ROBUST LAUNCH FOR NEW YEAR By Ray Oeltjen COMPANIES REMAIN OPTIMISTIC, T he National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) held its 40th Annual Meeting and Expo in late October in Grapevine, Texas. Business at the show was reported to be robust. Manufacturers from all segments of the industry introduced new products for 2014, and wholesalers from throughout the United States and around the world built their inventories for the New Year. we get from the NASGW throughout the year, especially at this show,” Kamphuis said. “This has been an exciting year as our reloaders are sought out by an ever-expanding market. We are pleased that our level of support for sales and service has been great.” Kamphuis also noted the additional benefits of MEC’s recent acquisition of APEX Clay Target Machines. “We find great synergy in this acquisition, especially given that the machines fit our core competency of engineering and manufacturing metal products,” Kamphuis said. Tim Lesser, VP of sales and marketing of Sharps Rifle Company (SRC), a first-time exhibitor, said the decision to introduce the company’s new products at the expo was an easy one. “It made perfect sense. We’re delighted by the response to our Relia-Bolt and our .25-45 Sharps Rifle cartridge. The NASGW Expo was the perfect place to introduce our exciting and innovative new products,” Lesser said. “SRC embodies the qualities that made the Sharps Rifle Company a legend, but in a modern package.” NASGW opened the expo and annual meeting with its Annual Awards Dinner. More than 500 members of the association celebrated the opening of the event and honored NASGW’s 2013 award recipients. Texas Gov. Rick Perry was the featured speaker. “There’s still a place that loves freedom in America, where people can pursue their dreams, free from knee-jerk government regulation. That place is called ‘Texas,’” Gov. Perry said. “In Texas, we embrace the values of competition and a system that rewards innovation and hard work, and that applies to those who legally manufacture and sell guns as much as to any other Maurice (Moe) Desmarais, NASGW president, reported a number of increases at the show. “We’re extremely pleased with our members’ and the shooting sports industry’s participation in the event. We had 40 new exhibitors and just under 100 extra booths at the event. We also had about 250 more attendees than in 2012,” said Desmarais. International customers continue to recognize the NASGW as an important part of their business, according to Desmarais. “We picked up several new international companies and, surprisingly, some of them joined us in the weeks leading up to the show. We even had a request to exhibit within 10 days of the show from a company in Norway,” explained Desmarais. Desmarais said these increases reinforce the services NASGW provides. “We’re providing our members with a mix and diversity of product lines. That’s what they’re looking for and providing those services to our members is an important part of our mission,” Desmarais said. “Part of the uniqueness of our event is our members can spend a significant amount of time with their manufacturers, and plan their buying for 2014 and beyond. Their marketing campaigns are put together at this event. It gives them a solid way of looking forward and planning for 2014. Our members are optimistic and bullish about business in 2014.” Robert Kamphuis, chairman, president and CEO of Mayville Engineering Company (MEC), a decades-long NASGW member, reinforced the value of exhibiting at the expo. “Our wholesalers represent a majority of the market and we are very pleased with their support, as well as the valuable input 46 FEBRUARY 2014 Welcome To Texas, Honoring Companies Subscribe to SI DIGITAL www.shootingindustry.com
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