ICYMI: Industry News
From Feb. 12–16, 2024

“Partner With A Payer Video” Explains Impact Of Excise Taxes On Public Access To Boating & Fishing

NSSF, in partnership with the American Sportfishing Association, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, States Organization for Boating Access and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, has released another film in the “Partner with a Payer” series — a collection of videos highlighting the importance of wildlife conservation and management.

“Waterways for All: Improving and Expanding Public Fishing and Boating Access,” showcases the work being done to continue providing public boat launches and public fishing piers throughout the U.S.

To fund these conservation efforts, the Sport Fish Restoration Act authorizes a small federal excise tax on certain items — 10% on fishing equipment; 3% tax on electric boat motors, tackle and fly boxes; import duties on tackle, pleasure boats and yachts; and a portion of the federal gas tax that is attributable to motorboats and small engines.

Since 1952, these excise taxes have contributed and distributed more than $11.3 billion (over $17 billion when adjusted for inflation) to individual states. Together, these excise taxes fund public boat ramps, fisheries projects and aquatic education, providing countless public outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the country.

Representatives from the Washington Department of Natural Resources, American Sportfishing Association, the States Organization for Boating Access and USFWS came together to tour the Defiance Boats factory and other marine facilities and learned what it takes to generate the excise tax revenues that support sportfish restoration and increase outdoor recreation participation in Washington and across the country. They also discussed specific projects where funds have provided key opportunities for the public to launch, dock and moor boats, as well as to fish and engage in other water-related activities.

“We have only a certain amount of fish and wildlife, so it’s important that we take care of those stocks not just for the boaters of today, but for my kids and the future generations that will come. Programs like this are really important to help make that happen,” said Bo Palmer, CEO, Defiance Boats, Allied Boats, Defiance Marine.

The group also toured several boat ramps, fishing piers and other nearby facilities built with Sportfish Restoration funds.

“In Washington state, there has been a huge impact. We’ve constructed over 15,000 linear feet of boat moorage, 400 or so boat slips and also some upland amenities for those boaters such as restrooms, laundry facilities and showers,” said Karl Jacobs, senior outdoor grants manager, Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. He continued, “States are working really hard to put that money to good work.”

This project was funded by the Multistate Conservation Grant Program. The latest video and others in the series were produced by Shine United LLC/Kingdom Filmworks.

For more info: nssf.org

Shoot United Introduces New Ambassador In “Straight Shooter” Profile

Shoot United is launching a new “Straight Shooter” profile focusing on Thea Van Syoc, a prominent instructor in the firearms and shooting sports community.

She started her firearms training journey in 2015, after viewing a video of a female competitive shooter excelling in competition. Seeing female representation in the sport inspired Van Syoc to pursue a path of her own in the shooting sports. Now, nine years later, she is a recognizable firearms instructor specializing in handgun training, and has started a series of women-only training courses that introduce women to responsible firearm ownership and defensive shooting.

“Thea’s story is the inspiration we want to share with people who are interested in getting involved in the shooting sports and responsible firearms ownership,” said Jason Gilbertson, director of marketing for Shoot United. “We are excited to work with Thea, and share her knowledge and content.”

The “Straight Shooter” video series, presented by Shoot United, explores the human element of the shooting sports. There are millions of firearm owners, coming from all walks of life, who have been positively impacted by the shooting sports and Shoot United serves as a resource to share those stories.

“Shoot United is a great one-stop resource new firearm owners can utilize to learn about safety and responsible ownership. I’m excited to partner with Shoot United and contribute to the education of new participants in the shooting sports and personal defense,” said Thea Van Syoc.

For more info: shootunited.com

USSOCOM Chooses Speer Gold Dot G2

The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has awarded Speer Ammunition with a three-year contract that continues supplying SOCOM with Speer Gold Dot G2 duty ammunition. The contract has a maximum of 8.5 million rounds.

“When it comes to dependability and terminal ballistics, Speer is the gold standard. That’s why Speer is a top choice of law enforcement and military professionals,” said Speer VP of Government Sales David Leis. “Speer continues to supply our U.S. DOD and unified forces with superior products for their efforts in protecting U.S. global interests.”

Speer Gold Dot G2 offers the ultimate performance in duty ammunition, thanks to an exclusive nose design. Instead of a large hollow-point cavity, Gold Dot G2 has a shallow dish filled with a high-performance elastomer. On impact, the material is forced into engineered internal fissures to start the expansion process. The result is extremely uniform expansion, better separation of the petals, and more consistent penetration across barrier types through duty handguns.

For more info: speer.com

Banshee Brands Welcomes Breda America Group As New Strategic Partner

Banshee Brands Inc., importer of world-class brands for the outdoor industry, announced a new strategic partnership with Breda Italy, to form the Breda America Group. The iconic brand was founded in the late 19th century and is based in the historic firearms manufacturing center of Val Trompia, Brescia, Italy. For over 120 years, Breda has combined the latest techniques and technologies in firearms manufacturing with refined hand craftsmanship and meticulous finishing by Italy’s master artisan gunmakers.

“We are excited and honored to bring this renowned Italian luxury brand to the U.S. market,” said Christian Handy, CEO of Banshee Brands. “Breda has an incredibly strong international following and combined with our deep sales experience and established distribution, we are confident the brand will resonate with U.S. hunters and competitive shooters, as well as pros in the military and law enforcement.”

Numerous iconic firearms have been OEM manufactured under contract by Breda over the years. Through mergers and acquisitions, many of Breda’s divisions now operate under different names, while the private, family-owned arms and munitions manufacturing business retains the Breda designation. This division continues supplying military components and manufacturing both civilian and military firearms.

For more info: bansheebrands.com

Otis Announces 2023 Agency Awards

Otis Technology presented their 2023 Sporting Goods, Government and Law Enforcement Sales Awards at SHOT Show on Wed., January 24.

This year, Otis announced Simpson Sales as Sporting Goods Sales Agency of the Year, Keystone Manufacturer’s Representatives as Law Enforcement Sales Agency of the Year and GOVTOOLS as Government Sales Agency of the Year.

Each year, Otis Technology recognizes the top performing agencies they work with, acknowledging their excellence and commitment to growing the Otis and Shooter’s Choice product lines.

For more info: otistec.com

Orion Wholesale & Celerant Partner To Streamline Inventory Replenishment

Celerant Technology announced a new integration with Orion Wholesale allowing FFL dealers to streamline inventory replenishment and expand their offerings, both in-store and online.

Justin Brown, Orion Wholesale marketing director said, “Through the integration, dealers can streamline our live catalog on their website. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for our dealers to sell more products, and we believe through this integration that can happen.”

With the integration, dealers will have access to 192 brands and 10,000+ products in Orion’s catalog. Celerant’s point-of-sale system provides seamless access to the product catalog. Dealers can effortlessly import comprehensive product data and stay current with ongoing updates from Orion Wholesale, eliminating manual entry, reducing errors and ensuring an up-to-date database.

Through the new integration, dealers can also now access an online product feed, to power both their e-commerce websites and in-store kiosks. Dealers can quickly make in-stock products from Orion Wholesale available for sale and show product images, descriptions and more, by leveraging the feed and data directly from the distributor.

Later this year, Orion Wholesale will also begin drop shipping, helping dealers sell more products without even having to stock the merchandise.

For more info: celerant.com/orion