Making Crossbows in 2010

News from Kodabow …… we are now very pleased to shift emphasis towards putting bows out in the field with hunters and shooters. We will be at the Pennsylvania Crossbow Festival later this month on July 25th and are now engaging dealers who are interested in representing Kodabow in local markets.
Our West Chester, PA Distribution Center is up and running and final assembly and shipment is beginning to occur there. Major components are produced primarily in Lancaster, PA and the surrounding area. Places like Chester, Thorndale, Mountville, Exton but also in other states like Michigan, Indiana, Utah and Wisconsin. We are encouraged to see jobs being created right here in the US. In this economy, it is not easy. We have a healthy respect for folks in business who are making their way. We can also say that we participated in no government giveaways or loans. No bailouts either. Just hard work.
When we look at the supporting supplier base that has helped us get to where we are at, we see not only companies but real American individuals like John, Allen, Jarrod, Rich, Steve, Don, Dave, Ann Marie —- and many, many others. We have developed a sense of their family life and how their kids are doing in school and where they are heading off to college or work. We think this is the way business is supposed to work. There were also funny and unexpected moments along the way. We would often be asked by one of our suppliers who might be producing a part or involved in an operation for us like coatings, “Can I see one of the crossbows?”
We would say “Sure, come take a look.” One employee would be out in the parking lot with us, then another, and throughout the facility, we could hear echoing calls of “Hey Fred, come out here. You need to see this crossbow.” We had groups of 10 or 12 people huddled with us talking about hunting and what we were doing. Sometimes, we would haul out a target and a short shooting demonstration would take place. Most of all, these Americans wanted to help us succeed. That positive experience was always encouraging for Kodabow. Pennsylvania has a long history of hunting and sporting arms but when the tough audience is the “factory” men and women who really “make things” on a shop floor, that assessment was always most valued by us. Today, we say thank you — for helping us get down the trail of building a great crossbow.