Skip to content
Member Login
  • Membership
    MEMBERSHIP
    Sign Up for ATA Text Alerts
    Renew Membership
    Member Login How-Tos
    Resource Library
    Beyond the Bow Podcast
    Member Service Providers
    ATA Retail Business Tracker Survey
    RETAILERS
    Bow Technician Certification
    Business Resources
    Retail Council
    Embed the Archery360 Widget
    Embed the Bowhunters United Widget
    Retailer Membership FAQ
    MANUFACTURERS
    ATA Technical Guidelines
    Intellectual Propery
    California's Proposition 65
    FET
    Manufacturer Membership FAQ
  • Trade Show
  • Learn
    EDUCATION PROGRAMS
    Archery Range and Program Call for Projects
    Conservation Initiative
    Archery Range Guides
    Archery Industry Masterclass
    Mentor Guide and Field to Fork
    Partners
    State Contacts
    Action Alert System
    Archery and Bowhunting Summit
    Advocacy
  • News
    CATEGORIES
    Conservation / Legislation
    Business
    Marketing
    Retail
    Learn
  • About Us
    Bylaws and Code of Conduct
    Board Elections
    Position Statements
    Terms and Conditions
    Year in Review
    Join Bowhunters United for Free
    Technical Committee
  • Contact Us
  • ATA Store
  • Membership
    MEMBERSHIP
    Sign Up for ATA Text Alerts
    Renew Membership
    Member Login How-Tos
    Resource Library
    Beyond the Bow Podcast
    Member Service Providers
    ATA Retail Business Tracker Survey
    RETAILERS
    Bow Technician Certification
    Business Resources
    Retail Council
    Embed the Archery360 Widget
    Embed the Bowhunters United Widget
    Retailer Membership FAQ
    MANUFACTURERS
    ATA Technical Guidelines
    Intellectual Propery
    California's Proposition 65
    FET
    Manufacturer Membership FAQ
  • Trade Show
  • Learn
    EDUCATION PROGRAMS
    Archery Range and Program Call for Projects
    Conservation Initiative
    Archery Range Guides
    Archery Industry Masterclass
    Mentor Guide and Field to Fork
    Partners
    State Contacts
    Action Alert System
    Archery and Bowhunting Summit
    Advocacy
  • News
    CATEGORIES
    Conservation / Legislation
    Business
    Marketing
    Retail
    Learn
  • About Us
    Bylaws and Code of Conduct
    Board Elections
    Position Statements
    Terms and Conditions
    Year in Review
    Join Bowhunters United for Free
    Technical Committee
  • Contact Us
  • ATA Store
Join Today

Industry

The Greater Good: Why and How ATA Members Should Work Together

Find common ground with other ATA members and pool your ideas, funds, resources and time to accomplish more through collaboration.
Photo Credit: Hunt-N-Gear

Share

Author: Cassie Gasaway

Ask yourself: Do you want to grow participation numbers? Do you want your business to flourish? Do you want others to love archery and bowhunting as much as you? Do you want to see the bow-and-arrow tradition live on?

You probably do, and so does every other person and company in the archery and bowhunting industry. It’s easy to get so caught up in your day-to-day tasks that you forget about the big picture: We’re all working toward the same goals.

“When business is bad, you’re worried business is bad,” said Jeff Adee, president of Headhunter Bow Strings Inc. and vice chair of the ATA board of directors. “When business is good, you're worried about keeping up and keeping your customers happy. It’s always easy to be exceptionally busy in the business world and forget to step back and care about those things that you value in life.

“The number of hunters has decreased or flatlined until recently,” he said. “I’m worried about elk, deer, habitat, conservation. If we’re not creating more hunters going forward, there will be less dollars generated through license sales and federal excise tax funds. That’s less money available to those people (DNR folks, biologists, etc.) who take care of the parts of the world that I like, which is the woods, water and critters.”

Jeff Adee coaches the Milton High School archery team. They practice at Hunt-N-Gear LLC. Photo Credit: Jeff Adee

That’s why Adee encourages all ATA members to collaborate on projects and efforts.

“It’s like the saying ‘rising water lifts all boats,’” Adee said. “If we’re all doing what we can to grow the industry, we’re all going to benefit from it, but you can accomplish more by working together. Everyone in our industry is so passionate and we all have a passion for the same thing. That passion makes it easy to connect and collaborate with people.”

Adee said there are many groups and organizations in the outdoor industry that ATA members can easily pair with and support. Retailers, manufacturers, conservation organizations, distributors, press members, state wildlife agencies, parks and recreation groups and others are all good candidates. Simply look in your surrounding area and start connecting.

Headhunter Bow Strings is in Milton, Wisconsin, and Rinehart Targets is in Janesville, Wisconsin, about 10 minutes away. That’s what prompted Adee to speak with James McGovern, of Rinehart, about creating a community archery range. The idea is in its infant stages, but Adee is excited about the potential and the effect it would have on the area and industry.

Adee also created and coaches an archery team at the Milton High School. He went through the principal and school board and learned about athletic codes, parental permissions and club requirements to make his idea a reality. His team follows the Scholastic 3D Archery model and practices at the local archery pro shop, Hunt-N-Gear LLC. He’s working on creating three other teams at school systems in the surrounding area. He hopes the teams will be able to compete against one another. Adee is also talking with other archery and bowhunting companies in Wisconsin to see if they can replicate the effort in other parts of the state.

As a business owner, doing things outside of your normal daily tasks shows you care about the industry and sets a good example for your employees. It also improves the community and likely creates opportunities for individuals to get involved.

Get creative as you start conversations about working together. You might be surprised by where the collaboration takes you, but the biggest thing is to start.

“Don't be afraid to knock on the door and walk in, or make a blind phone call,” Adee said. “In the beginning you might not even know what it is you'll work on, but if you come in and you’re genuine and open, people will pick up on that and they'll be more willing to share or entertain your ideas.”

Lancaster Archery had a booth at a Barnstormers baseball game. Photo Credit: Lancaster Archery

Sample collaborative efforts include:

  • Co-marketing efforts.
  • Mentoring new hunters.
  • Creating fun, promotional archery videos.
  • Hosting a Saturday “battle of the towns” archery tournament.
  • Hosting a booth at a local fair or market.
  • Cleaning up a local community archery range.
  • Teaching educational classes about products, hunting strategies or shooting tips.

Adee said the biggest challenge industry members will face when attempting to collaborate is finding time and energy. However, he said, it’s imperative that you do.

“We’re all working 60 hours a week and I’m forcing myself to go for three hours, once a week to coach my archery teams,” he said. “It reminds me why I’m doing what I’m doing (for my business). It’s fun to see kids of all shapes and sizes pick up archery and have a blast. It’s great for them, but I forgot how good it is for me to be exposed to that. It’s invigorating and it gives me a reason to keep going.”

Find something you’re passionate about, and then collaborate with another person or business that’s equally passionate. Doing that will help your business and the archery industry — and you’ll find that it helps you, too.

BECOME A MEMBER

WE ARE HERE TO HELP THE INDUSTRY, TO HELP INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES GET THE MOST OUT OF THE INDUSTRY, AND TO HELP YOU.

Join Today

SHARE THIS STORY

Related Stories

Industry, Conservation / Legislation

ATA, Partners Help Restore Funding for Archery and Hunter Ed, Send H.R. 5110 to President’s Desk

Archery Trade Association
  • September 29

Trade Show

Hundreds of New Products Launch at the ATA Show — Don’t Miss This Year’s Event

Cassie Gasaway
  • September 28

Conservation / Legislation

Part 2: Ensure Archery Classes and Hunter Education Continue to Receive Federal Funding

Archery Trade Association
  • September 21

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AND NEVER MISS AN UPDATE

Member Login
  • Membership
  • Trade Show
  • Learn
  • News
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • ATA Store
  • Membership
  • Trade Show
  • Learn
  • News
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • ATA Store
JOIN TODAY
Facebook Twitter Instagram Envelope
Copyright © 2023 Archery Trade Association. All rights reserved.
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal