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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
I remember when a major arrow manufacturer — then called Easton Aluminum — opened its Salt Lake City manufacturing facility. The year was 1980 and as Chamber of Commerce president, I was invited to perform the ceremonious ribbon-cutting by firing an arrow into a ribbon of balloons. Well, I had never used a bow and arrow, and my miss was horrendous. I actually hit the wall about three feet above the ribbon. I got a great laugh and for years afterward Jim Easton reminded me of that event.
Today, Jim's son Greg Easton heads Easton Technical Products, and continues the tradition his grandfather began in 1922. As a young man, founder James D. (Doug) Easton was in the hospital recovering from a hunting accident when he read a book about how to make a wooden recurve bow. He carved his own wooden bow and arrows and took them to a local archery park where a man admired his handy work. The man happened to be Saxton Pope, the author of the book Doug read. At Dr. Pope's encouragement, Doug entered the bow and arrow manufacturing business.
By the 1940s, Easton had become a leading arrow manufacturer, innovating aluminum arrows for both target archery and hunting. Today Easton Technical Products, a division of Jas D. Easton Company, leads the arrow market and its high-end equipment is distributed across the globe. Greg tells me that since archery became an Olympic sport 34 years ago, nearly all of the medals awarded have been won using Easton arrows.
Easton is also the last major arrow manufacturer in the United States. Greg says that while its competitors have moved off-shore, Easton has been able to maintain its location and its edge in the market through efficient manufacturing and proprietary technologies.
Easton Technical Products' Salt Lake City facility now employs 330 workers who design, manufacture and market, arrows, arrow shafts and tent poles. Tomorrow I will tell you about Easton's sister company, Salt Lake City-based Hoyt Archery.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
