Small companies consolidating to cut costs?? And cut jobs?? Prices going up?? Service going down?? So what's new??

The entire sporting goods industry is in financial trouble. With the exception of just a few companies. Less and less people are hunting and shooting. So the mfrs. are constantly fighting for a piece of the shrinking pie. It has been that way for the last 30 years, and the pie is only getting smaller.

This is the reason why companies feel the need to always come out with something new and improved every year. And this is the reason why some of these companies are spending so much money on marketing.

A lot of these companies are too big for their market, that is a simple fact. Normally if they can downgrade properly then they can save their company. S&W has been a master of this. IMO that is why they took over TC. They bought a company that had a reputation of quality. The same way S&W had a reputation of quality.S&W did a major down sizing, and now they are a very good company,and they are standing on very firm ground.

Laying off is real bad for the workers, but if there is good management then it can be very good for the company. IF TC would just get back to building quality products for a decent price, and stop worrying about enormous marketing and expansion, and always having to bring out something new and improved every year then I think they will be alright. But if they try to stay on this maddening pace that they have put themselves on then the vicious circle will take them down. Tom.