{"id":1058,"date":"2024-05-10T23:52:31","date_gmt":"2024-05-10T23:52:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/?p=1058"},"modified":"2024-05-10T23:52:31","modified_gmt":"2024-05-10T23:52:31","slug":"behind-the-brand-midwayusa-gun-digest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/?p=1058","title":{"rendered":"Behind The Brand: MidwayUSA &#8211; Gun Digest"},"content":{"rendered":"<div> <!-- image --><\/p>\n<div class=\"td-post-featured-image\"> <noscript><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/midwayUSA-feature-768x496.jpg\" alt=\"Behind The Brand: MidwayUSA\" title=\"Behind The Brand: MidwayUSA\"\/><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-we-take-a-quick-peek-behind-the-doors-of-midwayusa\"><strong>We take a quick peek behind the doors of MidwayUSA.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As a gun writer, I often need odds and ends\u2014and sometimes big items\u2014to complete projects for assignments. And when I need something fast, I <em>always<\/em> check with MidwayUSA first. Every time. That\u2019s how reliable MidwayUSA is.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s no accident, either, because Larry Potterfield planned it that way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur vision is to be the best-run business in America\u2014and the most-successful, most-respected business in our industry for the benefit of our customers,\u201d Potterfield says.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>How? A single-minded focus.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKeeping the single mission of internet sales, with no retail stores, has allowed us to be possibly the \u2018best\u2019 shooting sports business on the internet,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-exactly-is-midwayusa\"><strong>What Exactly is MidwayUSA?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cWe are a family business with a great selection of products, fast shipping and the foremost supporter of the NRA,\u201d Potterfield says.<\/p>\n<p>MidwayUSA\u2019s goals center on Potterfield\u2019s single-minded dedication to the digital marketplace. \u201cAs an internet retailer of shooting, hunting and outdoor products, our goals are satisfying customers, employees, suppliers and shareholders \u2026 in that order,\u201d he continues. \u201cEngaging with our customers, always supporting our suppliers, and paying them on time have been defining strategies for MidwayUSA.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1021\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-facility.jpg\" alt=\"MidwayUSA-facility\" class=\"wp-image-293812\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-facility.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-facility-300x118.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-facility-768x301.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-facility-696x273.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>While MidwayUSA\u2019s digital philosophy remains the same, what they sell continues to evolve with the wants and needs of the shooting industry. \u201cMidwayUSA\u2019s roots are in shooting and reloading, where we offer \u2018just about everything,\u2019\u201d says Potterfield. \u201cOver the past several years, we\u2019ve been steadily expanding into hunting, fishing and other outdoor products. Most of our future growth will be in those areas.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-humble-origins\"><strong>Humble Origins<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1021\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-1.jpg\" alt=\"MidwayUSA-timeline-1\" class=\"wp-image-293809\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-1.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-1-300x118.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-1-768x301.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-1-696x273.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1021\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-1.jpg\" alt=\"MidwayUSA-timeline-1\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-293809\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-1.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-1-300x118.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-1-768x301.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-1-696x273.jpg 696w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\"\/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1021\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-2.jpg\" alt=\"MidwayUSA-timeline-2\" class=\"wp-image-293811\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-2.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-2-300x118.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-2-768x301.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-2-696x273.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1021\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-2.jpg\" alt=\"MidwayUSA-timeline-2\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-293811\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-2.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-2-300x118.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-2-768x301.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MidwayUSA-timeline-2-696x273.jpg 696w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>In 1977, while most of us were fascinated by a new movie called <em>Star Wars<\/em>, Air Force veteran Larry Potterfield was building his own empire in Missouri that wasn\u2019t that far, far away.<\/p>\n<p>MidwayUSA started as Ely Arms Inc. and, according to Potterfield, \u201cthen changed to Midway Arms, Inc., in 1980, and then to MidwayUSA after the internet came along, about 1998. \u2018Midway\u2019 is now the brand, and we\u2019ve established it over 40 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI got an FFL while on active duty in the Air Force back in 1972, and I maintained it for the next five years while in the service,\u201d he says. \u201cMy hitch was up in 1977, so I left the service and started what is now MidwayUSA with my younger brother Jerry. (He left the business in 1980, and we bought his shares in Brenda\u2019s name).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The firearms business made sense to Potterfield, and it seemed to come naturally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHaving bought, sold, shot, collected and traded guns while in the service, I enjoyed the business activities and the industry,\u201d he continued. \u201cI didn\u2019t know how to find a job in the industry, so I just opened the business and have been in the industry ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>MidwayUSA was created based on Potterfield\u2019s vision to turn his wants and needs in his own life into a business to do the same for everyone else. As Potterfield stated, the direction was simple.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a hobby industry, and I\u2019ve always liked guns, shooting and reloading\u2014hunting. Just sell the things you personally want to use and talk about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Potterfield was more than just a gun guy with a bit of hustle. He saw the value in formal education and leadership, and he studied both to build his business. \u201cI\u2019ve always been a gun guy and a student of leadership and management; those have complemented each other in growing the business,\u201d says Potterfield. \u201cI\u2019m just a country kid from Missouri; hard work and honesty came from my parents.<\/p>\n<p><strong>People First<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>MidwayUSA, through Potterfield\u2019s leadership, has been and remains a customer-focused business, but that focus includes an equally dedicated commitment to MidwayUSA\u2019s employees. In fact, Potterfield makes a point to credit MidwayUSA\u2019s success to its employees.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI must have some sense of hiring the right people, as employees grow the business not the boss,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have nine core, basic-human values: honesty, integrity, humility, respect for others, teamwork, positive attitude, accountability, stewardship and loyalty. We hire people who share those values.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Like any business, especially in the shooting industry, MidwayUSA has had to deal with obstacles. Potterfield says one thing above all else has been his most significant issue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPolitics has always been the largest influence on the business, beginning with the Winchester Black Talon bullets\/ammunition in the early 1980s, and continuing with most political cycles since then,\u201d he said. \u201cCOVID-19 positively affected sales, as we were considered an essential industry, and demand across all categories was strong\u2014especially ammunition.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>MidwayUSA doesn\u2019t sit on the sidelines of America\u2019s future, either. In fact, Potterfield and MidwayUSA have long held key roles as industry philanthropists dedicated to helping preserve and grow our industry. Potterfield humbly added MidwayUSA\u2019s significant contributions at the end of our interview.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI probably should mention the MidwayUSA Foundation that Brenda and I created back in 2008,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a completely independent 501(c)(3) that helps communities raise money to support their high school and college shooting teams. Currently, the MidwayUSA Foundation has $250 million of endowed funds. In 2021, the Foundation paid out $7 million in cash grants to nearly 2,800 high school and college shooting teams to support their shooting teams for that year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Editor&#8217;s Note:<\/strong>\u00a0This article originally appeared in the October 2022 issue of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/gundigestservice.com\/customer\/subscribe.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gun Digest the Magazine<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><strong>More Behind The Brand Articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-28\" style=\"margin: 8px 0; clear: both;\">\n<div style=\"border: 2px solid #e5e5e5; padding: 20px; border-radius: 10px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-271572\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/44-Targetposters-pack-GD-reduced-300-300x235.jpg\" alt=\"44-Targetposters-pack-GD-reduced-300\" width=\"300\" height=\"235\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignright size-medium wp-image-271572\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/44-Targetposters-pack-GD-reduced-300-300x235.jpg\" alt=\"44-Targetposters-pack-GD-reduced-300\" width=\"300\" height=\"235\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #333; text-align: center;\">Next Step: Get your FREE Printable Target Pack<\/h2>\n<p>Enhance your shooting precision with our 62 MOA Targets, perfect for rifles and handguns. Crafted in collaboration with Storm Tactical for accuracy and versatility.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Subscribe to the Gun Digest email newsletter<\/strong> and get your downloadable target pack sent straight to your inbox. Stay updated with the latest firearms info in the industry.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- CONTENT END 1 --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We take a quick peek behind the doors of MidwayUSA. As a gun writer, I often need odds and ends\u2014and sometimes big items\u2014to complete projects for assignments. And when I need something fast, I always check with MidwayUSA first. Every time. That\u2019s how reliable MidwayUSA is. It\u2019s no accident, either, because Larry Potterfield planned it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1059,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tactical-gear"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1058","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1058"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1058\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1060,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1058\/revisions\/1060"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1058"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}