Wow, what a week in San Antonio! I hope you’ve had time to rest and recover. I personally want to thank all of you who attended the 2017 NASGW Expo. It’s always great to see all of you and plan out 2018. Congratulations to all our award winners. It was great to recognize the companies that are most committed to two-step distribution with our Leadership Awards and the brand new NASGW-POMA Caliber Awards brought a new twist to the Expo in recognizing the best new products of the last year. It might be a little early, but we want to encourage you all to start making your plans to join us next year in Pittsburgh. There is no better place to get business done than at the NASGW Expo.
Throughout the week I met with many of you and enjoyed your insight on the state of the marketplace. Our conversations always reaffirm the strength in two-step distribution, especially during the softer sales cycle that we experienced in 2017. I was also very encouraged with the focus on innovation. Manufacturers are pushing the industry forward by developing new products or new ways of doing things. It’s always inspiring to get a glimpse into what the future will hold for the shooting sports industry.
As we move into 2018, I’m excited about the direction of NASGW. We are taking big steps to improve on our commitment to our members. We all know that our members believe in two-step distribution and there is no better way to share those benefits than to hear it straight from our members. NASGW will be taking a new approach to be more outspoken and visible within the industry. We want to share your stories about the benefits of two-step distribution. We also want to strengthen your insight into the marketplace with our data initiative. Stay tuned for more information on both of these exciting programs that we will be focusing on in 2018.
Again, thank you all for making the 2017 NASGW Expo a success. I look forward to working with all of you to build and strengthen wholesale trust in 2018.
Until next time,
Brad Burney
NASGW Chairman