For more information, contact Teresa Johnson at (860) 904-0497 or teresajohnson@archerytrade.org.
Salt Lake City (July 25, 2017) – The Archery Trade Association’s Board of Directors voted unanimously July 11-12 to add two seats to the Board to represent buying groups. The National Archery Buyers Association and Archery Range and Retailers Organization will fill those seats, giving their members a direct voice in ATA matters.
The additions give industry representatives from all areas more chances to work together to strengthen the industry. The decision – which was made at Hoyt headquarters during the Board’s summer meetings – gives the ATA Board a well-rounded composition. It now consists of three pro shops, two buying groups, one sales representative, two multi-channel retailers, and 12 archery and bowhunting manufacturers and distributors.
Gary Kinard, NABA president, and Deb Colgrove, ARRO’s executive secretary, will represent their organizations on the Board. NABA and ARRO harness the buying power of individual retailers into cooperative membership groups to receive manufacturers’ best wholesale prices. Buying groups also work on concerns specific to managing independent retail businesses.
Jay McAninch, the ATA’s president/CEO, said adding the buying groups to the Board increases and diversifies retailing representation, which began almost 20 years ago when the Board added its first seat for retailers.
“This representation ensures ATA Board discussions are balanced, and consider all aspects of business in our industry,” McAninch said.
Kurt Smith, ATA’s senior manager of retail programs, said the decision shows manufacturers recognize retailing’s important role in serving consumers and ensuring their brands’ success.
Ben Summers, ATA Board chair and director of operations for T.R.U. Ball Release Products, said the additions make sense.
“ATA has partnered with NABA and ARRO for years because they offer their member retailers amazing opportunities by hosting product preview shows in conjunction with the ATA Trade Show,” Summers said. “Our corresponding strengths make each organization and all member partners much stronger. NABA and ARRO have sent representatives to each ATA Board meeting for over a decade. It’s only natural that they be afforded Board seats.”
The National Archery Buyers Association was formed in 1995. It combines archery pro-shops' buying power as a group to achieve the best possible wholesale pricing with industry manufacturers. Photo Credit: Shane Indrebo
Kinard said NABA appreciates the opportunity and recognizes the responsibility. “The archery business is changing, and it’s refreshing to see the ATA Board of Directors recognize the need for better representation for the independent retailer,” he said. “Adding NABA to the Board gives our 350-plus dealers a voice about what’s going on in the industry.”
Kinard joined NABA in 2005 and became a board member in 2012. He was elected president in August 2016 and oversees all NABA operations. Kinard has been in the marine-electronics sales and service business in Dallas since 1982. He added archery to his business in 2002.
He thinks his experience at All Star Archery and Marine Electronics will serve him well on the Board. That’s because the marine-electronics business has seen many of the same issues now facing the archery industry. As an ATA Board member, Kinard hopes to strengthen independent retailers, and improve communication between dealers and manufacturers.
WE ARE HERE TO HELP THE INDUSTRY, TO HELP INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES GET THE MOST OUT OF THE INDUSTRY, AND TO HELP YOU.
Adding buying groups to the Archery Trade Association's Board of Directors gives industry representatives from all areas more chances to work together to strengthen the industry and boost bowhunting. Photo Credit: Shane Indrebo
Colgrove has similar goals. “ATA has been a force in growing archery and bowhunting in recent years,” she said. “It’s been working to help retailers be more profitable. It means a great deal that ATA has extended a Board seat to ARRO. With ARRO having a consistent voice with ATA, I hope it strengthens the relationship and communication between ARRO, ATA and manufacturers.”
Colgrove oversees all aspects of ARRO and works with its board of directors, and all ARRO members and supporting manufacturers. Since 1996 she has co-owned and operated Full Draw Archery in Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, Kent. She is a Nebraska bowhunter education instructor, National Archery in the Schools Program BAIT instructor, and a USA Archery Level 3 coach/instructor.
Kinard and Colgrove are excited to address industry challenges as ATA Board members, and work more directly with the ATA to strengthen the industry, bowhunting and recreational archery.
The ATA’s Retail Council strives to represent all archery retailers, no matter their size, location or business platform. They meet regularly to discuss issues facing retailers, and encourage retailers to share profitable tips and strategies for sales and marketing. Photo Credit: Shane Indrebo
The ATA Board also announced Wayne Piersol joined the Board as the Retail Council’s vice chair. As an independent retailer, Piersol works with the ATA’s other Retail Council members — Mark Copeland and Randy Phillips — to help guide and support ATA’s retail members.
Piersol began his term July 7. “I welcome this opportunity to work with other dealers and manufactures around the globe,” he said. I hope to bring an honest business perspective of a brick-and-mortar store to the Board.”
Piersol has 38 years of archery-related experience, and has owned Archery Only Inc., a pro shop in Newark, California, for 28 years. He co-founded NABA and served as vice president of its board of directors for 22 years.
About the Archery Trade Association
The Archery Trade Association is the organization for manufacturers, retailers, distributors, sales representatives and others working in the archery and bowhunting industry. The ATA has served its members since 1953. It is dedicated to making the industry profitable by decreasing business overhead, reducing taxes and government regulation, and increasing participation in archery and bowhunting. The organization also owns and operates the ATA Trade Show, the archery and bowhunting industry’s largest and longest-running trade show worldwide. For more information, like the ATA Trade Show on Facebook, follow @ATATradeShow on Twitter, or learn more about archery and bowhunting at Archery360.com and Bowhunting360.com.
