A Path For The Future

Steering Remington Ammunition back to profitability requires the steady hand of an industry veteran.

Prior to joining the Vista team, John Trull served as the senior vice president of sales for Remington Outdoor company. With more than 20 years of experience in the hunting and shooting sports industry, he has held a variety of roles in different industry segments. Before returning to Remington in March 2020, those roles included executive vice president for Davidson’s and CEO of Hunters Specialties.

In a 14-year tenure with Remington, he held various positions in product management, brand management, product development, and ultimately served as the senior vice president and general manager of the firearms business unit. He has a B.S. in Business Administration with a marketing concentration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and an MBA with a finance concentration from Wake Forest University. Trull is also a board member of the recently announced Vista Outdoor Foundation.

SHOT Business: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the industry in the next five years?

John Trull: We as an industry are all very much aware of the many challenges we face on the political, legislative, and social perception front. While all these issues are paramount and we must continue to align ourselves to address them, none of those matter without a solid plan to address the one fundamental aspect we all share, which is expanding the base of those who buy and consume our products. As our traditional customer base continues to age, we must be out in front of recruitment of new participants and the retention of the millions of new shooters that we have gathered in 2020 and 2021. The new shooters we have gained do not fit the historical paradigm of what we as an industry are accustomed to. Many of them do not come from a background in the hunting and shooting sports community. There is more diversity than we have seen before. We need to engage those that make up the future of our industry, listen to them and be responsive to their needs. We must work to provide education and access to those who need it. Simply put, we cannot be complacent. We must be proactive and create sustainable, long-term growth opportunities and not let surges in demand dictate whether we have good years or tough years. It is up to us as an industry to chart a path for the future.

SB: What opportunities do you see?

JT: Every challenge presents an opportunity. An estimated 8.5 to 9 million new shooters have joined us since the onset of the pandemic; we have a tremendous opportunity and a responsibility to reach out to these new gun owners and meet their needs. Very seldom in a mature market does the “pie” get larger. As we cultivate these new shooters and welcome them as engaged participants, there is a great opportunity for them to reach others in an extension of their network.

SB: When you get up in the morning, what gets you excited about working in the industry?

JT: We are fortunate to work in an industry that is also a passion. How many people can say that? I guess some folks get excited about corrugated boxes or shampoo, but not me. I am thankful that I can be engaged in a business that is a part of who I am as a hunter and a shooter. Sometimes we all need to remind ourselves of just how fortunate we are to work in such a fantastic industry filled with genuinely good people.

SB: How will you meet the expectations of your customers?

JT: By listening to them. Sometimes that is a lost art. Stop talking and listen to what your customers are telling you. Understand the challenges and problems they face and work to bring forth creative, innovative, and substantive solutions.

SB: How are you going about rebuilding the Remington Ammo brand?

JT: The fantastic thing about the Remington brand is that the brand is not broken. Yes, Remington has faced its fair share of challenges in recent years, but the brand itself is truly iconic and ingrained in our country’s history. Our customers, fans, and followers are amazingly loyal and already helping us on our way back.

Many ask about the future of the brand under Vista Outdoor. I guess their concern is that the brand will be diluted somehow. That simply is not the case. We have dedicated resources on the marketing, brand, product management, and R&D side of the business to ensure that Remington has its own swagger and stays true to the Remington brand promise and identity. Our primary focus now is to bring much needed capital and human resources to the business to ramp production back to where it should be.

We are making great strides and the results are evident. Of course, in this current market environment where demand far outpaces supply across the industry, that is difficult to see.

Nonetheless, it is happening. It is great to see Core-Lokt coming off the line at levels we have not seen in quite some time. Our new product roadmaps are coming together nicely with exciting introductions planned over the coming years. So, the focus is not so much on rebuilding the brand. The brand is solid. We are focusing on the blocking and tackling required to delight our customers with plenty of product on the shelves and delivering new solutions to the market. Rem Oil and other gun-care products will be returning to the shelves very soon. I am also pleased to say that Remington will be continuing the tradition of the Bullet Knife in 2021, and one may not have to look too far out in the future to see a full line of Remington cutlery returning to the market.

In addition, we have a renewed focus on licensing with the Remington brand. We have spent time polling our consumers and our customers and this has just reinforced the elasticity of the brand into categories that we refer to as “360 degrees around the campfire.” We have engaged and signed up many new partners in a short period of time. In 2022 consumers will find coolers, ground blinds, nostalgic swag, branded apparel, technical hunting apparel, as well as many other categories, all proudly showcasing the Remington brand.

SB: How is Remington Ammo re-connecting with its retailer base? What are these retailers telling you?

JT: We have in my opinion, the most professional sales force in the industry, and I mean that in all sincerity. These folks are absolutely buttoned up. The relationships they have with our accounts, ranging from the largest of large retailers to the dealer, are second to none. Incorporating Remington into that mix has created synergies one could only imagine, and our retailers are responding with tremendous enthusiasm. This is one of those situations where two plus two truly equals five. When our sales team calls on an account, they bring an assortment that no one else has with Remington Ammunition and Accessories, Federal, CCI, Blazer, Speer, Estate, Hevi-Shot, and a full assortment from Vista’s Hunt/Shoot business. You name it in the world of ammunition and accessories, and we pretty much have it all right at the retailer’s fingertips. It really is a fantastic value proposition. (remington.com)