2024 | Our 50th Year In Business

As we prepare for 2024, our 50th year in business, I've been spending a lot of time looking back at what we have done right, where we have failed, and most importantly, how we can use this to improve moving forward.

The one thing I keep coming back to is the idea that as much as things change, the more they stay the same.

Marketing has evolved from print to digital to social media, and in some areas, is now moving back to print. They all serve their purpose, but the value of word-of-mouth advertising has yet to change, and this is where we are grateful to all of you. We are fortunate to have customers who are passionate about what they buy and are quick to share with their friends.

This same passion leads them to a willingness to let us know when we have messed up or maybe not performed to the level our customers have come to expect from us. It's not always fun to hear, but it's always necessary.

Machining is another area that has changed in so many ways it's hard to count them all. We have gone from manual mills and lathes to wire EDMs, CNC vertical and horizontal machining centers, and CNC turning centers complete with live tooling. We have capabilities in-house that we could only dream of not that many years ago.

Although the methods have changed, the result we are looking for has remained unchanged. Our increased capacity allows us to produce more firearms than ever before, but just like when we started, each firearm receives the same personal touch as if we were still a one-person shop.

One thing that has changed and changed for the better is our lead times. Those of you who have been long-time customers probably know our history with lead times all too well. It has always been easy to justify "it's a good problem to have," and while I can't argue that it can also become a crutch not to continue to find ways to improve.

We are not where we want to be yet in terms of delivery; however, for the first time, we have specific models in stock and ready to ship.

Finally, as we close out 2023, we constantly hear how people have changed. If you turn on the news, it seems we are more divisive than ever; however, the level of people we are blessed to talk to daily has remained the same. We will always have those with whom we may have to agree to disagree mutually, but as a whole, the energy, passion, and kindness from all of you are unmatched.

Happy New Year, and I wish you all the best in 2024!

PS: If you haven't already, be sure to pick your copy of our 2024 printed calendar!