Mckenzie Hits Target With Dealer Pr0grams

Shooting Industry, June, 2000 by Carolee Boyles

Twenty-five years ago, McKenzie Sports Products opened its doors as a taxidermy supply company. After 12 years in the business, the company added a second division: 3-D archery targets.

"We derived the lifelike and anatomical appearance of our targets through the taxidermy division," says Mike Ingold, vice president of sales and marketing. That appearance is what makes the targets so popular. From whitetails to African lions, when placed in a natural environment, McKenzie targets cause even seasoned hunters to take a second look.

McKenzie offers a variety of support programs designed to help its dealers make money and stay in business. Dealers interact directly with the company through some programs; in others, they access support through buying groups or through sales reps.

Buying Groups Support

Ingold says McKenzie works with six buying groups that cover the entire United States.

"We generally extend a freight discount to our buying groups," he says. "We also have show specials that allow them an opportunity to buy hot items at a competitive price." These items are high-profile products that stores can sell all year, as well as some that are popular during the fall selling season.

"They're products such as deer targets, bag practice targets and broadhead targets that customers come in wanting right before hunting season," Ingold says.

Dealer-Only Products

Dealer-only products are primarily practice targets, including some deer targets.

"We direct all of our club inquiries and club business to our dealers," Ingold says. "We don't service clubs from the factory."

Ingold says McKenzie creates pull-through for dealers through sponsoring national tournaments.

"We have a truck and trailer that goes to tournaments and promotes our products," he says. "But we pull all the business this creates through the dealer network."

He says shooters that follow tournament circuits want to purchase the same targets used in tournaments so they can practice on them.

"If they're going to shoot a McKenzie bear target every weekend for score, that's also what they're going to have in their back yard to practice on," Ingold says. "That customer has to go through our dealer network to get it."

Because McKenzie's product line is so large -- the company manufactures more than 40 target models -- no independent dealer can afford to stock every one of them. To help dealers offer their customers the complete McKenzie line, the company provides a poster of all McKenzie targets.

"The dealer can quote prices on everything we make without having to inventory all of our items," he says.

McKenzie also provides just-in-time ordering.

"We try to have a turnaround time of a week to two weeks," Ingold says. "If a dealer calls for a club order, we try to make sure we get it there for the shooting day he's planned."

Training & Promotion

McKenzie has 22 independent reps that provide training to large multi-line stores. Often the store requests training and sometimes the area rep suggests it.

"Since the rep is a multi-line guy, he covers a lot of products," Ingold says. "And within those products are our targets."

The reps also promote McKenzie targets at seminars, open houses and trade and consumer shows.

"They don't sell at consumer shows, but they refer customers to area dealers," Ingold says.

With the realism of their targets and the support they offer dealers, it's understandable why McKenzie remains at the top of the 3-D target business year after year.

For more information about McKenzie targets or dealer programs, contact Mike Ingold, McKenzie Targets, 1910 St. Luke's Church Road, Granite Quarry, NC 28072; 1-888-279-7985, ext. 242.

From The AMO Show:

Advantage Camouflage has added a new pattern, Advantage Timber. Company president Bill Jordan said the pattern provides lifelike color, exceptional contrast and improved three-dimensional effects. Advantage Timber is available in numerous fabrics and on film for hard goods.

Public relations manager Dodd Clifton said Advantage camouflage is showing up on a lot of non-traditional camo products.

"We're seeing our pattern on cell phone covers, computers, suspenders and sunglasses," he said, "Aladdin is doing a line of coolers and vacuum bottles in camo and one manufacturer is making a line of couches and other furniture with a camo look."

Warren Carlson, president of Buck-finder Hunting Products, said his tree-stands are designed so hunters can hunt a deer, not a tree.

"It allows the hunter to find a spot where he wants to hunt and not worry about the tree," he said. The tree stands allow the hunter to use any tree more than six inches in diameter and the tree doesn't have to be straight.

At Outdoor Edge, president David Bloch said the company has a new product called the Griz-Pak that incorporates the hunter's two most important tools: a deep-bellied skinning blade with a gut hook and an 8-inch T-handle bone saw. Outdoor Edge also sells the two tools separately.

The company is also introducing a new line of knives this year called Edge Tech.