Well hi there folks. I hope this week’s edition of Archery Wire is finding you both mentally and physically well as we are half-way through summer. Crazy to even think!! But that just means some of you reading this are gearing up for your first hunts of the year. What does that look like, by the way? Are you still going on the hunts you had planned? Or has it already changed due to mandated actions? Or perhaps you decided to change your plans due to family pressure, society pressure, internal pressure…I get it.

Corey Consuegra, president, Arcus Hunting, LLC. Snoqalimie, Wash. Photo submitted by C. Consuegra.

Speaking of changes, our friend Corey Consuegra of Arcus Hunting has had a few changes in his professional life. He has taken the reins as Arcus’s president as of July 1, 2020. Arcus Hunting LLC, owns and operates brands such as: Tink’s, Dead Down Wind, Ramcat, Trophy Taker and Rack One. Corey is taking over leadership from Phil Robinson, who has served the organization since 2004 and most recently, as president & CEO since 2015.

Enjoy this brief Q&A with Corey about his new role. And if you ever want to commiserate about lost jobs, lost trips, or lost your mind, feel free to reach out michelle (at) BulletproofComm (dot) com – Michelle Scheuermann, Editor, Archery Wire.

Q 1: Corey, you’ve officially been on the job as Arcus Hunting’s new President for a few weeks – can you share with us what has been hot on your list? And what do you see on the horizon for Arcus’s suite of brands as you move ahead?

Officially, it has been just a few short weeks, but thanks to great foresight from our leadership team, I have been in “preparation” mode for several months. Leading up to my official first day, I had the privilege of learning from one of the industry’s best in Mr. Phil Robinson. And since officially taking over, our attention has been on preparing our customers for the upcoming hunting, camping and outdoors season. This means manufacturing excellent product and ensuring it is delivered in a timely manner. With the seasonality of our business, being perfect in relation to the previous two topics is a must. Looking ahead, our family of brands have significant runway. For example, Dead Down Wind product is not only ideal for the avid hunter requiring scent elimination, but also formulated to address other odor challenges like my son’s soccer bag and gear. Plus, Tink’s has long been America’s No. 1 Buck Lure, but with further education on when, where and why to use our product, the chances of success will only increase. In summary, we are so excited about the future for our brands!

Q2: You’ve been in marketing for most of your career – how is that helping you now in your new role? Are you hiring a new marketing person to backfill that position?

I am indeed a marketer at heart. That stems from being a creative thinker and a problem solver and I owe that credit to my parents and my mentors along the way. The list is long, but they know who they are! Marketing is benefiting my new role on a few fronts. First, influencing core areas of our business, like product development, consumer messaging and channel development requires some differentiated thinking which my background provides. Additionally, marketing is key to strategic planning for our brands and determining where we are heading. Let it be known that strategic planning is a team effort and Arcus Hunting has some of the most talented people I know driving our brands and organization forward. In April of this year, we added Amanda Popp to the Marketing Team. Amanda joins us after spending many years with one of our top customers in Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s. Amanda will take over a large majority of the Marketing initiatives including Ambassador management, advertising execution and partnerships.

Q3: I bet the 2021 trade show season is hot topic with your team – can you provide some insights on how you are navigating the “go/no go” for trade shows? Do you have a self-imposed cut-off date for making decisions?

The trade shows of the hunting and outdoors space are extremely important to Arcus Hunting. As it stands right now, we plan to be present and productive. Our story continues to evolve, and we want to share it properly with our business partners. The trade shows, including the ATA Show, are often the perfect venue to do so. While there are no self-imposed cut-off dates, naturally, we will be watching the health and status of our country related to COVID-19 and make decisions that are best for our staff, their families and our business partners. We are also confident that the sponsoring parties such as ATA will be doing the same.

Q4: How did COVID-19 affect Arcus’s business and how are you learning from that to push head for fall, 2020?

COVID-19 has most certainly impacted Arcus, first and foremost is our staff. Learning to work remotely and remain focused on our customer as our top priority has been a challenge but made us better. On a positive note, our new way of executing to the plan (remotely) has created more family time, more time outdoors and a greater appreciation of the opportunities each of us has been given. COVID-19 has also directly impacted procurement of key items related to our product but thanks to incredible vendors, we have been able to overcome some of those challenges and remain on track for an excellent 2020.

Also, worth noting, while our thoughts and well wishes have been with each person impacted by COVID-19, we have especially been thinking of our peers in the industry, both retailers and competitors. I am sure like many who read this publication, we want nothing but success for all involved in our incredible sport.