Growing Your Outdoor Business in a Down Economy with Dudley McGarity, President of BPI Outdoors
John E. Phillips 04.08.13
Author’s note: BPI Outdoors (Blackpowder Products, Inc.), the parent company of CVA, has been aggressively acquiring companies and producing new products, even while the economy has been down. Although other outdoor companies have been very conservative during this time, BPI has been very aggressive. We wanted to know why.
Here at BPI, we use a business process that’s called multiple branding strategies. This term means that BPI has several different brands under the BPI banner. These multiple brands complement one another, because these brands deal with the same buyers and the same customers. Due to BPI’s strong infrastructure, we know we can service more customers across more markets by extending our brand.
I believe this is a growing trend in the outdoor industry among the progressive companies. For instance, Bushnell is following this same model by adding more products and brands to the company’s line. Nike is adding footwear brands, and General Mills is adding more cereal companies and new products to its line. Multiple branding strategies isn’t a new business concept, but it is a proven way for companies to use when they want to expand. Those companies then can reach more customers, satisfy more needs and sell more products. Strong companies usually buy other companies during a down economy to expand their brands. Then when the economy improves, these companies can gain more market share. For many years, the company that is now BPI had CVA guns as their main business. When we acquired Bergara Barrels, we started adding conventional rifles to the mix.
Within the last year, we’ve also started offering the Bergara Custom Shop that builds custom rifles for individuals who want the quality and accuracy that a custom rifle can deliver. We now let the consumer pick the parts he or she wants in a custom rifle, and our gunsmiths build those rifles to order. Bergara Barrels are used by many companies, because of the barrels’ precision accuracy. We decided we had the core component (the barrel) to build a custom rifle, so why not bring in the other parts to help customers build the rifles of their dreams? We recommend certain component parts for our custom rifles, but the customer makes the ultimate decision.
We knew that to build super-accurate first-class rifles we had to bring in individuals with the skills and know-how to do that. We recruited Dan Hanus, formally in charge of the custom shop in Quantico, Virginia that builds sniper rifles for the U.S. Marine Corps. We’ve recruited this man who has the talent and skills to build the most accurate rifles in the world, from the ground up.
The future for BPI is very bright. We plan to continue expanding our brand. We have some exciting new plans in the works that we can’t talk about yet. Right now we’re focusing our attention on how to build and promote our custom Bergara rifles, as well as adding new products and new ideas to our existing brands. To continue to grow, we’ll have the option of buying existing companies or creating new companies under the BPI brand. We’ve used both these types of strategies in the history of our company. We created Bergara Barrels and PowerBelt Bullets, and we purchased Quake Inc., a sling company. We’ll listen to any opportunity to enhance our infrastructure and our business for our customers.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
