CEO Blog: State of the Industry

What we can control is how we approach our businesses. Your ATA is actively recruiting new customers through a digital media campaign that has already driven several thousand potential customers to our member pro shops. We’re improving the process of bringing new members into the ATA so they know what we’re doing on their behalf from the day they join. We continue to work with our partners across the outdoor recreation industries to ensure a brighter future for tomorrow’s hunters and target shooters.

As the next generation of hunters and shooters take to the field, it’s incumbent on us to make sure they understand that bowhunting and target archery aren’t as hard to begin as they might fear. I’ve learned that lesson about bowhunting firsthand. The hardest step was asking someone to teach me. We’ve all seen it in target archery, as new faces have rocketed up the world rankings just this year. A major youth movement appears to be underway in some of the most competitive disciplines.

Most importantly, as ATA’s Kurt Smith reminded me in a post to our retailers just this week, it’s important to reach out to us if you face a challenge. In some cases, the law won’t allow us to engage. But if we can assist, we’ll do all we can to help you overcome an obstacle to growing your business.