Hope. It means a lot of things. And a lot of different things to different people. But hope is the lifeblood of success.

2018 is well underway and SHOT Show is coming up quickly. With the start of the new year, it is time to renew your commitment and membership with NASGW. Below you will find our membership renewal letter that was mailed out around the holidays. Please review the letter and be sure to send in your dues if you haven't had a chance yet. Below you will find all the details on renewing and as always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact our office. Thank you all for your continued support and we wish you all the best in 2018.

As of January 1st, 2017, NASGW has a new home in Iowa along with a new team to help us do big things. To help you get to know your staff a little better we will be providing introductions for each of the key staff members that you will be in contact with throughout the next few years. We look forward to the road ahead and helping our members do more in 2017.  Here are our first three staff members we'd like to introduce, Kirk Leeds, Molly Lopez, and Lynn Harkin. 

During a webinar conducted by Growth Strategy Partners and promoted by the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers, panelists and attendees were asked what they believed demand would be for the shooting sports industry in 2018.  The responses ranged from up more than 10% to down more than 5%.  Marketplace Insight provided a statistical forecast which was a little surprising to many attendees.  

Provided by: Jade West of NAW

The ink is barely dry on Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and it is likely to be months before we fully understand all of its provisions. The IRS has a huge challenge in trying to write the regulations and rules necessary to enforce the new law, and Congress will have to consider at least one “technical corrections” bill to fix the problems with the legislation that are certain to be discovered as it is implemented.

Ankeny, IA (December 27, 2017) – The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), the association representing shooting sports wholesalers, manufacturers and their trade partners, announced a donation to the American Suppressor Association to support their state and national advocacy efforts.     “The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers’ support of our association highlights their commitment to help us advocate for pro-suppressor reform on behalf of the suppressor community,” said Knox Williams, president & executive director of the American Suppressor Association. “Partnerships with groups like NASGW are critical to our mission of legalizing suppressors in all 50 states and ultimately removing them from the National Firearms Act. We are thrilled to work together with such a great organization to help make the world a quieter and safer place.”

As we all take some time away from work to enjoy the holidays with our families, I personally want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This truly is one of my favorite times of year. This time of year also has us looking to the upcoming year with hope or for some, worry. For those of us who’ve been in the industry long enough, we know that years like 2017 come and go. Last week I was fortunate enough to contribute some of my thoughts on what 2018 has in store during NASGW’s webinar titled, “Building a Successful Business in the New Normal.” I was quite impressed with the discussion from industry leaders like Tom Taylor of SIG SAUER, Mike Noell of Sentry Products Group, Chris DiCenso and George Harris of Growth Strategy Partners, and myself. It was great to hear the thoughts about 2017 and 2018 from varying places around the country and the industry. At the end of the webinar I took three big themes away from our discussion: focus on making our own businesses better through innovation and relationships, data is playing a more crucial role in our industry, and being scrappy is a virtue. 

Document for Public Inspection as a Proposed Rule

The following unpublished document was posted in the Federal Register, December 21, 2017, Document Number 2017-27717 for Public Inspection as a Proposed Rule:

Growing up in a family of boys, Christmas at our house was normally a lot of fun. A lot of rowdy, but a lot of fun. And from time to time, not just happiness, but scrappiness. Whether it was fights over toys, disagreements over who had to do the dishes, or who got to be in charge of the TV remote, there were some moments that mom just wanted to pull her hair out. And plenty of moments where dad all of a sudden disappeared, because he suddenly realized he “had chores to do” and left mom to pick up the pieces.

Provided by Orchid Advisors