bsdubois00
Head Honcho Emeritus
Below is an official statement from Heartland Outdoors. If you don't have anything positive to add to this it will be removed. This is not a place to ***** about something that may or may not be true. According to the owner - the matches WILL continue. Now lets just see what happens
------------------------------
In response to the deep concern regarding the Matches at Heartland please be advised that we will continue the matches and they will be more spectacular than ever.
By now you know that my name is Barry Bryant and I own Heartland Outdoors along with other businesses. I thought it would be wise to make a statement to all of our loyal customers and to the great folks that come to our store several times per month to shoot the after hours pistol matches. I do not get involved in the day to day operations of the store. We have a store manager and he is responsible for running the store and keeping me abreast of the store's operations.
Unbeknown to me (my fault) the Match Director had been given a key to the store by our previous manager. On a recent Sunday night following one of the matches many of you shoot the Match Director set the alarm and left the front door unlocked. A client came to the store a full day later on Tuesday morning and opened the door to enter the store during the start of business and inadvertently set off the alarm. This security situation has caused myself and my store manager, Mr. Steve Wingo to fully investigate how security procedures and store access were being handled at the store following the Sunday night matches.
In our efforts to correct the security issues we had to part ways with the current match director. He will no longer be able to run the matches or teach classes at Heartland Outdoors as a result. Due to the liability of a gun range and the potential issues with the ATF that would occur if a break in where to occur we simply cannot have anyone that is not a Heartland Outdoors employee having access to the store after hours. The ATF leaves no room or opportunity for error due to being lackadaisical in our efforts. Not taking this situation seriously could result the business losing its license which would be the end of Heartland Outdoors for all of us. In saying that nothing happened so what does that tell you about our community and the great place we live in or the law enforcement that continues to keep us safe.
In addition who among you would invest 2.4 million dollars into an enterprise and allow anyone at anytime into your store with that kind of the liability hanging over your head. It is entirely my fault for not knowing what was going on at my own enterprise. I lean toward trusting people until they give me a reason not to. How fair would it be to all the great people who work so hard every day at Heartland Outdoors to earn your business if we had to close the doors because we had no license?
Please also consider our Herculean liability if one of you got hurt at a match or a class with no Heartland Outdoors personnel present. I hope and pray that each and every concerned shooter will take the time to get to know me and the other great people at Heartland Outdoors and decide for themselves what was said, what is happening, and if we deserve your future business.
In closing please consider that I do not make my living from the resources of Heartland. I draw no compensation from there. I do use it as a vehicle to support my favorite causes. Heartland is there because of my belief system and most certainly is not the wisest financial decision I have made. I do it because I believe in it just as all of you do. I still own the first gun my grandfather taught me to shoot and it is in mint condition while I am 60 years of age. It is a passion and not a pay day for me. The mud slinging hurts and certainly makes me take pause as to why we should even try. The kind emails I have received answers that question.
We need your input, advice and direction as to what direction we should go in continuing the Sunday night matches that you all enjoy so much and we will do our best to get it done. I am not the shooting expert but a very quick study. In my business life I have always considered if you aren't the lead dog the view never changes. Mr. Wingo is our new manager. He is a hard working avid shooter and is all ears. Feel free to contact our store manager Mr. Wingo or myself. Together we will work hard to keep the Sunday night match at Heartland Outdoors your favorite match and the match for new shooters to come and learn to enjoy the shooting sports.
Also, contrary to rumors, Heartland Outdoors will not be closing its doors for business anytime soon.
Thanks for your patronage,
Barry G. Bryant
Heartland Outdoors
[email protected]
------------------------------
In response to the deep concern regarding the Matches at Heartland please be advised that we will continue the matches and they will be more spectacular than ever.
By now you know that my name is Barry Bryant and I own Heartland Outdoors along with other businesses. I thought it would be wise to make a statement to all of our loyal customers and to the great folks that come to our store several times per month to shoot the after hours pistol matches. I do not get involved in the day to day operations of the store. We have a store manager and he is responsible for running the store and keeping me abreast of the store's operations.
Unbeknown to me (my fault) the Match Director had been given a key to the store by our previous manager. On a recent Sunday night following one of the matches many of you shoot the Match Director set the alarm and left the front door unlocked. A client came to the store a full day later on Tuesday morning and opened the door to enter the store during the start of business and inadvertently set off the alarm. This security situation has caused myself and my store manager, Mr. Steve Wingo to fully investigate how security procedures and store access were being handled at the store following the Sunday night matches.
In our efforts to correct the security issues we had to part ways with the current match director. He will no longer be able to run the matches or teach classes at Heartland Outdoors as a result. Due to the liability of a gun range and the potential issues with the ATF that would occur if a break in where to occur we simply cannot have anyone that is not a Heartland Outdoors employee having access to the store after hours. The ATF leaves no room or opportunity for error due to being lackadaisical in our efforts. Not taking this situation seriously could result the business losing its license which would be the end of Heartland Outdoors for all of us. In saying that nothing happened so what does that tell you about our community and the great place we live in or the law enforcement that continues to keep us safe.
In addition who among you would invest 2.4 million dollars into an enterprise and allow anyone at anytime into your store with that kind of the liability hanging over your head. It is entirely my fault for not knowing what was going on at my own enterprise. I lean toward trusting people until they give me a reason not to. How fair would it be to all the great people who work so hard every day at Heartland Outdoors to earn your business if we had to close the doors because we had no license?
Please also consider our Herculean liability if one of you got hurt at a match or a class with no Heartland Outdoors personnel present. I hope and pray that each and every concerned shooter will take the time to get to know me and the other great people at Heartland Outdoors and decide for themselves what was said, what is happening, and if we deserve your future business.
In closing please consider that I do not make my living from the resources of Heartland. I draw no compensation from there. I do use it as a vehicle to support my favorite causes. Heartland is there because of my belief system and most certainly is not the wisest financial decision I have made. I do it because I believe in it just as all of you do. I still own the first gun my grandfather taught me to shoot and it is in mint condition while I am 60 years of age. It is a passion and not a pay day for me. The mud slinging hurts and certainly makes me take pause as to why we should even try. The kind emails I have received answers that question.
We need your input, advice and direction as to what direction we should go in continuing the Sunday night matches that you all enjoy so much and we will do our best to get it done. I am not the shooting expert but a very quick study. In my business life I have always considered if you aren't the lead dog the view never changes. Mr. Wingo is our new manager. He is a hard working avid shooter and is all ears. Feel free to contact our store manager Mr. Wingo or myself. Together we will work hard to keep the Sunday night match at Heartland Outdoors your favorite match and the match for new shooters to come and learn to enjoy the shooting sports.
Also, contrary to rumors, Heartland Outdoors will not be closing its doors for business anytime soon.
Thanks for your patronage,
Barry G. Bryant
Heartland Outdoors
[email protected]
See if you can run some matches elsewhere and put all this behind you. All good brother. 
