and proving
ranges are constantly experimenting
Missaukee County where farming ends archery industry, Rollin, along with with new designs. All product approv-
als are based on scientific methods
and woods begin about 15 miles from other pioneers like Fred Bear and Doug and reviews from on-staff engineers
and chemists. These efforts have
the nearest town. This isolation makes Easton, worked together to supply ar- made Bohning wildly successful,
while also allowing it to remain one
Bohning employees with the outdoor chery equipment to the masses. Many of the last original, privately-owned
archery companies.
spirit feel right at home. “home grown” products were modern-
The archery industry is constantly
Bohning facilities are split between ized and those relationships trans- changing as user needs and equipment
designs evolve. Bohning works hard to
the North Plant, where all extruded formed the industry into what it is remain abreast and met the demand.
For instance, when Bohning was found-
and injection-molded products are today. For his contributions, Rollin Boh- ed, compound bows and crossbows
were not part of the archery scene.
produced (vanes, nocks, parts for quiv- ning was inducted into the Archery Hall
Since its introduction in
ers and similar products), and about a of Fame in 2004. the mid-1960s, the com-
pound bow has revolu-
¼-mile away, the South Plant, where Bohning Archery is a company found- tionized the industry
and inspired an entirely
the company’s administrative offices, ed on solving problems. This mantra new class of components
and accessories. The same holds true
packaging, shipping and Premium has stayed with The Bohning Company for the growing popularity of crossbows
in the last decade. The need to be on
Point production are located. for the past 76 years and has introduced the leading edge of new equipment de-
velopment is simultaneously exciting
Rollin Bohning, a trained chemist, industry-changing products including: and challenging. Bohning strives to be
a leader in archery innovation and has
founded Bohning on the same property ■ Adhesives that have changed and built their product development teams
around those needs.
occupied today. Rollin’s background as shifted with the material changes for Apart from certain soft-goods, 95
percent of Bohning products are pro-
a bowhunter and chemist led to Boh- arrows and vanes in the industry. duced in northern Michigan using
U.S.-sourced materials whenever pos-
ning’s first product, Ferr-L-Tite, an in- ■ String waxes that have solved clean- sible. As the last few years have dem-
onstrated, in-house production allows
dustry standard for anchoring tradi- ing and fraying issues for

tional broadheads to wood arrows and generations of archers.

screw-in adaptors, or inserts into alu- ■ The first quiver that

minum arrows. was designed to hug the

Colby Johnson, Rollin’s son-in-law, bow more closely.

was the second owner of the busi- ■ The first high-profile

ness and added many hunting-specific 2-inch vane—the Blazer Vane—which

products to the Bohning lineup, includ- allowed archers to shift between broad-

ing broadheads, quivers, camo paints heads and field points with no change

and skin camo. Larry Griffith, Colby’s in shot accuracy.

son-in-law, is the third and current ■ Behind-the-scenes product changes

owner of Bohning and is responsible such as material durability upgrades

for bringing the Blazer Vane to frui- for nocks and vanes to ensure no prod-

tion—the No. 1 hunting vane in the uct defects in the field.

world. He also expanded Bohning’s dis- A timeline highlighting just a few

tribution worldwide. Bohning innovations also helps put

Rollin Bohning was a chemist and things into perspective, including:

paint specialist in the early days of the ■ 1946: Ferr-L-Tite—first Bohning

auto industry. Upon his retirement product.

to northern Michigan from Detroit ■ 1948: Fletch-Tite—an adhesive spe-

he launched Bohning from his home. cifically designed for then-new alumi-

54 INSIDE ARCHERY NOVEMBER 2022

companies to maintain not only qual- 55
ity control but also production control.
Bohning can therefore meet the escalat-
ing customer demand at a time when
importing goods has been difficult for
others across all industries.

Bohning strives to design products
average archers can confidently use
and install. It is vital to Bohning that
every product maintains a quality
standard allowing unparalleled perfor-
mance in the field, while also ensur-
ing ease of use for everyday customers.
This is accomplished by concentrating
on the smallest details. For instance,
Bohning primes every vane to ensure no
additional preparation is needed before
installation, meaning their vanes stay
in place under the most demanding
conditions. Other examples are demon-
strated in Bohning’s jig offerings, which
are designed to make home fletching
easy and repeatable. Bohning’s goal is
to create user-friendly products across
all their lines.

Aside from meeting customers’ im-
mediate needs, Bohning has also made
every effort to allow individuality. Many
archers feel a sense of kinship with their
equipment. It is an often overlooked as-
pect of the industry, but most archers
want to make equipment uniquely
theirs. Bohning recognized this, offering
vanes, arrow wraps and nocks in a huge
variety of colors and styles—an array
that allows customers to assemble an
astonishing 127 million different arrow-
style combinations! And this does not
include all the customized products of-
fered through Bohning’s dealer network.

Understanding that crossbow prod-
ucts are a growing archery sector,
Bohning is expanding their crossbow-
specific lines to position themselves at
the cutting edge of this growing archery
segment. Bohning’s Top Mount Cross-
bow Quiver Mount is a great example.
It attaches to crossbow picatinny rails
to allow quivers to be mounted parallel
to the stock, while offering enough ad-
justment to ensure compatibility with
nearly any brand or model. It also al-
lows crossbows to be carried on a sling

NOVEMBER 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY LEADING ARCHERY MANUFACTURERS

or backpack without interference. .25-grain and concentric within .001- deliver products when other companies
Bohning also produces waxes and lubes inch. Premium Points ensure maximum came up short. That is the advantage 75
accuracy from today’s high-tech arrows years of business has provided Bohning.
specifically designed for modern cross- and bolts.
bows. Bohning Xcellerator wax is a low Bohning is sold mostly through a net-
temperature product perfect for cross- New 2023 releases include two new work of U.S. and international archery
bows, as it can be applied to the string crossbow-specific vanes, a new fletching shops and dealerships. They continually
at temperatures between -10 and 100 de- jig and a few more products to stay on strive to streamline their processes and
grees F. Xcellerator wax extends the life of the cutting edge of the archery industry. make working with Bohning as profit-
crossbow strings by reducing wear across These products will premiere at the 2023 able for dealers as possible. Bulk packag-
the rail. Lightning Lube is another excel- ATA Trade Show in Indianapolis in Janu- ing and display options are available to
lent product that is used on crossbow ary. Stop by their booth (1313) and check dealers. One example is the “fishbowl”
bolts to allow easier removal from targets. out all of their new products. display of their most popular waxes,
Anyone tasked with the chore of remov- lubes and adhesives, ideal for counter-
ing bolts from high-density foam will ap- Bohning tries to source as many raw tops and easily refilled with bulk prod-
preciate this. These products are sold sep- materials as possible within the U.S. They uct. This adds to point-of-purchase im-
arately, as well as in a crossbow lube kit. realize products might be manufactured pulse sales and increases turnover-over
more cheaply internationally, but that rate and shop profitability.
Bohning also produces crossbow-sized would undoubtedly erode much of the
Premium Points. The company’s stain- care Bohning puts into the production of The archery community truly mat-
less-steel ∕11 32- and ∕21 64-inch points work every product. Bohning has maintained ters to Bohning. They understand that
perfectly for crossbow target shooting. relationships with raw-material ven- archers’ needs drive the industry, and
Bohning guarantees industry-leading dors reaching back 30 to 40 years. These Bohning’s mantra of solving problems
tolerances for all the points they produce. relationships helped Bohning weather meets those needs at the register and in
Point weight is guaranteed to within +/- the storm, get the materials needed and the field. IA



58 INSIDE ARCHERY NOVEMBER 2022

Photo courtesy of National Archery in the School Program. RecAreracthioenrayl

NOVEMBER 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM The Future of Our Sport

Recreational archery fuels the sport,
as well as the wellbeing of retail outlets.

Every time I shoot an arrow that hits the bullseye
there is an excitement that comes over me. Do
others feel that too? The answer is yes, tens of
thousands of youth and new archers feel that
every year with programs like Scholastic 3D Ar-
chery, National Archery in the School Program,
and USA Archery, to name a few. Recreational archery
has been around for a long time, but how big was it in
2000 compared to 2022? The question that lingers in the
minds of many outdoor enthusiasts is “how much has
recreational archery grown?”

Before we get into the details of archery’s growth, let
me help you understand what recreational archery is.
My definition of recreational archery is simple: rec-
reational archery is any person, child, teen, or adult,
shooting a bow and arrow for no other reason than to
hit a target. This target is stationary and is not a live
animal. When it becomes a person shooting a bow to
harvest an animal, that is bowhunting. Fairly obvi-
ous, but I wanted to clear up what recreational archery
means to me.

But why is archery such an important activity?
Holly Helton, Executive Director of S3DA says, “Archery
teaches discipline, focus, responsibility and is excellent
physical exercise.” These values and skills are super
important in natural growth starting at an early age.

Let’s take a look at a number of organizations that
are specifically designed as recreation archery pro-
grams. One of the largest organizations dealing with
recreational archery at a young age is the National
Archery in the Schools Program, or NASP. NASP’s mis-
sion is to introduce youth to archery through a school

BY JACK BORCHERDING

59

Recreational Archery

affiliation. Unlike other after-school ac-
tivities, nearly anyone can get involved
in NASP because it can be done during
school hours.

Tommy Floyd, President of the Na-
tional Archery in the Schools program,
explained. “NASP was first targeted as a
middle-school-focused competitive in-
terscholastic program and has grown
into the largest youth archery program
in the world.” Tommy relates that nearly
66 percent of the program’s kids are new
archers, a truly mind-boggling stat! That
really means that NASP has put a bow
and arrow in the hands of more than 13
million youth that would have otherwise
never been introduced to the sport of ar-
chery. Take a second to let that sink in.

The National Archery in the Schools
Program is not the only organization
making strides in growing the sport of
recreational archery. Scholastic 3D Ar-
chery (S3DA) is an organization launched
in 2012. It provides a program that fos-
ters, educates, and guides youth in the
areas of indoor target, 3-D and outdoor
target archery, as well as safe, ethical
bowhunting practices. S3DA completes
this mission by giving students an op-
portunity to learn more about archery
and bowhunting in an after-school set-
ting. Since its inception S3DA has grown
from 173 student archers in 2012 to more
than 4,000-plus students in 2022. It
started in just Kentucky, Indiana and Il-
linois, but is now established in dozens
of states.

Kayla Bolton, S3DA Social Media &
Marketing Coordinator says, “The num-
ber of students increases daily.”

USA Archery is a program centered
entirely around recreational archery. I
have not had any experience with a USA
Archery competition, but have watched

clockwise from bottom:
• Photo courtesy of Scholastic 3D Archery.
• Photo courtesy of National Archery in the School Program.
• Photo courtesy of Scholastic 3D Archery.
• Photo courtesy of Scholastic 3D Archery.
• Photo courtesy of National Archery in the School Program.
• Photo courtesy of National Archery in the School Program.
• Photo courtesy of Bear Archery.

60 INSIDE ARCHERY NOVEMBER 2022

An independent survey of NASP participants found that
their involvement in NASP had a dramatic impact in their
propensity to participate in other outdoor related activities.*

the archery portions of the Olympics and 2022-2028 strategic plan. a unique look out on the range, so differ-
know the USA Archery team frequently S3DA, USA Archery and ent color bows, bow strings and acces-
produces USA Olympians. USA Archery sories are popular.”
has a mission to provide the necessary NASP are organizations
resources to encourage strong athlete that grow the sport of recre- At the retail level it is difficult to know
participation, competition, and train- ational archery, but where when someone is shooting a bow just for
ing in the sport of archery. USA Archery would any of these orga- recreation, competition target or hunt-
is open to everyone involved in all disci- nizations be if we did not ing. This is due in part to so many ar-
plines of archery, including target, field have the tools to advance chers using a lot of the same equipment,
and 3-D, and they sanction more than this sport we all love? Fred so it is difficult to distinguish the sale of
200 events annually. On top of their stun- Bear and Matt McPheason a product to be used solely for recreation
ning growth, USA Archery has a plan to deserve much credit for archery, according to Reilly.
increase membership growth and reten- moving the archery sport
tion 25 percent by 2028 compared to 2021, forward. Brands like Bear Shutts not only supports programs
club membership growth and retention Archery, PSE, Bowtech and that encourage recreational archery but
by 33 percent by 2028 compared to 2021, Genesis, to name but a few, also says, “Recreational archery is very
and increase advanced coaching certifi- have continued to encourage people to close to us because it is a good way to
cations by 20 percent, as stated in their get into recreational archery because of get started at any age with traditional or
the very products they sell. compound equipment. We just want to
P.J. Reilly at Lancaster Archery Supply, get everybody into archery.”
one of the world’s largest archery dis-
tributors, says, “There was a time when A lot of manufacturers and retailers
people involved in archery either bow- support NASP, USA Archery and S3DA
hunted or shot competitively. Now we from a partnership perspective, but Lan-
are seeing a growing number of people caster Archery Supply doesn’t just pro-
who shoot a bow and arrow just for fun. vide a large assortment of gear.
They’re shooting in their backyards, at
local clubs or pro shops solely because “We have the Lancaster Archery Acad-
they enjoy archery.” emy,” say Reilly, “where we offer classes
Bear Archery’s Product Manager Ryan to everyone from beginners up to ex-
Shutts added, “Bear Archery continues to perts, and where people can come in
make highly adjustable bows so they fit and simply rent lane time to shoot their
archers correctly and can be adjusted to bows.
their style of archery. People like to have
“Through the Lancaster Archery Foun-
dation, a 501c3 nonprofit, we provide
grants to clubs and organizations across
the country, typically looking to buy

Recreational Archery

equipment so they can introduce people
to archery,” Reilly added. Lancaster Ar-
chery Supply is doing great things to fos-
ter growth within archery.

In NASP everyone competes on a level
playing field. Every archer shoots the
same bow and the same arrows. This
ensures that success is up to individual
archers, no matter the competition or
skill level. S3DA operates by a slightly
different mantra, where a certain level
of equipment puts a shooter in a differ-
ent shooting class. After youth ages just
out of high school S3DA is the next step
if archers wish to advance in the sport.
S3DA has placed the stepping stones for
any shooter to continue their passion.
Case in point is S3DA shooter Madison
Cox. Madison was not an archer nor
familiar with the outdoors. She joined
S3DA in high school and with coaching
became a great shooter, so much so she
was recruited by the University of the
Cumberlands. She went on to win col-
legiate tournaments and later to shoot
for Team USA. Today she is working on
the S3DA team in a full-time position.
Each organization has their own needs
and set of rules but one thing holds

clockwise from bottom:
• Photo courtesy of Scholastic 3D Archery.
• Photo courtesy of Elite Archery.
• Photo courtesy of Scholastic 3D Archery.
• Photo courtesy of The Archery Shoppe
• Photo courtesy of Bear Archery.
• Photo courtesy of Scholastic 3D Archery.

62 INSIDE ARCHERY NOVEMBER 2022

true across both: every shooter and ev- most people think of when they hear
ery arrow sent down range helps grow the words archery, at least that’s what
the sport of recreational archery. Each I thought of when my mom mentioned
organization wants to reach as many it to me.” They went to the local archery
people as possible. shop and from the first arrow she sent
downrange she was hooked.
Nothing is truer than what Fred Bear
said about shooting a bow: “Nothing Years later CJ upgraded bows and
clears a troubled mind better than shoot- found one that fit well. Fast forward
ing a bow.” NASP’s Tommy Floyd echoes to the present: CJ made it to the S3DA
what Fred Bear said, because so many of Western 3D National Championship
the students that go through NASP have and found herself in a final shoot-off,
no other activity to be involved in other ultimately taking home 1st place in the
than NASP. Female Youth Open Division, as well as
Western Nationals Shooter of the Year!
Tommy says, “For most kids life is
tough. Every young person is looking for CJ says, “Archery is the sport I enjoy
something they can do well. NASP does the most because everything depends on
a super job of involving kids that were me.” It is heartwarming to hear. CJ now
previously uninvolved in activities.” Rec- hopes to be on the PSE Pro Staff and the
reational Archery gives them something USA Archery World Team. It all started
to be involved in and when they are with that first shot.
successful Tommy says, “The kids are
the biggest advocates. They talk about it We have talked a lot about NASP and
with their friends, they share their own S3DA, but one organization that stands
success and their own growth.” for all types of archery is the Archery
Trade Association (ATA). ATA President
What more can you ask for from a Jeff Poole said in his Year in Review let-
sport? The more I talked to Tommy about ter, “Your ATA continues to work with
the NASP program, the more humbled I like-minded partner organizations to
was to hear the countless stories of kids move the needle on legislative issues
going from shy and withdrawn to outgo- that are important to the industry, and
ing promoters of archery and what it has your ATA staff remains steadfast in
done for them. NASP surveys revealed growing programming and outreach ef-
that 58 percent of students say they feel forts to attract more people to archery.”
more connected with their school thanks It is a governing body over most things
to NASP. Then what all educators want archery that helps all organizations
to hear: 40 percent of students involved grow archery generally, and recreational
in NASP report that they are also more archery more specifically.
engaged in the classroom. Any activity
within a school with results like this As a part of ATA’s continuing efforts
should be proud no matter what activity they are deeply rooted in growing rec-
is involved. These are just a few of the reational archery and all archery activi-
benefits realized from NASP in a school. ties. ATA does many different things, like
facilitating a discussion for a future ar-
S3DA also has similar stories to tell, chery range in a city park in downtown
and Marketing Coordinator Kayla Indianapolis, for instance, which result-
Bolton shared the story of a young lady ed in full funding from the state of Indi-
named CJ Day. When she was 9 years ana. If you are not familiar with Federal
old her mother suggested that she Excise Tax (FET), ATA is a huge advocate,
shoot archery through 4H, though she and in November 2021 they reported that
had never picked up a bow before. She the archery industry set a new all-time-
gave it a try. The young lady told Kayla, high FET contribution record of $65.9
“Robin Hood, Brave and Katniss Ever- million in a single fiscal year. FET puts
deen, are the fictional characters that money back into different outdoor sports

NOVEMBER 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 63

Recreational Archery

like recreational archery. These are just a few of the ways that arrows add up through FET to put money back into programs
ATA is helping grow recreational archery. to continue to grow archery activities. It is a lot to take in and
as you have likely gathered, the growth of recreational ar-
We have learned about NASP and what they have been do- chery has been tremendous. It is difficult to comprehend that
ing to reach youth in schools. We have heard stories from NASP, since its inception in 2002, has put a bow and arrow in
S3DA and how the program has continued to grow archer suc- the hands of more than 20 million students grades 4 to 12. In
cess after school and on into a career. Without archery equip- just 10 years S3DA has grown from 173 students to 4,000-plus
ment we don’t have a sport to enjoy, and how those bows and students, and is growing more every day. USA Archery is plan-
ning for growth from now into 2028. With numbers like these
it is easy to see that in the past two decades recreational ar-
chery has experienced meteoric growth.

The question now is how do we continue with the momen-
tum these organizations have generated?

Each organization is planning for growth in the coming
years, so each organization has opportunities for volunteers,
mentors and educators. Let’s start with NASP and how anyone
can help it grow.

“The great thing about NASP is that anyone can get involved
at any age and any socioeconomic status,” says Tommy Floyd.
If you are a student, or the parent of a student, and would like
to get involved in NASP but your school doesn’t host the pro-
gram, let a teacher know that NASP has programs to help any
school get started. If you are a business owner, parent or just
someone who wants to help, NASP always needs volunteers. If
you’re an adult archer and want to grow the sport of archery,
become a Basic Archery Instructor. If you’re a local dealer or
retailer, support your local team and encourage young indi-
viduals to try archery. If you’d like to learn more about any-
thing to do with the National Archery in the Schools program,
visit naspschools.org/. They have massive resources and the
tools needed for any person who wishes to get involved.

If you have been shooting a bow awhile and want to take the
next step in your archery journey, give S3DA or USA Archery a
try. Many students, like CJ and Madison, took their love for
archery and turned it into a career, now helping to foster the

64 INSIDE ARCHERY NOVEMBER 2022

left to right from opposite page: area by contacting a S3DA regional coor- this will not only provide funds for ad-
• Photo courtesy of Scholastic 3D Archery. dinator in your region, or visit s3da.org vocacy through the FET programs, but
to glean more information. This is also ensures that archery will endure well
• Photo courtesy of Bear Archery. true for USA Archery. Visit usaarchery. into the future. On a final note, Reilly
• Photo courtesy of National Archery in the School Program. org to learn about the many opportuni- says “We need to make (archery) more
• Photo courtesy of National Archery in the School Program. ties to get involved. available. If we don’t, they’ll find some-
thing else to do. The growth of archery
• Photo courtesy of Scholastic 3D Archery. For every person who is an outdoor is staggering nevertheless, but it can’t
• Photo courtesy of Bear Archery. enthusiast, continue to shop local and end here.” IA
within the archery community. Doing
next generation of archers. Parents who
have archers who would like to partici-
pate, learn how to start a team in your

NOVEMBER 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 65

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY 5Q

Five Questions with Banks Outdoors

Banks Outdoors is a leading producer of hunting blinds, deer feeders, water the process of developing them? ■
Our product line has been developed
systems and mineral supplements—essential tools for cultivating a healthy over the years with help from our
own experiences. Another key factor
herd and eventually harvesting from it. We spoke with Mitch Banks, sales is listening to other hunters and de-
termining what we believe the out-
manager of Banks Outdoors, to learn more. door industry needs. At the end of the
day, we like to throw a lot of innova-
G ive us a brief rundown on the the new and innovative Wild Water tions at the wall and see what sticks.
history of Banks Outdoors— Mineral Supplement and Attractant.
what inspired the creation of the What are your long-term goals for
company, and what have been What was 2022 like for the com- the company, and how will you
some key milestones? ■ In 1994, pany? And what do you anticipate get there? ■ We will continue to in-
Banks Outdoors was founded by Bob for 2023? ■ New records were set for novate and bring out new products
Banks and built on his passion for Banks Outdoors in 2022, as the com- for generations to come. We will
the outdoors. What started in the pany has made exponential growth continue listening to customers, as
fishing industry eventually evolved routinely for the past five years. well as let our minds go to work. Ba-
to the hunting world in 2004, when Without spoiling any surprises, sically, we will stick with our core
Banks Outdoors developed the first Banks has some new and truly ex-
Stump Blind, which became an ar- citing products set to release values and continue down the path
chery-industry staple. Today, Banks for 2023, so we expect it to be that led us to where we are today.
Outdoors offers outdoorsmen a wide another great year. Our passion for archery and the out-
range of products—from blinds, doors plays a huge role in what we
feeders and watering systems—to How do your products sup- do every day. Archery runs deep in
port independent archery our blood, and we are always look-
pro shops? ■ Banks’ prod- ing to innovate for other archers be-
uct line has provided a new cause we just always have archery
income stream that archery on our minds. IA
shops have never had before.
With Banks being a leading WebXtra ■ For more on Banks
name in blind industry, ar-
chery retailers find it easy to fulfill Outdoors go to insidearchery.com.
customers’ needs. And if they be-
come a Banks dealer, they get their
own protected territory. In general,
Banks also has a team of very fami-
ly-oriented and highly devoted staff
members who all take pride in the
brand, and they go above and be-
yond to make our customers and
partners happy.

Where do you get your ideas for
new products, and what goes into

66 INSIDE ARCHERY NOVEMBER 2022