Dealer Blog 005: Kentucky Gun Company
Dealer Blog 005: Kentucky Gun Company
“We quickly realized if we wanted to stay relevant as a business, we had to find a niche in our community.”
The 70+ year story of Kentucky Gun Co is one that entails a business successfully navigating the twists and turns of a fluctuating and sometimes volatile economy.
Through perseverance and always keeping an eye on market trends and demographics, since 1946 Kentucky Gun Co has evolved from depot store to grocery store to ice house, and eventually into what they are today – a sporting goods store where you can buy just about anything.
In 2002, sensing the end of the small family owned grocery store era, the company knew they needed new direction and a new focus. In 2002, when I became part of the business, we quickly realized that if we wanted to stay relevant as a business, we had to find a niche in our community, said Patrick Hayden, the owner of Kentucky Gun Co. After performing some market research, we found that there wasn’t a particularly strong presence of firearm dealers in our part of Kentucky. We saw the niche, recognized it as an opportunity, and began selling firearms to fill the void.
As Kentucky Gun Co’s gun sales grew, they noticed their customer base grew as well. New customers were driving up to two hours to visit the shop. This prompted customers to start asking for a website.
Around 2007, after being prompted by customers, we conducted some market research and identified some market trends we wanted to branch out into specifically online sales, Patrick said. Kentucky Gun Co had one ironic hurdle to tackle first. The problem was at that time, we didn’t even have a single computer in our store! So we bought some computers and started setting things up to handle the e-commerce side of the business. The initial growth ended up being more than expected. Within eight years, online sales went from zero to 80% of our business.
“A business is only as good as its employees.”
As a company always on the move, their latest venture is no surprise. With a deep understanding of how the firearms industry is heavily influenced by political climates, Kentucky Gun Co decided to plan ahead. We knew the market would fluctuate after this last election, regardless of who won the presidency, said Patrick. We began looking for areas where we could expand. As a result, we identified a demographic that is closely related to the gun industry. Chances are if you own an ATV or any power-sports vehicle, you love the outdoors, and if you love the outdoors, chances are you also own a firearm. So we bought a Honda Powersports dealership.
For a company that sells everything from BBQ sauce to purses and ATVs to firearms, you’d think there wasn’t much that could make it any better. According to Patrick, there is one other thing that must be present to make a company successful. A business is only as good as its employees. And here, at Kentucky Gun Co, we have an amazing staff of dedicated, hard working employees. I can’t even explain how important this is I can’t run this company by myself. We are a better company because of our employees.
Kentucky Gun Co realizes that success breeds success, which is why they aim to create return customers who spread the good word. People attract people, and we believe that creating a good experience for a potential future customer will bring them back to the store, said Patrick. Our amazing employees, huge selection, and unbeatable prices all work to create that good experience.
Kentucky Gun Co and SilencerCo recently joined forces to offer a unique Summit package. SilencerCo’s CZ 455 Summit package includes our Sparrow silencer paired with a CZ 455 Varmint rifle and Vortex Crossfire II 2-7×32 rimfire optic. This limited-run package is available only at Kentucky Gun Co, and there are only a few left remaining for purchase. Find out more information by clicking here.
An inside tip: the next time you place an order with Kentucky Gun Co, be sure to request a custom, hand-drawn picture with your order. And don’t forget to specify what you want the picture to be. We promise, you won’t be disappointed.
To stay up to date with the latest Kentucky Gun Co has to offer, follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kentuckygunco/
