To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. Susan and Carl Ingrao (left), Four Seasons Firearms, Woburn, Mass., enjoy breakfast with Scott Hoffman and Patricia Duncon, Hoffman’s Gun Center, Newington, Conn. Buschmann of Shooter’s Supply & L.E. Equipment, Louisville, Ky. Ron and his wife, Wendy, explored most of Maui, “from the rain forest to the ocean.” “I thought it was really great and I got to learn a little bit more about the gun business,” Wendy said. “Very often, we’re seen as a boy’s club. To be able to bring our wives and have an outing with other dealers, as well as the executives of Smith & Wesson, gave us a different appreciation for what our wives do as far as supporting us,” Buschmann said. “I was so excited wives were included. A lot of times, George goes to dealer panels and they don’t include the wives, so it was very nice to be included in this and to meet the Smith & Wesson executives and be able to talk with them,” Susan Romanoff said. “It’s been great getting together and doing some shopping or just hanging around by the pool talking and going to dinner. Everybody is upbeat and very friendly,” Susan Ingrao said. The Shooting for Hawaii promotion set a new standard, according to Buschmann. “I think Smith & Wesson has raised the bar. I have yet to see a manufacturer that has brought together all the partners to be able to enjoy the rewards of what we’ve accomplished. I hope the result of this is that the other manufacturers, the industry, will say, ‘Hey, we need to do what every other industry is doing, and that’s show the recognition and appreciation of the support of the people on the front lines selling our product, to say well done.’ I hope this is the starting point,” Buschmann said. What about future, similar promotions? “If Smith & Wesson does something like this again, we’ll certainly do our best to qualify,” Romanoff said. “Absolutely. The management team of Smith & Wesson is making a point of getting to know their dealers and their customers, whereas other manufacturers really haven’t gone that far. That means a lot to me,” Ingrao said. “If Smith & Wesson announces another trip like this, we’ll go for it again. It’s been a great trip, a lot of great memories,” Essa said. You’ve Got A Shot At Hawaii! S mith & Wesson announced the Shooting for Hawaii promotion at the 2006 SHOT Show. At the show, Mike Golden, who had taken over as Smith & Wesson’s CEO and president a little more than a year earlier, emphasized the importance of the dealer. “The promotion is geared to focus significant resources of our company so that we generate more business for the dealer. That means more business for the distributor and more business for Smith & Wesson. It’s a win all the way through. At the end of the day, I believe very strongly that the dealer is where the action happens,” Golden said. The Shooting for Hawaii promotion, in addition to the weeklong vacation in Hawaii, offered other prizes, including M&P pistols and free merchandise from the Smith & Wesson Web site. However, despite the attractive rewards, it received “mixed reactions,” Taylor said. “Some people saw it and immediately said, ‘This is exciting, I get it.’ Some people adopted sort of a wait-and-see approach. People said, ‘There’s a lot of Ron and Wendy Buschmann, Shooter’s Supply & L.E. Equipment, Louisville, Ky., explored much of the Island of Maui during the trip. 64 George and Susan Romanoff, Ace Sporting Goods, Washington, Pa., rated the Shooting for Hawaii promotion as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” www.shootingindustry.com • SHOT SHOW SUPER ISSUE 2008