Q&A talks about the firearms market with David Ridley, vice president of sales and marketing at Colt Defense in West Hartford.
Q: Colt was at the annual SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor, Trade) Show in Las Vegas recently to unveil new weapons. What were they and what makes them stand apart from the competition?
A: Colt Defense unveiled several new rifles at this year’s SHOT Show, including new variations of our best-selling LE6920 series carbine. From my perspective, the most anticipated new Colt rifle at the show was definitely Colt’s LE901-16S. I’d say that this is one of our most significant new products in over 50 years. The LE901-16S is a modular rifle system that can be configured as a .308 caliber rifle or a .556 caliber rifle by using a Colt Defense patented conversion system. This is a viable rifle for a variety of shooters, because it is interchangeable and offers versatility for different shots.
Q: To borrow a term from the automotive world, you seem to be building a hybrid rifle. Is that important to the modern shooter? Does that give Colt more flexibility in the marketing of the rifle, i.e. a broader customer base?
A: Absolutely. The LE901-16S is a firearm that appeals to both consumer and law enforcement markets because of its versatility. Our customers will be able buy the LE901-16S in .308 caliber and use Colt conversion kits for the upper receiver to change calibers as their needs change. For the outdoorsman, it means having a deer hunting rifle and a gun for small game in the same case. For law enforcement professionals, it means having a semi-automatic sniper system in the most popular police caliber as well as a short-barreled carbine for tactical entry work in 5.56mm caliber.
Q: Where is the new weapon going to be built?
A: The new LE901-16S is being built right here in West Hartford.
Q: What does manufacturing look like for Colt in West Hartford in light of your expansion into Florida that was recently announced?
A: Colt Defense is not expanding to Florida. The news about Florida pertains to Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC, an affiliated company that is under separate management. Colt Defense has no plans with regard to Florida.
Q: Your sales through the third quarter of 2011 were up significantly over 2010. What drove the increase? Was it specific new contracts or was it a growth in the consumer side of the business?
A: The sales increase was driven by both the international and commercial/law enforcement markets. Sales in the commercial and law enforcement markets were driven by new products such as the LE6920MP-B, a variation of our popular LE6920 that came from our new partnership with firearm accessory giant, Magpul. Also driving sales in the third quarter was a shipment for a significant international contract. Alongside that, Colt Defense is really focused on listening to our customers and building products that they’re asking for. This, combined with our rebranding and new marketing strategy, led by the Dalton Agency out of Jacksonville, Florida; and our revitalized sales force, led by Doug Campbell, Colt Defense’s director of domestic and law enforcement rifle sales. We are working with a new philosophy. We’re being flexible and taking an out-of-the-box approach to traditional contract management and manufacturing.
Q: Where is Colt’s business primarily focused now? Is it in the recreational market or is law enforcement and government still the stronger arena?
A: We will never lose the focus on meeting U.S. Government requirements; that is an essential part of our heritage. But U. S. Government sales are projected to be much lower in coming years, so we are placing more emphasis on the international, law enforcement and recreational markets. The recreational and law enforcement markets look promising because customers have missed us in those segments for some time. We have been away fighting a war, so to speak, by focusing mostly on providing the M4 carbine to our military for the last 12 years or so. This resulted in limited availability of Colt rifles to law enforcement and commercial markets during that time. Now, we are available again to these markets. We’re hearing our customers say, “We’ve missed you! Welcome back Colt!”
Q: You’re just back from SHOT. How is the overall shooting, hunting and outdoor business from your perspective? Are Americans hunting more or less than they used to? How big a business is it overall?
A: From Colt’s perspective, the industry is definitely growing. SHOT Show had more than 60,000 attendees and exhibitors. Our booth at the show had standing room only for the first three days straight. I’d say the majority of individual dealers we spoke with during the SHOT Show were hunters, sportsmen and recreational shooters. Colt is a quality, American brand, and we have a lot to offer this industry.
