No-Nonsense Design
MTM Case-Gard doesn’t chase fads. Instead, it builds products designed to meet the needs of serious shooting-sports enthusiasts.
Family owned and operated, MTM Molded Products Company is a plastic-injection-molding facility based in Dayton, Ohio. Its primary focus is developing products (marketed under the name MTM Case-Gard) for shooting-sports enthusiasts. Established in 1968, MTM began with a simple idea for storing ammo and currently offers a broad range of products specifically designed for the shooting sportsman. Products in the company’s current lineup include ammo boxes, shooting rests, rifle and handgun cases, gear crates, gun-maintenance components, and rifles rests, among others.
SHOT Business: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the industry in the next five years?
Steve Minneman: The biggest challenge is uncertainty—plain and simple. Regulations that change with the wind and material costs that jump overnight are an overriding concern. Then there is the issue of a lot of cheap plastic products coming in from overseas. Such products may look fine on a computer screen when ordering, but they don’t hold up in the real world. That hurts the whole industry because it trains customers to expect less. Another challenge is keeping manufacturing in the U.S. This is certainly harder than it used to be, but it’s still the right thing to do.
SB: What opportunities do you see?
SM: The opportunity is that serious shooters still care about quality. They want gear that works, and they want that gear to last. They certainly don’t want something that needs to be replaced every season. I’m also seeing a growing group of younger shooters getting into the sport who appreciate American-made products, but only after you explain why these products are better.
SB: When you get up in the morning, what gets you excited about working in the industry?
SM: Honestly, it’s knowing that something we make here in Ohio is going to be used by a guy or gal at the range that afternoon—or handed down to their kid someday. This industry isn’t about trends. It’s all about function, trust, and tradition. We’re not chasing fads—we’re building products that the shooting enthusiast appreciates every day. That still means something to me.
SB: How will you meet the expectations of your customers?
SM: By doing what we’ve always done: make it simple; make it tough; make it affordable; make it here. If something breaks, we fix it. If something doesn’t work, we redesign it. We don’t hide behind fine print. Customers expect honesty, and that’s what they get.
SB: In a very competitive world, how does MTM Case-Gard stay ahead of the pack?
SM: We stay ahead by making sure engineering is first. Marketing is second. We own our molds. We control our materials. We test our products the way they’re actually used—not in a lab, but on a bench, in a truck, and at the range. When you do that long enough, you get pretty good at it. And we don’t forget who we are. Family business. Ohio roots. No shortcuts.
SB: The Case-Gard R-50 Series of ammo boxes has been around for over 50 years. Why has it lasted?
SM: Because it does exactly what it’s supposed to do—every time. It has proper cartridge fit; it has a durable hinge and latch; it has clear labeling; and, above all, it has a no-nonsense design. It’s not flashy, but it’s right. Reloaders trust it because it protects their ammo, stacks well, and lasts for decades. You don’t mess with a design like that unless you can make it better—and most of the time, you don’t need to.
SB: How do you develop new products? Does customer input matter?
SM: Absolutely it does. Most of our best ideas start with a phone call or email, a trade show conversation, or a customer saying, “You know what would be nice…”
We do not chase every idea, but we listen to all of them. We are a family made up of different types of shooters, and that helps us sort through the many suggestions we get each year. So, we thank everyone who has sent in suggestions, because you helped make MTM. At the end of the day, we are not trying to be the biggest. We’re trying to be the most trusted. That’s how you last another 50 years.
