THE HISTORY OF BROWNELLS
In the 1920s and 1930s, Bob Brownell
was a middle-America businessman who owned and managed a gas station and
sandwich shop in his small hometown, Montezuma, Iowa. In his free time, Bob was
a devoted shooter and outdoorsman who enjoyed repairing and customizing
firearms. He started by working on his own guns, but news of his talent spread
quickly and he soon began accepting jobs from friends. By 1938, his
gunsmithing hobby was making profits, so Bob added part-time gunsmith to his
list of businesses.
As the gunsmithing business
continued to grow, so too did Bob‘s need for good quality tools. He searched
the few gun supplycatalogs available at the time, but
came to the conclusion that some of the most necessary tools just couldn‘t be
purchased anywhere. When he did find tools and products that worked, he bought
extras to sell to fellow gunsmiths who were also having difficulties finding
supplies.
The first Brownells catalog,
Number One, was sent to customers in 1947 displaying the company‘s first motto,
“The First and Only Complete Gunsmiths‘ Supply House in the World.” Bob‘s dedication
wasn‘t limited to product selection. He realized that being absolutely sure the
customer was happy and well taken care of were equally important. Those values,
which remain the focal point of the company today, served him well, and by 1951
he closed down the gunsmithing shop to concentrate full-time on providing
supplies to gunsmiths across the United States.
Bob‘s son Frank worked in the
business as a teenager, and then rejoined the company in 1964 after returning
from serving in the United States Navy. Frank‘s education in journalism and
advertising, coupled with the leadership skills he acquired in the military,
served the company well as he worked alongside his father. Throughout the 1960s
and 1970s, Brownells added more products, hired more employees and sent out
more catalogs. All of this growth meant the company needed to find a new home, because the converted movie
theatre it was operating in was too small.
In 1973, Brownells moved into its
first purpose-built facility, where it remains today. As the company continued
on its path of success, the new building had been expanded twice by 1980.
in 1983, Bob moved to the
Chairman of the Board position, and named Frank the President of Brownells. By
then the company was gaining a lot of attention and was considered the
undisputed leader in the gunsmithing supply industry. The Research and Development
portion of the business was testing models and building the latest, most
innovative tools on the market. The now legendary Brownells Gun Techs™, made up
of the best and most experienced gunsmiths recruited from across the U.S., made
a real name for themselves as more and more customers called seeking their
trusted advice. The 1980s also marked Brownells‘ entry into the gun parts
market.
As was the case with many companies,
the 1990s ushered in an all-new wave of technology for Brownells. With Bob‘s
passing in 1991, it was all up to Frank, now President/CEO, to oversee this
important transition from hand-assembling catalogs and handwriting orders to
conducting business using computerized systems
and the Internet. Though technology was very much a part of the Brownells
culture, Frank continued to insist on open, honest, one-on-one customer
service.
Under Frank‘s direction, the growth
continued tremendously throughout the 1990s, and the gun parts and accessories
business, along with the gunsmithing supplies continued to thrive. As a result,
the company earned its title as The World‘s Largest Supplier of Firearms
Accessories and Gunsmithing Tools™.
The “new era” of Brownells arrived
when Frank‘s son Pete joined the company in 1997. An educated and tech-savvy
businessman, Pete saw opportunities to thrust the company even further into the
technological age. Named Vice President in 2000, Pete oversaw the successful implementation of the
Brownells website, www. brownells.com. This provided
customers around the world unprecedented access to Brownells vast selection of
products.
Brownells‘ success, through both
mail-order and Internet transactions, continued past the turn of the century.
Frank and Pete began discussions about how to reach even more customers. The
natural expansion area seemed to be reloading and longrange, precision
shooting. While deciding how best to enter that market, they found the Fort
Wayne, Indianabased supplier, Sinclair International - a company that embodied
Brownells spirit of offering high-quality, lifetime-guaranteed products and
second-to-none customer service. Frank and Pete purchased Sinclair
International in 2007, which continues to be a valuable addition to the
Brownells family of companies.
Pete was named Brownells President
in 2008, as Frank moved to the Chief Executive Officer‘s position. That same
year, the business saw unprecedented growth and again, as Brownells added more
employees and products, it faced a familiar problem – not enough space. Though
a number of additions and renovations had been made to the building since 1980,
plans began for a major warehouse expansion that was completed in 2010.
A direct result of huge amounts of
customer input, the company added another major product category in 2011 –
ammunition. Until then, Brownells carried virtually every part that one would
need to fix, carry or customize a firearm, but nothing to shoot from it. Since
its introduction, ammunition has been one of most popular product categories
with Brownells ever-expanding customer base. By 2012, Brownells was again
running out of room for both employees and products. With no property remaining
to expand at its 39-year-old facility in Montezuma, Brownells announced a large
warehouse and office facility expansion in nearby Grinnell, Iowa, scheduled to
open in late 2013. While the company will remain headquartered in Montezuma,
the new facility will give it even more capability to expand its product line
and will provide closer, faster access to a major Interstate highway, which
will enable a more streamlined shipping process.
With the business continuing to grow
at an incredible rate, Frank and Pete decided that a more efficient corporate
structure was necessary to continue serving customers to the best of the
company‘s ability. Therefore, Frank moved into the Chairman of the Board post.
Pete ascended to the Chief Executive Officer‘s position, and the company‘s
long-time Chief Operating Officer, Matt Buckingham, was named company
President/COO.
As Brownells celebrates
its 75th year in business, the company owes its success to Bob‘s three
basic founding principles: provide customers with the widest Selection of
products on the market; deliver them with the highest level of customer
Service; and guarantee customers‘ Satisfaction – FOREVER – with a 100%,
no-questionsasked, money-back guarantee.
Three generations ago Bob Brownell
founded our company on three words: Selection, Service, and Satisfaction.
More than seventy years later our
strong foundation still rests upon those words (read about our history)
For over 70 years, Brownells has
been providing quality Gunsmithing tools, gun parts and service to the firearms
industry. For all but two of those years, there has been a consistent brand
image, the oblong horizontal shape of our catalog and the graphical design of
our Brownells logo. For all of those years, these two uniquely, identifiable
products have stood for our promise of service, selection and satisfaction.
Selection – Over 80,000 gun parts, tools, and supplies; everything you need all in one place.
Selection – Over 80,000 gun parts, tools, and supplies; everything you need all in one place.
·
Factory parts from fifteen of the
industry’s leading firearms manufacturers
·
Rifle, shotgun, and handgun parts,
tools & accessories
·
Bluing & refinishing materials
·
Books, videos, & references
·
Sights, scopes, & mounts
·
And much more
Service – Friendly, expertise in a prompt, helpful, and
accurate manner. Our welcoming operator will guide you to the specialized,
customer-service area you need. Just call 800-741-0015.
Satisfaction – Our Unconditional Guarantee: Satisfaction,
100% Guaranteed! Period.
·
No Hassle Return Policy and No Authorization Numbers – Just Send it Back
·
No Restocking Fees – Just Send it Back
When
you have seen the horizontal catalog, you should know without a reasonable
doubt that you are ordering from a company that places customer values first,
cares deeply about the selection of quality products and has a deep commitment
to customer satisfaction.
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