Bowtech Moves To Houston: A Dealer's Honest Breakdown

Bowtech is packing up an entire bow operation and heading to Houston, Texas and it is not a quiet, incremental change. We’re talking manufacturing, corporate HQ, and the factory pro shop leaving Eugene, Oregon, with a seven-figure relocation and an aggressive timeline that runs straight through peak archery season. If you’re a dealer, a Bowtech owner, or someone shopping for a new compound bow, this shift has real consequences for inventory, warranty support, and how smoothly the brand can serve customers from September through January.

We also dig into the human side: the new president, Colin Legge, is 30 years old with an unusual path from oil and gas to building an archery business and club in Houston, then rapidly stepping into Bowtech leadership. That kind of fresh perspective can be exactly what a legacy bow brand needs, especially around modern marketing, media strategy, and rebuilding excitement. But execution matters, and moving CNC machines and retraining teams while customers need answers is a high-pressure test.

Then there’s the vision for what comes next: a renovated, nearly 100,000 square foot Houston facility that includes a pro shop and a 60-yard indoor 3D range, plus ambitions to host meaningful research and independent testing that benefits the broader archery community. We close with the specific signals we’re watching, from lead times and launches to whether the new experience center actually delivers on its promise.

Subscribe for more archery industry breakdowns, share this with a Bowtech shooter or dealer, and leave a review with your take: is this move a smart reset or a risky gamble?

🏹 Shop Extreme Outfitters for all of your archery & bowhunting needs: https://extremeoutfitters.com

Use code ARCHERYPROJECT to save 10%

Quick reads, pro tips, and the latest episodes—delivered straight to your inbox every week.
👉 Sign up here: https://thearcheryproject.com/

✅ Watch the video podcast here!       
https://www.youtube.com/@thearcheryprojectpodcast

✅ Watch the  podcast clips here!
https://www.youtube.com/@thearcheryproject

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:

► Facebook: http://bit.ly/44UD7Vo
► Instagram: http://bit.ly/40Q2jLf

Transcript

Breaking News Bowtech Leaves Oregon

Zakk Plocica 0:00

All right, guys, Botech has been building bows in Eugene, Oregon since 1999. That's 27 years, about 250 people between the US and Canada, and they're leaving. So all of it. So manufacturing, the corporate office, the factory pro shop, the entire thing is going to Houston, Texas. It's costing roughly seven figures just to move this thing. So they've got a rigging company uh coming in, creating up all the CNC things and prepping everything, putting them on trucks for the move. So now you guys have already seen the headline. Botec moves to Texas. Everybody ran it off the same press uh release this week. That's what we're gonna cover in this episode, guys. It's gonna be a short one, but we're gonna get into it because I think it's important, especially for our customers, some considerations and things to look at. So thanks for joining me today on the Archery Project.

Host Intro And Shop Discount

Zakk Plocica 0:46

I'm your host, Zach Place. Some of you guys know I have a company called Extreme Outfitters, one of the fastest growing archery shops and suppliers in the country. We supply archers across the nation. So if you need anything archer related, hit the website, extremoutfitters.com, use the code ArcheryProject, save you some money on all of your purchases. You need custom arrow builds, we can now do that. Individual arrow builds, you need one, you need three, you need 12, doesn't matter. We can do it. Check it out. Hit the website extremoutfitters.com. Use the code ArcheryProject. Appreciate your guys' support. So getting into this. This is big, man. This is a lot. This is exciting, a little nerve-wracking. Um, I can only imagine for the new guy running this thing, but also for us as dealers. So the new president is a guy named Colin Legg. And um the dude is young, man. I mean, he is 30 years old. Very, very young. Somebody that's taking on this operation. Um crazy to think, right, at such a young age. But I'm here for it, man. I support it. Uh I'm, dude, stoked for the guy, and I think there's a lot of opportunity in it.

Inside The New Houston HQ

Zakk Plocica 1:56

So Botech is moving from Eugene, Oregon to Houston, Texas. Uh, not a business park out of the suburbs, but the urban core of Houston. This is an important part of this, right? They're in the urban part of Houston. Uh, it's not a ground up building, it's an existing building that they're gutting, that they're renovating, and setting it up to their needs. And it's just under 100,000 square feet. Huge building, right? Um, and here's the part that I found kind of interesting. The current Eugene uh facility is only about 75,000 square feet. So the Houston one is obviously bigger. Um, so the company's not shrinking. That's important to know, right? Botec is not getting smaller, they're actually expanding. Fantastic. So inside the new um facility is going to be the corporate headquarters. It's gonna be manufacturing, a pro shop, and get this a 60-yard indoor 3D archer range. Absolutely awesome, right? Moving under that roof in Houston, Texas is Botech and Diamond. Not moving is Tight Spot, Black Gold, and Ripcord. They are staying in Montana because the facility runs well there, so they're not touching it. If you guys didn't already know, Xcaliber Bows is also not going to Houston. Um, they were moved under Savage Arms so that the archery side of the company can focus specifically on vertical bows. So that was confirmed in the press release. Get that out of the way, right? So the pure archery group, the umbrella name is going away. It is no longer gonna be pure archery group. And again, the Eugene Factory Pro Shop is also gonna be closing with this new transition. So now the timeline.

The Timeline And Peak Season Risk

Zakk Plocica 3:39

This is what is absolutely insane to me. Right? If you didn't know, the move starts in September. There's gonna be paralleling operations in both buildings through the fall, completely out of Eugene by the end of December-ish. Houston fully ramped up, ready to go, operational by the end of the year into January. Um excuse me. That is lofty goals, my friend. Because if you think about it, what goes on this time of year? We are ramped up. Dude, this is prime time. This is when people are buying bows. This is when people need inventory. This is when warranty happens. This is when customer service is needed. This is the peak of the season we're going into, and they are moving across the country from Oregon all the way down to Texas during the peak of the season. I mean, I don't know about you, but that's a little bit nerve-wracking. I mean, that's a it's an interesting time to do it. I get it. It's gonna be for the greater good, and uh hopefully it's smooth. I can only imagine, I don't know if you've ever moved a house. That's a nightmare. Imagine moving an entire manufacturing plant, corporate headquarters, pro shop, all of that across the country. Kind of a big deal. Um hopefully it goes well. I'm a little nervous as a dealer when we look at inventory and um, you know, being able to provide warranty and stuff like that. So we'll see. So, but who is the guy that's doing all this,

Who Is Colin Legg

Zakk Plocica 5:12

right? That's the bigger question. Right? Because if you look around at any of the other bow companies right now, there is nobody close to 30 years old running a bow manufacturing company. The dude's young, very, very young, obviously very eager, uh, which I think is exciting, dude. I'm I'm in full support of it. So he grew up outside of Houston. You know, he did the target archery thing when he was young, got into hunting, you know, when he was a teenager, um, self-taught as far as like the tuning side of things go. Um he went to Texas AM, petroleum, geology, straight into the oil field. Uh, he went, he's got a lot of like school background, man. He clearly a very intelligent individual. Night school master's in geophysics in 2019. Uh, he was recruited into ultra-deep water exploration for the largest offshore producer in the Gulf. COVID hits, oil goes negative. The company was leveraged, went bankrupt. He's laid off with a brand new degree that essentially is worthless. In 2021, he starts high octane archery out of his garage, um, builds a little bit of a clientele there. He uses that money, puts himself through business school. So, again, a very educated individual. Um, and then he opens a 24-7 archery club in Houston inside of a shop because he couldn't get the brands he needed to make a shop. So, and the club is how all of this happened. So, that's kind of the timeline, right? The club is what connected him to Botec. So the Botec owners and the people from the family office, they started shooting there. He tuned their bows, he developed a relationship with them. They started asking him for consulting, you know, product development, engineering, brand strategy, um, for a few months, right? All unpaid. They just kind of developed a relationship from what I can tell. And things kind of um developed and flourished from there. And he told them he was pretty direct to them about the the you know, the previous few years just not being good for Botec. Um, and it turned out that that whole relationship that they had been developing over these few months turned it was like an interview process, right? So they offered him the job in December. Uh, he was announced at the ATO ATA show as the head of the new product development and engineering. And about two weeks later, surprise, he's the president. Dude, talk about fast tracking. That's what I like it. Um, you know, that's not been quite that efficient for me with what I've done, but I'm I I give it to that dude, man. He's he started, he moved right up to the ranks to the top of the chain right away, man. So a little nerve-wracking, could be good, could be bad. Can he handle it? I don't know. Um, he seems like obviously very intelligent, got a good head on his shoulders. I'm pretty hopeful. And you know, if he's got a right team supporting him, things could be really good, right? Um that's the guy running this thing, just to give you a little bit of background on him. Young, eager, um, very well educated, doesn't have any manufacturing or a lot of business experience, really, but he's the guy running this thing, running the show, young, I think, which is which is cool. We got a young guy in there eager to do this thing and really maybe move the needle and you know reinvigorate the brand and really generate some steam behind the brand.

Why The Move Makes Sense

Zakk Plocica 8:32

But why did they decide to leave Oregon? Right? That's one of the other big questions. Maybe I'm off here, maybe I'm not. We'll see. But for for years, uh Botec ran the private label business for Bass Pro and Cabela's through the diamond line, right? The store, the big box brands. So at the peak, they were pushing like 180 to like 200 or something, thousand bows a year through the Eugene facility. So, what does that look like? That's just a production line, right? Production bows, just mass quantity, pumping these things out, get them to the big box stores for Bass Pro and Cabela's. Um and the Eugene facility was built and expanded around that business, I think. You know, kind of cobbled together over the years to serve that particular thing. And then they lost it, which I think he said that um Bear has that business now. So losing the the private label business is potentially when BoTech maybe started going down on downhill on efficiency. Not because you know they got worse at building bows or anything like that, because maybe it's because the the building was designed to do something that they don't actually do anymore, right? The business model has changed a little bit. Um so they didn't leave Oregon because Oregon is bad, but I don't know that we can honestly argue Oregon is great for manufacturing a business. Uh they left because they were, you know, potentially paying for a facility that just didn't serve what they needed, and the the business stopped fitting their business model, right? It was old business model. So, which is also why Houston being bigger makes sense, right? It's more square footage, but not just for the sake of square footage. It's square footage laid out for a business they actually have now instead of one that they had 10 years ago. So this is a newer building that they're able to build up and set it up exactly for their new business model and the transitions that they're making. Right. What does this mean for me though, for you though, if you're a dealer, for you if you're a Botech owner, you know, somebody that's got to deal with warranty stuff, right? All of these different things, customer service, what does that mean for us is one of the big questions, right, with this transition.

Warranty Customer Service And Downtime

Zakk Plocica 10:44

So obviously, I own a shop, I have extreme outfitters. Um first warranty and customer service. I think that's probably the number one question that's gonna be with this whole transition, right? Um has it been great? I don't, I mean, it's really hard to say. I haven't heard a lot of negativity about it, but I have heard some things where the customer service just kind of missed. Um, and I think that's what they're trying to fix, right? And they're bringing a huge focus to that and they're trying to improve that. Uh, he wants a customer service team that he genuinely trusts, and they're building it in a way that transitions cleanly into Houston. Transitions into Houston. There's all, but there's gonna be this time frame this year where it may be a little bit of a challenge for us, right? We look at this time of year. If there's gonna be warranty claims, it's gonna be this time of year because more people are shooting their bows this time of year. So, how quick can we get the warranties? You know, how quick can we get in um get a hold of customer service? I don't know. Those are big questions that we're gonna have to kind of navigate as um this transition happens. They are gonna be running parallel operations, but obviously there's gonna be downtime, right? There's going to be um probably a little bit of friction between the two facilities. If people are, you know, they know they're closing this facility. How long are people gonna be staying around? How good is customer service gonna be? They got a new hire for this new facility, getting people trained up to speed. I'm a little concerned about that. Um, so obviously there's going to be some intermittent disruption. Um I don't think that's me speculating. I don't think there's any question there. There's going to be some disruption with this. Uh and the other thing too, machines are in transit. That means machines have to be revalued, revalidated once they're offloaded and they land because you can't just plug in a C and machine CNC machine and start running it and cutting, right? You have to re-verify its holds, tolerances, and then you have to train all the new people to use this stuff. That's that's my biggest concern right now is August to January. We've got an influx of people buying. We need that's when we need our inventory, that's when we have to deal with the most customer service issues, that's when new bows launch. All of these things happen this time of year and they're moving a full facility. That's a lot to take in. I can only imagine the amount of stress he is under. I'm hopeful that they have a good plan for this, and we know um things don't always go according to plan. So I think if you're a dealer, you're gonna have to factor this in and be conscious of it. If you're a customer too, if you have warranty stuff now, you need to get it in right now. Like if you know, don't sit on anything. The sooner you can get in, the better. But this can be really um a trying time because if we have customers coming in and we're not able to provide the level of customer service or support to them because we can't get a hold of the manufacturer, or the manufacturer is not able to provide the level of customer service that we need, we look like the bad guys, right? Which is a real problem. And then that also causes customers to lose faith in us because it seems like we can't do our job, or maybe we're a little bit incompetent and can't take care of what we need to take care of. And then that loses causes customers to lose faith in a brand, right? If they've bought this bow and they're expected to have a warranty and be taken care of and then they can't get it, it could really cause a lot of issues down the line. So hopefully that's not the case. Hopefully the transition is smooth. Hopefully they've got it all laid out. Um we'll see. I think um it's gonna it's gonna be a challenge

Inventory Lead Times And Launch Plans

Zakk Plocica 14:38

no matter what. My other thing, too, is when we look at like inventory, are we gonna be able to get inventory in in a timely manner? Obviously, custom bows, custom orders, the lead times are probably gonna be a little bit longer. I think they're going to, he said they're gonna be having some pre-staged inventory, but as far as customs go, I think there's gonna be a little bit uh more of a waiting time. And I think he's you know asked for some grace with that, which I don't blame him. Um, but we'll see. This might be a trying year. And I I don't think that they're gonna release there. I just don't see how they could release bows prior to you know ATA with this move in this facility. Um, you know, I think there's gonna be another bow launch probably in January this year for them, is what I would assume. I might be wrong, but I just can't see it happening during this transition for them to really release a great product, do all the media, do all the marketing, do the drop and make it of quality to where it gets the traction that it needs. Um so we'll see though. It's um it's definitely a lot. I'm a little concerned as a dealer. My main thing is just the warranty side of things if we have warranty issues. But I mean, the everyone I've talked to, like internally that works at this thing, the director of marketing, uh, some of the different reps, they're all super excited about this thing. I think, and that I think that says a lot. They've they've believe in this kid or this guy. Um, they they're supporting him and they're you know, they're excited about it. I think long term this is gonna be a really great thing for Botec, and it's gonna really change the game for them, hopefully increase the exposure and the awareness for it and just kind of reignite the line and get people interested. Because

Bowtech Tech Marketing And Rebuild

Zakk Plocica 16:18

here in the Southeast, I know of these last few years, we've just really seen a decline in the general interest for Botec Bows. And it's not because the quality of the bow is not there, dude. Like the bows are great. I've just spent the other day shooting at Alliance 33. I was, you know, doing one of our Bow Wars review videos on it, and the bow just shoots good. When you look at Bow Tech as a whole, innovation, quality technology, like they're there. Like I just feel like they miss the mark when it comes to exposure, media, and a general interest in it. Like, look at it deadlock cam technology, grip lock, time lock, all of these things, they were first. Like you could do all the tuning on their bows without a press. It was all pressless before anybody else. Now everybody else has got it, and everyone else is it's like, oh, look how great it is. But Botech was like a leader in that, man, an innovator in that, the first to do it and do it well. Like they still have one of the best tuning systems on a bow. Not to mention, look at what they did with the Ascend. They introduced flagship technology into a mid-price point bow before anybody. Pressless tuning on a mid-price point bow, absolutely insane. And a bow that absolutely pounds. The Ascend was fantastic. You and the other thing, look at the flip disc technology, comfort mod, speed mod. They've really done a good job as far as innovation goes and providing a superior product that really allows you to customize and tune, micro-tune these things to the umph degree. Like you can do it all with these bows. So I don't know what the deal is with the decline in the actual general interest of the bows. Maybe it has to, and I think this was prior to the Tim Gillingham, Kyle Douglas situation, which we all know was a fumble on BoTech's part. And I don't think anybody's denying that. The leadership, whatever happened with that, it wasn't good. They're rebuilding that now as well. But I don't think that the the lack of interest in the bows has to do with the quality of the bows because the quality of the bow just seems to be there. Like the bows shoot really good. Dude, the Alliance 33 I was shooting yesterday, the bow holds on target and just shoots exceptionally well. And it puts up really good speeds, even on comfort. I don't know, man. I don't know what it is exactly, but I'm hopeful with this new change in leadership, um, it's going to re-ignite and reinvigorate this brand and really bring everything to um back up in general interest and sales are going to increase, specifically here in the Southeast. I know it's not like that everywhere, but the Southeast, it just seems like it's really kind of dropped off. So hopefully with that, they're going to change marketing strategies, media strategies. They're going to, you know, bring more people in. They'll have more faces, more people shooting the bows to create a general awareness about it. And I think with a young guy, it's a really great opportunity for him. Like, I'm about it, man. He's young, he's eager. He's like, he's got a lot of opportunity in in front of him. And if he has the right support system, which I think is critical, right? He doesn't get a ton of pushback, but he has the right support. He approaches this in the right manner and he gains the support and the trust of his team and the company. He's got a real opportunity at turning this thing around and being a real hero with it, you know. Um, I'm I'm about it, man. I'm excited for him. Uh, we're gonna do everything in our part to support the brand uh because it's important to me that all these, you know, we maintain all these different bow manufacturers because we don't want one dominant manufacturer that just runs away with everything. We need the competition within the industry in order to keep it alive and keep innovation and keep moving forward. And having BoTech, having Matthews, having Hoyt, having PSE, having Prime, Expedition, all these brands, it's important that they all exist and they're able to continue to push each other. And bring, we all know Archery's kind of an older guy thing, right? When we look at it, you look at a lot of the shops that exist now, currently, a lot of them are run by older dudes, and they just haven't adapted or evolved to meet modern times and marketing strategy and media and all these different things. And with young blood in there, I think it's a real opportunity for BoTech to modernize in the way of marketing and the way they portray their products and you know, maybe some of the different innovations that they've got. So as long as he's got the right team in place, he's obviously got the financial backing from the owner of the company. They're willing to invest heavily. Obviously, look at the move that they're making, they're putting a lot of money into this thing. So the opportunity is there, the financial backing is there. It's just gonna come down to leadership and execution, I think, in order for this thing to really um take off and do like it needs to do. But as a dealer, dude, I'm stoked for it. I am nervous for this year in particular. Um, I'm hopeful it doesn't um create too much animosity or too much tension within as a dealer to really, you know, get the correspondence back and forth with the the manufacturer in order to provide the level of service that we need to provide to our customers. I don't know. The the reps are excited about it, man. They're all backing him, they're supportive of him. So I think it's gonna be good, man. But custom orders, um uh pending warranty stuff, like you need to get the stuff in sooner than later. I think custom orders are kind of gonna be a little bit of a struggle this year. And I think the release date might be a little bit later, probably at ATA again. Um, whether they're gonna continue with that indefinitely, I don't know. I would imagine that they're going to move back to a normal launch date like everyone else, between October and November with the changes. I might be wrong. So if I am wrong, I apologize. Um, but that's what I predict for this year. Now, the other side of this thing, too, um, because I don't want to sound like nothing good is happening. Obviously, there's a lot of good that's happening from this, right? It's a it's a change in culture there. It's a change in they've got a better hiring pool in Houston, Texas. More people, more bodies, um, more capability, new facility. There's just a whole lot, man. If you look at it from that perspective, it's really great for them while challenging and trying. There's a real amount of opportunity, especially to rebuild this facility to their liking or their need. Absolutely awesome, right?

Destination Facility Range Research Vision

Zakk Plocica 22:08

Thing that's cool that they're doing with this as well. Like when we talk about the facilities, that 60-yard indoor 3D range, right? Open to the public, um, open to the public potentially. Um at a manufacturer's headquarters in a major metro area, right? So, you know, he's talking about a Mecca for archery, open to people from around the world. And um that's cool, man. I mean, I can only imagine what they're able to do with that for the exposure, getting people in, hosting events, media stuff. I mean, it's if they do it right, it's gonna be cool. Um, and just a lot of opportunity. And um, you know, Easton and Hoyt have already proven what a destination facility does for a brand. I mean, look at those two brands, Easton and Hoyt. Like, they're the number one arrow manufacturer in the world and one of the biggest bow manufacturers in the world. Like Hoyt absolutely crushes it. And they've got this facility. I mean, it builds loyalty. Um, I would say, in a way that advertising can't, right? It's what they do for the community, for the archery community. They're getting they're doing more than just selling a product, they're providing value, true value to the archery community. You know, if Houston executes on this, um Botech gets a place for people to make a trip to to see. I mean, it's a destination. And uh, I think that there's a media day that they plan for the first quarter of next year. Again, lofty goals, man. So um they'll be able to have tours, shooting, maybe even events. It's a real opportunity. So crazy, man. But you know, Tim Gillingham, that's that's the other thing I was I was kind of interested in, kind of listening and you know, just reflecting on this. There, that whole debacle with Tim Gillingham and Kyle Douglas. Obviously, they brought Tim Gillingham back, which seems like a good move. They've got Paige Pierce. Um, those are the two big ones on the the Botec side of things, and then they've got uh James. Um you know, they've got some good people over there. They I think they just need more. You know, the thing that was the the big debacle with that, I think it was just the approach and the way that they um dropped both of them from the pro staff mid-cycle, um, you know, essentially after every brand's roster was already locked in for the season. So there was what really wasn't a good public explanation. Um obviously Matthews ended up picking up both of those guys. Um the lack of explanation and all that just wasn't a good look. And I think the thing that made it so bad wasn't just the decision itself, right? Because companies move from athletes all the time. Like that's that's a normal thing, you know. They rotate through, they bring new people in. It's just part of it, especially as contracts come to an end, right? The thing with this was the timing. So if you're going to let somebody go or you're going to you know replace them, that's fine. But when you do it, I think is probably pretty critical. And um, I think that's what a lot of people could get past. Like the approach on it just wasn't good. It was a bad look for Botek, it was a bad move, a bad public um display. I mean, just I mean, that's still talked about. Like that was pretty bad, man. I mean, and I think they're with the new leadership, they're coming in, they're trying to remedy all that, and they're trying to build that back up and um, you know, do things right and you know, bring people in and get more exposure and awareness about it. And hopefully, you know, that was a hard learning lesson, but hope you know, I think every lesson is just that. It's a lesson, it's a great thing to take from and learn from and build off of, and hopefully that won't happen again. And they're able to look at it, reassess, and say, hey, this is what we need to do going forward. This is how we're gonna make it right, and this is what we're going to do in order to just improve everything that we're doing within the company. You know, the other thing too is um it looks like they are going to be paying out contingencies now. Uh, I'm not a big target guy. Obviously, I've never spent a lot of time in the target archery world. Um, it's not my world, but um obviously it's it's a niche thing, but it's a very real thing, and there's a lot of people who really enjoy it. And they're gonna be doing more for the target side of things. And one thing in particular is um contingencies. So good. There's a reason to shoot a bow tech bow in as a professional archer in the target world now that you can get paid to do it. So that's also good. Um, what else do we got? Yes, the contingency side of things. Um the other thing too is the thing that I I'm really intrigued of with this is the facility, like obviously the facility is gonna be state of the art, but what he wants to do with the facility itself. I think this is the other cool thing, right? It's giving back, it's providing more value to the archery community, which I think is again, when we look at it, it's what really builds trust in people and makes people want to be involved with your brand. You're not just pitching or selling a product, right? Because there's a lot of people doing that. But when you establish community and you build community and you provide value to the community, that's when you start really building relationships and you start building trust with people. And then they want to be involved and a part of and support your brand. I think that's what brands that do well do. They do that, they provide value, they reinvest in the community, they give back. And I think with what he's trying to do with this facility is part of that, right? He wants to do science, use the facility for testing and stuff. Um, you know, when he explains why they chose the expensive urban experience center instead of an efficient box in the business park, one thing that he stated is that he wants a place to conduct scientific experiments or studies, excuse me, right? Empirical, well-done studies for the betterment of the industry. That is critical. That is huge. That is hugely important. Um, and, you know, he names the aerobolistic study and the bow sound testing studies that have been done. And um, you know, obviously, we spent a fair amount of time talking about that, you know, the aerobulistic study that James Yates did. So he stated ambition is uh that every uh scientific study done for the benefit of the archery community gets done under that roof, right? He frames it against Easton and Hoyt, and he says their facility has become a mecca where a lot of real testing happens. And his point is that there's room for more than one. So if you listen to um any of this show for whatsoever, the first five minutes, that's what really got my attention uh was that. So we obviously, like I said, we spent a whole, I got like three or four episodes on the aeroballistic study and what it provided, the value that it provided to the dealers, to the public in order to move forward in broadheads and arrow building and veins, and you know, it just provided all this value to the community. And Easton and Hoyt supported it. It was fantastic, you know. So now you've got more, another major manufacturer standing up saying they want to be a part of that, they want a piece of that, they want to provide value to the archery community. I think that is absolutely fantastic, and we need more of that. Um I think that's gonna be a big thing, man. It's be an opportunity. Now, the thing is, is the Easton and the Hoyt uh side of things, right? When they supported this, it was independent testing, right? They supported it, but they didn't fund it. Now, if they if he uses a facility in a similar way, right, where they're able to house these things and support these type of testings, these independent testings, and they're not the ones just funding it, because whenever you're the ones that's just funding it, it's kind of hard for it to be independent testing because you're the one funding it. So even if you do uh have the best interests in in mind, it doesn't look as as good whenever you're the one putting all the money into it. Um you know, it looks more like marketing, right? But if you have a facility where this testing can be done, independent testing can be done, I think it's good for the the community. And um I think this is a big deal, right? So it's a lot, man. A lot of opportunity here. I'm I'm all in support of this dude uh getting after it and getting it done. I think it's uh it's good, man. It's good for Botech, it's good for the industry, uh, and it's gonna shake things up a little bit. Now, question comes down to can he execute on it? Can he make it happen? We don't know. Only time will tell. I don't know the internal operations within that place and what his support looks like, but I do know that everyone I've talked to is in very high support of this guy. And uh he's clearly, like I said, very intelligent, very smart. Um and he's got a good head on his shoulders, and there's some serious opportunity in this for him. And I am hopeful that it goes well. We will be supporting Botec um here, and we will be doing everything in our part to continue to support the brand. I have an incredible rep who has looked after us and really provides good support for us, and we will be doing the same in whatever capacity we can uh from the Archery Project and Extreme Outfitters, uh, because again, I think it's important that, you know, my shop is based on options for people, right? I've always been a believer in providing options, providing value, providing back to the community, and um, you know, being able to let people make informed decisions. And that's the whole point of the these podcasts and our videos is to provide value to people, provide education, let them make informed decisions on what works best for them. And we need all these manufacturers, we need these brands, and we need competitive brands in order to continue to move the market, um, drive innovation, competition, all of that is critical for that. So again, we will continue to do everything we can in order to support all of these brands, every single one that we carry, and we carry all of them. We carry Hoyts, Matthews, PSEs, Botex, Primes, Expeditions, Bear, you name it. We carry all the brands soon to have Darton in here uh finally. And um it's, I think as a shop, as a dealer, it is part of our responsibility to support these brands and um market for these brands and put their product in people's hands. And I think that's another big thing to take away with this. With this young guy coming in, I think he's gonna have a different perspective on marketing and how marketing should work and the media side of things. And I'm hopeful um that they do their work to create the demand for BoTech, right? Like they create the demand as a dealer, we're able to have the product and we are able to put that product in the hands of the persons where that they've created demand around, right? That's the goal because it's hard for us as a dealer to sell a product where there's no demand around it. Like if there's not demand for your product and I've got to create the demand, dude, it's a nightmare. Like we, we it doesn't work. So I'm hopeful with him coming in, they're gonna re-stand up. They're really gonna put a lot of effort into marketing and media in a good way, and people are gonna have a general interest in bowtek again, coming ask, coming in, asking for the bows. And us as a dealer, we're able to have the inventory on hand, put the bows in people's hands, let them test the bows, and decide for themselves if it's the right fit for them. And if you've ever shot a bowtech bow, you know it's a good shooting bow. And the technology that comes along with it is absolutely fantastic. So, again, I can't say enough. I'm stoked for this guy. I'm nervous for him, but dude, you're a young dude with a good head on your shoulders and clearly very intelligent. If anybody can do it, you can do it. Um, and like I said, I'm looking forward to supporting the new moves with BoTech in whatever capacity we can. And um, I'm just yeah, I'm stoked, man. The the what are they I lost my train of thought. Oh, the reps, everyone I talk to is in full support of this. And I think it's gonna be a good thing. I think it's gonna be challenging. There's gonna be some some hurdles. I think anybody that's dealing with BoTech, you're gonna have to understand where they are this year, but it is for the greater good of the company. And with that being said, support the brand, continue to support all the brands and give them opportunities. And I'm very excited to see where they go this next year in particular. Um, but be mindful, guys. Uh, as they're in the middle of this transition, they are gonna be running parallel operations in Houston and Eugene. And um hopefully they'll be able to smoothly provide customer service, warranties, and product as we need them because as dealers, it's important that we're able to have product on our shelves and we can get it in a timely manner, but also provide that level of customer service to our um our customers. So I don't doubt that he's gonna be able to pull it off, man. I think it's it's in him. He'll he'll he'll do just fine. And I hopeful that his team supports him and he steps in in the role and does it in um a way that builds um trust and and whatnot. And you know, I think it's a good thing for Botec, man. I'm stoked for him. But, you know, I will um kind of leave you with

Five Things To Watch Next

Zakk Plocica 35:16

this. You know, there's five things that I'm watching from my perspective. There's five things that I'm kind of looking at and observing as we go into this. One, September, does the move actually initiate on schedule? We'll see. I'm hopeful that it does. They can get it. The process is smooth, the process is seamless. We know there's gonna be hiccups. Um, so you're gonna have to bear with them. And hopefully they get it done on schedule. Two, October, does the target bow launch? And uh, what do custom lead times actually look like on all their other bows? You know, I think they I think they have the target bow. It's September or October with when that I think they got a target bow launching. Regardless, is it gonna launch on time? What do the lead times look like on it? We'll see. Same thing with the hunting bows. When are the hunting bows going to launch and how is inventory gonna be on that? Same thing with their accessories. Are we gonna be able to get the product as we need it? Are lead times gonna be too long? Is there gonna be inline products that um are just readily available, say specific colors and whatnot? Are they gonna be able to deliver on left-handed stuff? That's another big question. Um, three, first quarter, does the media day happen? And uh does the what does the facility look like? Um, does it look like what he described? I will see, man. Like I said, lofty goals, big goals, but I think you can get it done. And if it goes off and it happens and that time frame, that's fantastic. It's a perfect time of year uh for them to do it, man. And I think a media day will really set things off and set them up for a good year as long as they can deliver. Now, number four, um, November to January. Is Eugene fully closed and is Houston fully ramped up, you know, and operational, or does it slip? Because with that, is if they have to maintain both operating for extended periods of time, I think it's just going to create some friction and some issues as far as customer service and warranty potentially go. So hopefully they are able to close the book on Oregon in a timely manner and have the Houston facility fully operational and running so that things are smooth. They've got all the new people trained up, which uh God bless them. Hopefully they're able to get all the new staffing in there and get them trained up in a timely manner because bringing in new people is and training them is very, very challenging, very tough. Hopefully they're able to do it in that time frame so that going into this new year, they're ready just to just absolutely pound and um you know have a good year. And then five, and this is the one um, you know, two-week lead, um, two-week lead times, including left-handed components, is that a reality in the future? Are they gonna be able to get their lead times down to you know a reasonable time? And I think, you know, it's a big question. You know, we as as dealers, we don't want to sit on a ton of inventory. I don't want to have to, you know, sit on a massive amount of bows, and then whenever we need to reorder something else, it takes, you know, six to eight weeks to get it. And uh hopefully that's not the case. Hopefully, you know, with him going into this, he'll be able to shake up manufacturing, streamline the manufacturing process, and improve the process and output in order to support the dealers to have the product when we need the product. Um, that's what I'm hopeful for. And uh we'll see, man. There's there's it's a lot happening. So um, like I said, more power to this guy. Uh, we're here for it. We're we're looking forward to it. Um, I'm in full support of him and his team and our reps and everybody else. Uh you can bet you can bet that the Archie Project and Extreme Outfitters will be supporting this in full capacity and excited for it because, like I said, I just think it's important, especially what he's trying to do for the community with this new facility, the value he's trying to provide. I'm a believer in providing value and um building community within this industry. I just think it's important. And then the the spin that he's putting on it with a younger guy coming in here. We need young people in the sport. We want to continue to grow it and it starts with the next generation and younger guys getting into this. If he does it right, he has the opportunity to inspire and bring in a bunch of new young people and hopefully decrease the median age at which bow hunters are, right? Because they're typically a little bit older dudes. Hopefully, we can get some young guys, some young blood in and um, you know, get them into the sport. We need it, man. Seems like there's less and less archers and bow hunters every year, but we're not just competing against, you know, uh crossbows or whatever else. We're competing against electronics, screen time, and all that. So we can make it cool, we can make it fun, we can get people, young people in the outdoors. I'm about it. And with the value he's gonna be able to provide if he does it right with his facility, let's go. I'm I'm here for it, guys.

Final Thoughts Comments And Code

Zakk Plocica 39:44

So that's it, guys. That's a short episode. I got to go teach a summer camp class real quick to get my day started. But I just wanted to bring this to light, man. I think it's big, I think it's uh exciting. If you haven't read the PR release from Botech, go read it, go check it out. They've got some lofty goals, and I think if they do it right, man, they're gonna be really be able to do big things in the coming years. So again, I'm excited for it. But as always, I appreciate you guys following along. Drop some comments and give us some feedback. What's your thoughts on the move with Botec and Diamond moving to Houston? Do you think it's a good idea? Are you excited for it? Does it kind of make you rethink BoTech and want to, you know, maybe check out some of the product with the ideas and things that they're bringing to light and to the community? Drop some comments, give us some feedback, let us know. And as always, if you need anything archer related, it doesn't matter what it is, you need new the new BoTech accessories, the actual limb legs that they've got, right? The bow stands, quivers. You need arrow builds, custom arrow builds. You need to buy arrows individually. You want uh full customization, doesn't matter what it is, we can do it. Hit the website extremoutfitters.com. Use the code ArcheryProject, save you some money. Everything over $99 ships for free. Same day shipping if you order before 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. We've got you covered, my friends. As always, I really appreciate everybody. Appreciate the Archery community. You guys are what make this happen. And you know, let's rally around Botec, give him support, man, and uh hopefully he can, you know, lead this thing to where it needs to be. So thanks for listening, guys. We will see you guys in the next episode of the Archery Project.