June 10, 2025 • 24 mins
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I'm Shaylene Keiner, founder, business owner, and highly sought after specialized consultant with the connections and influence you need in the highly regulated industries all focused on building America's future as the world leader.
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Join us in this episode of the HeadHunters NW Podcast as Shaylene warmly welcomes Jeff Barry, the General Manager of Kent Cartridge. Discover the fascinating journey of Jeff from his dream job at Cabela's to leading one of the premier shotgun ammunition manufacturers in the USA. Learn about Kent Cartridge's rich history of innovation, their global reach through their partner company in the UK, and the exciting new position for an Innovation Engineer. Hear about the appealing company culture, the beautiful West Virginia location, and the myriad opportunities that make Kent Cartridge a unique place to work. Find out why this company stands out in the manufacturing industry and how you can be part of their passionate and innovative team.
Website: https://kentcartridge.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Okay, welcome to HeadHunters NW podcast.
I I have another great guest,but this is, this is another
really special conversation.
Everyone, I think anyone who's listenedto my podcast knows how I feel about I.
USA manufacturing and and how enamoredand in love with manufacturing I am.
(00:22):
So today we get to visit withJeff Barry, who is the general
manager for Kent Cartridge.
And Kent Cartridge is if not the premier,one of the premier shotgun manufacturers.
Here in the United States and their reachis global because they also have a partner
(00:43):
in the uk, which we're gonna talk aboutkind of what makes up Kent Cartridge.
But welcome Jeff.
I'm really excited because we also havesome special news about an open role.
Kent cartridge.
But first, let's talk about KentCartridge and let's talk about you.
How did you ever come fromCabela's in Nebraska to Kent
(01:05):
Cartridge in West Virginia?
Let's talk about that alittle bit in your background.
Yeah, th thanks for having me on Shalene.
Appreciate it.
And yeah, how did, how didI end up at Ken Cartridge?
Well for me, growing up in Nebraska,working at Cabela's was, was a dream job.
And I was lucky enough to workat the Cabela's Corporate Office
for 14 years in various roles,inventory control, merchandising,
(01:28):
mostly in the ammo category.
In the last four years, I was a categorymanager for shooting accessories.
But I had a deep connection withKent Cartridge from the very
beginning in inventory control.
I grew up as a upland, a big game hunter.
And when you work at the Cabela'scorporate office you're really
encouraged to get into waterfowl hunting.
And I remember asking the merchantsat the time, Hey, I'm just
(01:51):
getting into waterfowl hunting.
What's the best ammo to use?
And, you know, Cabela's merchants werelong known for really doing the research,
knowing what the best of the best was.
Yeah.
And, and the merchant at the timesaid, Hey, use this Kent stuff.
It's pretty much the best stuff out there.
So I started using Kent and I enjoyedit and, and shot well, and then got to
know the folks in my career at Cabela's.
(02:12):
I just stayed in touch with them evenas I moved out of the ammo category.
I stayed in touch with him atShot Show and, and and whatnot.
And out of the blue one day I got acall from the Vice President of Sales
and Marketing here at Kent Cartridge atthe time, and that person let me know
that they were looking to retire and.
That opportunity was interesting tome at the time because it was right
(02:35):
about the time that Bass Pro was, wasin the process of acquiring Cabela's.
And there's a lot of uncertainty when thatyeah, when that of activity takes place.
And because I had such a deepconnection with, with the Kent brand
seeing how successful we were withit at Cabela's, opportunity was very
intriguing, and I decided to take therisk and leave Cabela's and, and go to
(02:56):
the other side of the desk from beinga buyer to to being the sales manager.
I. I started that in in June of 2017.
So we're coming up on my eighthanniversary at Kent, and we we
led a rebranding right off the,right off the start at Kent.
And, and now I've been general managerhere at Kent since July of 2023.
(03:17):
Congratulations.
That's huge.
I mean, right there,just that career path.
It really is a great example ofyou can, you can go to work for a
company and work your way up likeyou did at Cabela's and continue on,
and you can have a career in a, in apassion filled industry like we have.
And you've educated me, you know,over these last couple months about.
(03:41):
Cartridges and different types ofhunting and you know, it really is a
really exciting time to be in waterfowland upland bird hunting because this
is really a passion driven sport.
I. But there's a lot of innovationthat's happening and that can
happen in this, in this area.
It for sure.
(04:02):
And Kent has a rich history of innovation.
We, we started out as aninnovative company in 1997.
We, we brought to marketwhat's called tungsten matrix.
It was a non-toxic lead clone.
We followed that up.
By pioneering speed technologyand steel shot shells.
And then we were the first companyto offer a second generation bismuth.
So we have that history.
(04:23):
But what for, what's really unique rightnow in, in, in the industry is how rapid.
Innovation is how much rapidinnovation is occurring.
Yeah.
And, and a lot of doors are openingat, at this time, so we wanna make sure
we're getting back to our innovativeroots at Kent and, and pushing forward.
So maintaining the quality thateveryone's been accustomed to, but
(04:45):
also making sure we're, we hold true toour innovative roots and, and continue
to offer new products that the, the,you know, water fowlers or upland
hunters are, are, are demanding that.
It gives 'em an edge in the field.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, and before we get to our bigsurprise I would love for people to
hear about what makes up Kent Cartridgebecause this company existed prior
(05:10):
to the owners, and they were hunters,upland, bird hunters, waterfowl hunters.
And they ended up buying this company.
Right.
And then they also have a sister company.
Can you kind of talk to us about that andabout what really makes up King Cartridge?
Because it's, there's a lot moreto that and it's really exciting
(05:31):
because there's so much hands on.
Ability to make impacts at this company?
O overall?
Well, 100%.
So Kent Cartridge as it exists todayis was founded in 1997, but prior
to that, here in West Virginia, thiscompany operated under the flagship
Active Industries, and Activewas a Spanish owned company that.
(05:54):
A lot of folks will remember the allplastic shot Shell Hole and Active was
known for pushing the envelope, makinghigh performance loads, whether it
was target loads, whether it was leadupland loads, I, they may have been
in into some waterfowl stuff at thetime, but really pushing the envelope.
I.
Through mismanagement by theparent company, they were going
out of business at the same time.
(06:15):
Kent Cartridge ass Founders.
And this is right after the US Fishand Wildlife and, and, and Canadian
compo counterpart, all banned LEDshot shells or, or standard ammunition
and mandated non-toxic shot shells.
Well, the founders at Kent.
Were not happy with the firstgeneration of non-toxic shop shells.
And these were all successful guysin different walks of life you
(06:37):
know, different areas of business.
Some were were lawyers, you know,some were owned their own businesses
and they decided to pool theirresources and start a company and
they learned of active industries wasfor sale and going outta business.
And they purchased the facility here inWest Virginia that was fully staffed.
You know, equipment, pennies onthe dollar, and they were able to
(07:00):
get their vision off the groundquickly because of that acquisition.
And really, I, I mentionedTungston Matrix earlier.
They, they knew of a metal alloybeing developed at Penn State mixed.
Tungsten powder with polymer and youcan manipulate it how you need to.
And, and they decided tomake a lead clone out of it.
Now they have a shot shell loadingfacility and able to load that
(07:21):
tungsten matrix shot and they realizedthey needed a place to produce it.
So they purchased a company in theuk, Kent Cartridge in the uk that
was, that had shop making equipment.
And that's why they applied the name here.
They purchased the namerather than interesting.
Some other arbitrary name
interest.
I don't think I knew that part.
Yep.
So and, and within a year theyhad to close that facility,
(07:43):
but they also purchased anotherfacility in the UK called Gamebore.
Okay.
And so.
You've got a fledgling company,Kent Cartridge here in the US now
with a very innovative product.
And then Gamebore, which had beena going concern for several years,
producing, you know, very goodammunition under new ownership.
And now the two of us, Kent cartridgehere in the, in the in the United
(08:04):
States, we tend to focus on highperformance hunting, ammunition, Gamebore.
They do, they produce all of ourproprietary shot and they, they
focus primarily on high performancetarget loads, you know, specific to.
Sporting plays, and it's reallyinteresting complimentary businesses
that, that our owners have youknow, in the uk and then here
manufacturing in West Virginia.
(08:26):
And, and we've been doing that reallysince nine, that arrangement since 1998.
What a great partnership and it reallydoes bring in the talent from all over.
That's fantastic now.
Yes.
I was fortunate to be able tocome and visit you on site and
I was thrilled when I almost ranover some deer in your driveway.
(08:46):
Yes.
It is stunning property.
Beautiful.
And I would love to work there becauseif you love the outdoor industry.
You're working in the outdoor industryliterally every day, and your offices are
in one driveway and your factories in theother, but it's all connected by about 250
acres of beautiful hunting land, right?
(09:09):
That's correct.
And, and it, yeah, we're on 250 acresand, and our office and plant occupy
only a, a small portion of that.
The rest is agriculture or woods.
And, and owners are gracious enough toallow us to carry a recreational use, you
know insurance rider and let our employeesutilize the property for hunting.
And it's, it's tremendous deerhunting for West Virginia and it.
(09:34):
When the archery season kicks off allthe way through, through gun season,
the the camaraderie from office staffto plant staff it's, it's kind of
a great equalizer because you got,you have folks sharing the field
and, and, and talking about huntingstories right there on the property.
It, it's a, it's really a unique yeah.
Experience and, and one that we're verythankful our owners are gracious enough
(09:56):
to allow, and we we, we try to manageit as best we can and, and make it
an enjoyable experience for everyone.
Yeah, it's very special.
I have not come across anyoneelse that I'm aware of.
Now.
Maybe I'll get corrected after thisairs, but I think it's very special and
I was totally impressed when I landedin Dulles, 'cause I flew into Dulles.
(10:17):
It's only 45 minutes to anhour to your location and.
It's beautiful.
You drive through wineries and Iwas so taken with the horse racing
track right next to the road andwe went to lunch in this cute town.
I mean, it's, you live there.
So tell me about kind of the general area.
(10:37):
So as you guys grow and recruitpeople, why would they wanna
move to that general area?
'cause I, I think it's stunning.
But you live there.
Oh, it's.
It's, we're in the, what's called theeastern panhandle of West Virginia,
and we're sandwiched between NorthernVirginia and Western Maryland.
And, and so the, the best way I candescribe it to anyone looking it up on the
(11:00):
map is find Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.
And that's really where we're at, wherewe're an hour from Dulles Airport, an
hour and a half from, you know, downtownWashington dc an hour from Gettysburg.
You know, hunting opportunities.
You know, we're a couple hoursfrom the eastern shore of
Maryland, which is, you know, worldrenowned for its goose hunting.
It's also got great sea duck hunting.
(11:22):
The, you know, waterfowl huntingon the Shenandoah offers its
own, own challenges and rewards.
It's just beautiful country and, youcan go into the big cities, okay?
You can go into Washington,DC or Baltimore and enjoy
what those have to offer.
And then you can live on a nice acreagewithin 10 minutes of of our factory
and not have to deal with traffic.
(11:43):
It's really the best of bothrural rural, rural and urban.
We're so close to somany different things.
I'm, I'm raising two young boysand my wife and I love finding
different things that we can doand, and, and places that we can go.
It really within a day's driveor, or a few hours drive.
So it's, it, it's an amazing place andI, I couldn't have thought of a better
(12:05):
place to relocate to from where I was at.
That offers, offers so much.
Yeah, it is, it is really beautiful.
I, I was fortunate I think to comeand visit there and have beautiful
weather and it is very much likewhat you described and I could
not have described it that well.
Now let's talk about the culture youguys have there at Kent Cartridge.
(12:29):
It's really been transitioningfor quite a few years from.
What was a longstanding manufacturingoperation and now they've brought you in.
You have a relatively new plantmanager who's doing great job.
I met him.
He is wonderful.
And they're, you're doingupgrades and maintenance to
your manufacturing equipment.
(12:50):
And I know you've got a greatmarketing person and you're.
There's a lot of staff changes that youguys have been making to kind of grow Kent
cartridge to that next elevated level.
Yeah.
You know, we've always made good product.
Yeah.
But good product only goes so far.
And, and so what we're doingis, is, is we, we want provide
(13:12):
energy to the brand and, and yes.
So we have a slogan, quality matters,performance counts, and, and,
and we wanna live that every day.
And so.
We, we look at everything wedo and always wanting it to,
to do just a little bit better.
Okay?
Make a little bit better product.
Look at every aspect of our business,whether it's marketing, what that, that's
(13:34):
what led to the rebranding is, is, islooking at our marketing and saying,
Hey, we need to do this differently.
And now it's just accelerating itso we can future proof our business.
And things are changingat such a rapid rate.
And so the team in place here.
Is what I, I would, I woulddefine as an ambitious team, okay.
(13:54):
We've got, we've got a greatbrand, we've got quality product.
Now we now we're building this ambitiousteam that's ready to move quickly and, and
deliver what the end users want quickly.
Yeah.
And what I find interesting about youpersonally is you're very thoughtful
and you are very well planned out,very analytical, which I think is a
(14:16):
very big benefit to all of the peopleon your team because you and I spoke
a year over a year ago, and you cameto me when we were at a conference and
said, Hey, I'm, I'm looking at hiringsomeone pretty soon for innovation.
I'm not ready.
When I get ready, I'dlike to talk with you.
And I, you know, and I thought, well,that's great, but I, you know, I
(14:38):
thought, well, if it happens, it happens.
Well, lo and behold, I couldn't believeyou called me and we, we started talking
about this and it's, it's really exciting.
And what I love about this opportunityis it's so well thought out.
You have all the pieces in placebefore you bring this person on, and
(14:59):
that that is very unusual as well.
Most people say, we need innovation.
Let's bring someone on.
But I love that you guys have, you'vegot the factory ready, you've got your
marketing ready, you've got all thepieces in place, and you're ready to
bring on someone for some new innovation.
And it's a special role, and thisperson is actually set up for success.
(15:21):
And that is very rare.
Well,
well, thank you.
And that we, we've thought long andhard about what, what the business
truly needed and having someonesolely focused on innovation.
And is.
Is, is, is the answer we all arrivedat after, after thinking about it
long and hard, what we truly needed.
(15:42):
And this American market,it's, it's a demanding market.
And at Kent we wanna make sure we're,we're bringing true innovation.
Whether it's subtle innovationsor whether it's, it's something
that, you know, to the, to theeye you can see or has, you know.
You know, a marketing spin on it.
We wanna make sure we're, we'regiving the end users an edge in
the field, and, and there's justso much, so many advancements.
(16:05):
So there's, there's law changesthat, that are, could benefit us
for some new innovation that, thatare, that are occurring right now.
And, it's, it's the right rolefor, for our organization.
You're right, we have the plant set up.
We've got, we've got greatmachines, we've got people who
know how to make great loads.
We ju just having someone develop thenext tungsten matrix or the next fast
(16:28):
deal or the next, you know, bismuthwhere we were the first to do that.
That's gonna take us to new heights.
This person.
So let's talk about a little bit withoutgiving away any trade secrets, of
course, let's talk about what are thehigh points for someone we're looking
for that right person is gonna fit inbecause they're going to have what kind
(16:50):
of traits and what kind of skill sets.
What is the job that we want them toaccomplish in this role, because this is
something you're hiring for right now.
This.
This is something you're hiring forright now, and even if you listen to
this podcast later, six months or ayear from now, Ken Cartridge is growing.
(17:12):
So this is a company people aregonna wanna know about, but let's
talk about this new exciting role.
What, what do we wantthis person to accomplish?
Well, first of all, the traits thatwe're looking for is someone who.
Who is creative, okay?
It challenges the status quo.
Just because something hasn't workedbefore doesn't mean it won't work
(17:33):
with certain cha certain changes.
So with that creativity, you need tobalance that a little bit with kind of
the scientific method and improve and,and, and be able to analyze things, change
variables, and then we work, I shouldhave mentioned this first, we want someone
who's passionate about shooting sports.
Okay.
(17:53):
Yeah.
They don't necessarily have to be a waterfowler or an upland hunter or a, you
know, someone who shoots sporting plays,but one of those, it's would be great.
E even if they're, even if they'repassionate is metallic you know, PRS
type type or, or a big game hunterwith a rifle, that, that's fine.
As long as, as long as they havea passion for the shooting sports.
(18:14):
They can apply that passion to whatwe're doing because they'll understand
a, a waterfowl or even maybe if they'rean upland hunter or vice versa, but a
passion for the shooting sports, andthen be able to utilize the scientific
method and, and really dive into complex.
Problems and, and find solutions and,and be and apply their creativeness to
(18:38):
something that's never been done before.
And that's really what we're lookingfor is, is it's, it's a combination of
creativeness with the scientific mindset.
And then ideally, we'd like someonewho can get out there and articulate
what our products do and why they're.
Good and, and can back it upwith their, with their knowledge.
(18:59):
And it's, it's a unique skillsetthat we're looking for, but like
you mentioned, we're set up for it.
There, there's, there's a laneright here to add a lot of
value to this organization.
If you possess that skillset.
And so we're, you know, this engineerthat you're looking for, this could
be a degreed engineer, it could besomeone that's non-graded that has
(19:21):
the experience, but it's an onsitejob because you have all the tools
right there to do all the testing,all the powders, everything is there.
And this is, I think this is very specialbecause it's a small enough organization
that you actually have an input on adaily basis of what you're designing.
You're.
(19:41):
This isn't something you have toget 600 approvals for or, or that
you have to go through 12 people.
This is something you cancut through all that crap.
You can go in and you have this greatbrainchild solution in the middle
of the night and you're an engineerand you're scribbling it down.
You can go to work thenext day and build this.
(20:02):
You know, this is what we're looking for.
This is like an engineer's dream to me.
You know, and that's, that's the thingis, is we can be nimble and yeah, when
something works, it, it, it's good forus to pat ourselves on the back because
in a small company when something works.
The folks here were the folksthat, that, that drove that.
(20:22):
And, and, and, and you can, youknew you had a part in that success.
In a larger organization, you'resometimes you're never sure.
Yeah, same thing.
Same thing with failures.
I mean, you have to have that rightmindset of this business is gonna,
is gonna either fly or, or, orflounder based on your performance.
And, and, and you know,some people embrace that.
(20:43):
OO others might not, mightnot, but the folks here.
Embrace that and we, we enjoy nothaving say a corporate bureaucracy
to answer to when we want to.
We want to do somethingand, and try something.
And, you know, we're, it's kindof like the light bulb example.
We have free reign to try a thousandtimes until we can find our, you
(21:03):
know, fail a thousand times untilwe can find our own light bulb.
Yeah, and the bonuses too.
So not only do you get to do that, butyou have, you have other people to help.
You know, you have other people,you're not on an island, right?
So while you get your independence, you,there's lots of resources, not only at
Kent Cartridge, but at game board too,where you all do trade back and forth
(21:27):
wisdom, and you have that opportunity.
I do.
Go ahead.
I'm sorry.
100%. The skillset that is over atGamebore is, is industry leading
and, and that's comforting.
When I came into my role, itwas nice having someone who
is established in their role.
I. To help us with our rebranding.
(21:48):
Okay.
Yeah.
When with, with this new engineer comingin, they're gonna be able to work hand
in hand with the production directorat Gamebore and lean on his experience.
And that's what's helped ourrelatively new plant manager as well.
So you, you're a hundred percent right.
And we're not looking really for anengineer that's in the closet, okay?
(22:09):
We need someone who canhave a conversation that
actually wants to interact.
Because the bonus is if you're an engineerwho wants to learn and create new things,
you're gonna have the opportunity not onlyto talk about the products that you're
creating, but you're actually going to beable to go to some of these trade shows.
And meet customers and interact.
(22:31):
So this is not an invisible position.
This is actually a huge career builderand a personnel, a personal builder
where if you are the kind of personthat enjoys that we, you know, we would
love to see you become the next what?
Hickok 22.
Is that what his name is?
Yeah,
yeah, yeah.
(22:51):
Hickok 45, I think.
Yeah.
Oh, whoops.
Yeah, I, I think, anyway, Iknow who you're talking about,
but you know someone who's gonnasay, Hey, get on these videos and
let's talk about this great product.
So it's a, there arepeople out there like that.
So anyone who's listening.
I would think you've heard enough by now.
So reach out to me or reach outto Jeff or whatever you'll be.
(23:14):
We can, we just wanna get this activityand we wanna get the right person on
board because Kent cartridge is cominglike a freight train and everything's
ready, set up for your success asthe innovation engineer of the year.
That's a perfect way to put it.
Right.
Well thank you Jeff for taking the timeto talk with me about this opportunity
(23:37):
in Kent cartridge because we have beentalking about doing this podcast, but
been kind of waiting for the right time.
And I want other people to know what agreat company this is and the culture you
guys are building there is incredible.
I mean, people stay there.
They don't leave, they, theydo not leave Kent cartridge.
They want to work there.
It's a great company and theowners are very generous and I was
(24:00):
fortunate enough to get on a videocall with them, with you, and I
think they're just amazing people.
This is, this is a company that Iwould wanna work for, and I think
that's, that's pretty specialto have these opportunities.
So thanks for sharing that.
I really appreciate it.
Well thank you for having me andit's great to talk about about
this organization and thank youfor mentioning our owners because
(24:23):
that that's their trust in us.
Yeah.
Is what gives us the flexibilityto, to do what we need to do
here and, and the autonomy.
It's, it's a wonderful place to work forpeople who wanna write their own tickets.
So, thank you for the kind wordsand the opportunity Shalene.
Without them, none of us would be here.
So you know, it comes from the top.
(24:44):
And this is a great example of culturepermeating from the top because really
that that comes from them to you andfrom you down, you know, and that's a.
That's really special.
This has not always happened.
Well, this is another episode ofHeadHunters Northwest Podcast and
we're gonna wrap this up, but I hopethis in this brings us more listeners
(25:06):
'cause I wanna do more of thesewhere we talk about these positions
so people see that there is such agreat career path in manufacturing.
I could not encourage anyonemore strongly to jump on board.
It's a great, it's a great placeto be in the United States.
For joining me on theHeadHunters NW Podcast,
(25:26):
thank.
Okay, welcome to HeadHunters NW podcast.
I I have another great guest,but this is, this is another
really special conversation.
Everyone, I think anyone who's listenedto my podcast knows how I feel about I.
USA manufacturing and and how enamoredand in love with manufacturing I am.
(00:22):
So today we get to visit withJeff Barry, who is the general
manager for Kent Cartridge.
And Kent Cartridge is if not the premier,one of the premier shotgun manufacturers.
Here in the United States and their reachis global because they also have a partner
(00:43):
in the uk, which we're gonna talk aboutkind of what makes up Kent Cartridge.
But welcome Jeff.
I'm really excited because we also havesome special news about an open role.
Kent cartridge.
But first, let's talk about KentCartridge and let's talk about you.
How did you ever come fromCabela's in Nebraska to Kent
(01:05):
Cartridge in West Virginia?
Let's talk about that alittle bit in your background.
Yeah, th thanks for having me on Shalene.
Appreciate it.
And yeah, how did, how didI end up at Ken Cartridge?
Well for me, growing up in Nebraska,working at Cabela's was, was a dream job.
And I was lucky enough to workat the Cabela's Corporate Office
for 14 years in various roles,inventory control, merchandising,
(01:28):
mostly in the ammo category.
In the last four years, I was a categorymanager for shooting accessories.
But I had a deep connection withKent Cartridge from the very
beginning in inventory control.
I grew up as a upland, a big game hunter.
And when you work at the Cabela'scorporate office you're really
encouraged to get into waterfowl hunting.
And I remember asking the merchantsat the time, Hey, I'm just
(01:51):
getting into waterfowl hunting.
What's the best ammo to use?
And, you know, Cabela's merchants werelong known for really doing the research,
knowing what the best of the best was.
Yeah.
And, and the merchant at the timesaid, Hey, use this Kent stuff.
It's pretty much the best stuff out there.
So I started using Kent and I enjoyedit and, and shot well, and then got to
know the folks in my career at Cabela's.
(02:12):
I just stayed in touch with them evenas I moved out of the ammo category.
I stayed in touch with him atShot Show and, and and whatnot.
And out of the blue one day I got acall from the Vice President of Sales
and Marketing here at Kent Cartridge atthe time, and that person let me know
that they were looking to retire and.
That opportunity was interesting tome at the time because it was right
(02:35):
about the time that Bass Pro was, wasin the process of acquiring Cabela's.
And there's a lot of uncertainty when thatyeah, when that of activity takes place.
And because I had such a deepconnection with, with the Kent brand
seeing how successful we were withit at Cabela's, opportunity was very
intriguing, and I decided to take therisk and leave Cabela's and, and go to
(02:56):
the other side of the desk from beinga buyer to to being the sales manager.
I. I started that in in June of 2017.
So we're coming up on my eighthanniversary at Kent, and we we
led a rebranding right off the,right off the start at Kent.
And, and now I've been general managerhere at Kent since July of 2023.
(03:17):
Congratulations.
That's huge.
I mean, right there,just that career path.
It really is a great example ofyou can, you can go to work for a
company and work your way up likeyou did at Cabela's and continue on,
and you can have a career in a, in apassion filled industry like we have.
And you've educated me, you know,over these last couple months about.
(03:41):
Cartridges and different types ofhunting and you know, it really is a
really exciting time to be in waterfowland upland bird hunting because this
is really a passion driven sport.
I. But there's a lot of innovationthat's happening and that can
happen in this, in this area.
It for sure.
(04:02):
And Kent has a rich history of innovation.
We, we started out as aninnovative company in 1997.
We, we brought to marketwhat's called tungsten matrix.
It was a non-toxic lead clone.
We followed that up.
By pioneering speed technologyand steel shot shells.
And then we were the first companyto offer a second generation bismuth.
So we have that history.
(04:23):
But what for, what's really unique rightnow in, in, in the industry is how rapid.
Innovation is how much rapidinnovation is occurring.
Yeah.
And, and a lot of doors are openingat, at this time, so we wanna make sure
we're getting back to our innovativeroots at Kent and, and pushing forward.
So maintaining the quality thateveryone's been accustomed to, but
(04:45):
also making sure we're, we hold true toour innovative roots and, and continue
to offer new products that the, the,you know, water fowlers or upland
hunters are, are, are demanding that.
It gives 'em an edge in the field.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, and before we get to our bigsurprise I would love for people to
hear about what makes up Kent Cartridgebecause this company existed prior
(05:10):
to the owners, and they were hunters,upland, bird hunters, waterfowl hunters.
And they ended up buying this company.
Right.
And then they also have a sister company.
Can you kind of talk to us about that andabout what really makes up King Cartridge?
Because it's, there's a lot moreto that and it's really exciting
(05:31):
because there's so much hands on.
Ability to make impacts at this company?
O overall?
Well, 100%.
So Kent Cartridge as it exists todayis was founded in 1997, but prior
to that, here in West Virginia, thiscompany operated under the flagship
Active Industries, and Activewas a Spanish owned company that.
(05:54):
A lot of folks will remember the allplastic shot Shell Hole and Active was
known for pushing the envelope, makinghigh performance loads, whether it
was target loads, whether it was leadupland loads, I, they may have been
in into some waterfowl stuff at thetime, but really pushing the envelope.
I.
Through mismanagement by theparent company, they were going
out of business at the same time.
(06:15):
Kent Cartridge ass Founders.
And this is right after the US Fishand Wildlife and, and, and Canadian
compo counterpart, all banned LEDshot shells or, or standard ammunition
and mandated non-toxic shot shells.
Well, the founders at Kent.
Were not happy with the firstgeneration of non-toxic shop shells.
And these were all successful guysin different walks of life you
(06:37):
know, different areas of business.
Some were were lawyers, you know,some were owned their own businesses
and they decided to pool theirresources and start a company and
they learned of active industries wasfor sale and going outta business.
And they purchased the facility here inWest Virginia that was fully staffed.
You know, equipment, pennies onthe dollar, and they were able to
(07:00):
get their vision off the groundquickly because of that acquisition.
And really, I, I mentionedTungston Matrix earlier.
They, they knew of a metal alloybeing developed at Penn State mixed.
Tungsten powder with polymer and youcan manipulate it how you need to.
And, and they decided tomake a lead clone out of it.
Now they have a shot shell loadingfacility and able to load that
(07:21):
tungsten matrix shot and they realizedthey needed a place to produce it.
So they purchased a company in theuk, Kent Cartridge in the uk that
was, that had shop making equipment.
And that's why they applied the name here.
They purchased the namerather than interesting.
Some other arbitrary name
interest.
I don't think I knew that part.
Yep.
So and, and within a year theyhad to close that facility,
(07:43):
but they also purchased anotherfacility in the UK called Gamebore.
Okay.
And so.
You've got a fledgling company,Kent Cartridge here in the US now
with a very innovative product.
And then Gamebore, which had beena going concern for several years,
producing, you know, very goodammunition under new ownership.
And now the two of us, Kent cartridgehere in the, in the in the United
(08:04):
States, we tend to focus on highperformance hunting, ammunition, Gamebore.
They do, they produce all of ourproprietary shot and they, they
focus primarily on high performancetarget loads, you know, specific to.
Sporting plays, and it's reallyinteresting complimentary businesses
that, that our owners have youknow, in the uk and then here
manufacturing in West Virginia.
(08:26):
And, and we've been doing that reallysince nine, that arrangement since 1998.
What a great partnership and it reallydoes bring in the talent from all over.
That's fantastic now.
Yes.
I was fortunate to be able tocome and visit you on site and
I was thrilled when I almost ranover some deer in your driveway.
(08:46):
Yes.
It is stunning property.
Beautiful.
And I would love to work there becauseif you love the outdoor industry.
You're working in the outdoor industryliterally every day, and your offices are
in one driveway and your factories in theother, but it's all connected by about 250
acres of beautiful hunting land, right?
(09:09):
That's correct.
And, and it, yeah, we're on 250 acresand, and our office and plant occupy
only a, a small portion of that.
The rest is agriculture or woods.
And, and owners are gracious enough toallow us to carry a recreational use, you
know insurance rider and let our employeesutilize the property for hunting.
And it's, it's tremendous deerhunting for West Virginia and it.
(09:34):
When the archery season kicks off allthe way through, through gun season,
the the camaraderie from office staffto plant staff it's, it's kind of
a great equalizer because you got,you have folks sharing the field
and, and, and talking about huntingstories right there on the property.
It, it's a, it's really a unique yeah.
Experience and, and one that we're verythankful our owners are gracious enough
(09:56):
to allow, and we we, we try to manageit as best we can and, and make it
an enjoyable experience for everyone.
Yeah, it's very special.
I have not come across anyoneelse that I'm aware of.
Now.
Maybe I'll get corrected after thisairs, but I think it's very special and
I was totally impressed when I landedin Dulles, 'cause I flew into Dulles.
(10:17):
It's only 45 minutes to anhour to your location and.
It's beautiful.
You drive through wineries and Iwas so taken with the horse racing
track right next to the road andwe went to lunch in this cute town.
I mean, it's, you live there.
So tell me about kind of the general area.
(10:37):
So as you guys grow and recruitpeople, why would they wanna
move to that general area?
'cause I, I think it's stunning.
But you live there.
Oh, it's.
It's, we're in the, what's called theeastern panhandle of West Virginia,
and we're sandwiched between NorthernVirginia and Western Maryland.
And, and so the, the best way I candescribe it to anyone looking it up on the
(11:00):
map is find Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.
And that's really where we're at, wherewe're an hour from Dulles Airport, an
hour and a half from, you know, downtownWashington dc an hour from Gettysburg.
You know, hunting opportunities.
You know, we're a couple hoursfrom the eastern shore of
Maryland, which is, you know, worldrenowned for its goose hunting.
It's also got great sea duck hunting.
(11:22):
The, you know, waterfowl huntingon the Shenandoah offers its
own, own challenges and rewards.
It's just beautiful country and, youcan go into the big cities, okay?
You can go into Washington,DC or Baltimore and enjoy
what those have to offer.
And then you can live on a nice acreagewithin 10 minutes of of our factory
and not have to deal with traffic.
(11:43):
It's really the best of bothrural rural, rural and urban.
We're so close to somany different things.
I'm, I'm raising two young boysand my wife and I love finding
different things that we can doand, and, and places that we can go.
It really within a day's driveor, or a few hours drive.
So it's, it, it's an amazing place andI, I couldn't have thought of a better
(12:05):
place to relocate to from where I was at.
That offers, offers so much.
Yeah, it is, it is really beautiful.
I, I was fortunate I think to comeand visit there and have beautiful
weather and it is very much likewhat you described and I could
not have described it that well.
Now let's talk about the culture youguys have there at Kent Cartridge.
(12:29):
It's really been transitioningfor quite a few years from.
What was a longstanding manufacturingoperation and now they've brought you in.
You have a relatively new plantmanager who's doing great job.
I met him.
He is wonderful.
And they're, you're doingupgrades and maintenance to
your manufacturing equipment.
(12:50):
And I know you've got a greatmarketing person and you're.
There's a lot of staff changes that youguys have been making to kind of grow Kent
cartridge to that next elevated level.
Yeah.
You know, we've always made good product.
Yeah.
But good product only goes so far.
And, and so what we're doingis, is, is we, we want provide
(13:12):
energy to the brand and, and yes.
So we have a slogan, quality matters,performance counts, and, and,
and we wanna live that every day.
And so.
We, we look at everything wedo and always wanting it to,
to do just a little bit better.
Okay?
Make a little bit better product.
Look at every aspect of our business,whether it's marketing, what that, that's
(13:34):
what led to the rebranding is, is, islooking at our marketing and saying,
Hey, we need to do this differently.
And now it's just accelerating itso we can future proof our business.
And things are changingat such a rapid rate.
And so the team in place here.
Is what I, I would, I woulddefine as an ambitious team, okay.
(13:54):
We've got, we've got a greatbrand, we've got quality product.
Now we now we're building this ambitiousteam that's ready to move quickly and, and
deliver what the end users want quickly.
Yeah.
And what I find interesting about youpersonally is you're very thoughtful
and you are very well planned out,very analytical, which I think is a
(14:16):
very big benefit to all of the peopleon your team because you and I spoke
a year over a year ago, and you cameto me when we were at a conference and
said, Hey, I'm, I'm looking at hiringsomeone pretty soon for innovation.
I'm not ready.
When I get ready, I'dlike to talk with you.
And I, you know, and I thought, well,that's great, but I, you know, I
(14:38):
thought, well, if it happens, it happens.
Well, lo and behold, I couldn't believeyou called me and we, we started talking
about this and it's, it's really exciting.
And what I love about this opportunityis it's so well thought out.
You have all the pieces in placebefore you bring this person on, and
(14:59):
that that is very unusual as well.
Most people say, we need innovation.
Let's bring someone on.
But I love that you guys have, you'vegot the factory ready, you've got your
marketing ready, you've got all thepieces in place, and you're ready to
bring on someone for some new innovation.
And it's a special role, and thisperson is actually set up for success.
(15:21):
And that is very rare.
Well,
well, thank you.
And that we, we've thought long andhard about what, what the business
truly needed and having someonesolely focused on innovation.
And is.
Is, is, is the answer we all arrivedat after, after thinking about it
long and hard, what we truly needed.
(15:42):
And this American market,it's, it's a demanding market.
And at Kent we wanna make sure we're,we're bringing true innovation.
Whether it's subtle innovationsor whether it's, it's something
that, you know, to the, to theeye you can see or has, you know.
You know, a marketing spin on it.
We wanna make sure we're, we'regiving the end users an edge in
the field, and, and there's justso much, so many advancements.
(16:05):
So there's, there's law changesthat, that are, could benefit us
for some new innovation that, thatare, that are occurring right now.
And, it's, it's the right rolefor, for our organization.
You're right, we have the plant set up.
We've got, we've got greatmachines, we've got people who
know how to make great loads.
We ju just having someone develop thenext tungsten matrix or the next fast
(16:28):
deal or the next, you know, bismuthwhere we were the first to do that.
That's gonna take us to new heights.
This person.
So let's talk about a little bit withoutgiving away any trade secrets, of
course, let's talk about what are thehigh points for someone we're looking
for that right person is gonna fit inbecause they're going to have what kind
(16:50):
of traits and what kind of skill sets.
What is the job that we want them toaccomplish in this role, because this is
something you're hiring for right now.
This.
This is something you're hiring forright now, and even if you listen to
this podcast later, six months or ayear from now, Ken Cartridge is growing.
(17:12):
So this is a company people aregonna wanna know about, but let's
talk about this new exciting role.
What, what do we wantthis person to accomplish?
Well, first of all, the traits thatwe're looking for is someone who.
Who is creative, okay?
It challenges the status quo.
Just because something hasn't workedbefore doesn't mean it won't work
(17:33):
with certain cha certain changes.
So with that creativity, you need tobalance that a little bit with kind of
the scientific method and improve and,and, and be able to analyze things, change
variables, and then we work, I shouldhave mentioned this first, we want someone
who's passionate about shooting sports.
Okay.
(17:53):
Yeah.
They don't necessarily have to be a waterfowler or an upland hunter or a, you
know, someone who shoots sporting plays,but one of those, it's would be great.
E even if they're, even if they'repassionate is metallic you know, PRS
type type or, or a big game hunterwith a rifle, that, that's fine.
As long as, as long as they havea passion for the shooting sports.
(18:14):
They can apply that passion to whatwe're doing because they'll understand
a, a waterfowl or even maybe if they'rean upland hunter or vice versa, but a
passion for the shooting sports, andthen be able to utilize the scientific
method and, and really dive into complex.
Problems and, and find solutions and,and be and apply their creativeness to
(18:38):
something that's never been done before.
And that's really what we're lookingfor is, is it's, it's a combination of
creativeness with the scientific mindset.
And then ideally, we'd like someonewho can get out there and articulate
what our products do and why they're.
Good and, and can back it upwith their, with their knowledge.
(18:59):
And it's, it's a unique skillsetthat we're looking for, but like
you mentioned, we're set up for it.
There, there's, there's a laneright here to add a lot of
value to this organization.
If you possess that skillset.
And so we're, you know, this engineerthat you're looking for, this could
be a degreed engineer, it could besomeone that's non-graded that has
(19:21):
the experience, but it's an onsitejob because you have all the tools
right there to do all the testing,all the powders, everything is there.
And this is, I think this is very specialbecause it's a small enough organization
that you actually have an input on adaily basis of what you're designing.
You're.
(19:41):
This isn't something you have toget 600 approvals for or, or that
you have to go through 12 people.
This is something you cancut through all that crap.
You can go in and you have this greatbrainchild solution in the middle
of the night and you're an engineerand you're scribbling it down.
You can go to work thenext day and build this.
(20:02):
You know, this is what we're looking for.
This is like an engineer's dream to me.
You know, and that's, that's the thingis, is we can be nimble and yeah, when
something works, it, it, it's good forus to pat ourselves on the back because
in a small company when something works.
The folks here were the folksthat, that, that drove that.
(20:22):
And, and, and, and you can, youknew you had a part in that success.
In a larger organization, you'resometimes you're never sure.
Yeah, same thing.
Same thing with failures.
I mean, you have to have that rightmindset of this business is gonna,
is gonna either fly or, or, orflounder based on your performance.
And, and, and you know,some people embrace that.
(20:43):
OO others might not, mightnot, but the folks here.
Embrace that and we, we enjoy nothaving say a corporate bureaucracy
to answer to when we want to.
We want to do somethingand, and try something.
And, you know, we're, it's kindof like the light bulb example.
We have free reign to try a thousandtimes until we can find our, you
(21:03):
know, fail a thousand times untilwe can find our own light bulb.
Yeah, and the bonuses too.
So not only do you get to do that, butyou have, you have other people to help.
You know, you have other people,you're not on an island, right?
So while you get your independence, you,there's lots of resources, not only at
Kent Cartridge, but at game board too,where you all do trade back and forth
(21:27):
wisdom, and you have that opportunity.
I do.
Go ahead.
I'm sorry.
100%. The skillset that is over atGamebore is, is industry leading
and, and that's comforting.
When I came into my role, itwas nice having someone who
is established in their role.
I. To help us with our rebranding.
(21:48):
Okay.
Yeah.
When with, with this new engineer comingin, they're gonna be able to work hand
in hand with the production directorat Gamebore and lean on his experience.
And that's what's helped ourrelatively new plant manager as well.
So you, you're a hundred percent right.
And we're not looking really for anengineer that's in the closet, okay?
(22:09):
We need someone who canhave a conversation that
actually wants to interact.
Because the bonus is if you're an engineerwho wants to learn and create new things,
you're gonna have the opportunity not onlyto talk about the products that you're
creating, but you're actually going to beable to go to some of these trade shows.
And meet customers and interact.
(22:31):
So this is not an invisible position.
This is actually a huge career builderand a personnel, a personal builder
where if you are the kind of personthat enjoys that we, you know, we would
love to see you become the next what?
Hickok 22.
Is that what his name is?
Yeah,
yeah, yeah.
(22:51):
Hickok 45, I think.
Yeah.
Oh, whoops.
Yeah, I, I think, anyway, Iknow who you're talking about,
but you know someone who's gonnasay, Hey, get on these videos and
let's talk about this great product.
So it's a, there arepeople out there like that.
So anyone who's listening.
I would think you've heard enough by now.
So reach out to me or reach outto Jeff or whatever you'll be.
(23:14):
We can, we just wanna get this activityand we wanna get the right person on
board because Kent cartridge is cominglike a freight train and everything's
ready, set up for your success asthe innovation engineer of the year.
That's a perfect way to put it.
Right.
Well thank you Jeff for taking the timeto talk with me about this opportunity
(23:37):
in Kent cartridge because we have beentalking about doing this podcast, but
been kind of waiting for the right time.
And I want other people to know what agreat company this is and the culture you
guys are building there is incredible.
I mean, people stay there.
They don't leave, they, theydo not leave Kent cartridge.
They want to work there.
It's a great company and theowners are very generous and I was
(24:00):
fortunate enough to get on a videocall with them, with you, and I
think they're just amazing people.
This is, this is a company that Iwould wanna work for, and I think
that's, that's pretty specialto have these opportunities.
So thanks for sharing that.
I really appreciate it.
Well thank you for having me andit's great to talk about about
this organization and thank youfor mentioning our owners because
(24:23):
that that's their trust in us.
Yeah.
Is what gives us the flexibilityto, to do what we need to do
here and, and the autonomy.
It's, it's a wonderful place to work forpeople who wanna write their own tickets.
So, thank you for the kind wordsand the opportunity Shalene.
Without them, none of us would be here.
So you know, it comes from the top.
(24:44):
And this is a great example of culturepermeating from the top because really
that that comes from them to you andfrom you down, you know, and that's a.
That's really special.
This has not always happened.
Well, this is another episode ofHeadHunters Northwest Podcast and
we're gonna wrap this up, but I hopethis in this brings us more listeners
(25:06):
'cause I wanna do more of thesewhere we talk about these positions
so people see that there is such agreat career path in manufacturing.
I could not encourage anyonemore strongly to jump on board.
It's a great, it's a great placeto be in the United States.
For joining me on theHeadHunters NW Podcast,
(25:26):
thank.
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