Archery Business: Jake Mancl recently joined your team at HHA Sports. What is his role?
Brian Hamm, VP of Engineering: It was pretty evident from the start that the addition of Jake Mancl to the HHA team was a home run for us. In the short time that he’s been here, Jake has proven his value in assisting Chris on the sales and product promotion side of things, while also providing me with great input on existing and new product direction. Jake really stepped in and up for us and did so at the height of the busy season. That speaks volumes for just how special he is.
Chris Hamm, VP of Operations: From the first email that he sent us, I knew there was something special about Jake. It was obvious to me that he had a bright future ahead, and we are blessed to have him joining the team. Jake’s knowledge, enthusiasm and fresh ideas are going to strengthen multiple areas of the company, and we are excited to introduce him to our growing network of retailers and industry partners.
Archery Business: The pandemic has caused serious supply problems for many companies. How has HHA weathered the storm?
Brian Hamm: Yes, the pandemic has caused some real pain for manufacturers worldwide. The reason HHA Sports has navigated these times so successfully is a double-edged sword, in my opinion. We have a such a dedicated, passionate group of people on our internal machining, assembly, shipping and administrative teams, and for our outside needs, have aligned ourselves with strong companies on American soil.
Chris Hamm: While we haven’t been immune to a few obstacles and delays, HHA Sports really thrived in this environment due to sourcing our materials stateside. While many companies are quick to slap American flags on their packaging, very few are truly Made in the USA anymore. Along with outstanding customer service and the HHA lifetime warranty, being American made and keeping jobs in Wisconsin is something that we’ve been adamant about since the beginning, and that has been a huge plus the past 18 months.
Product lead times have remained shorter than most thanks to a stellar group of local supply chain partners and our longtime in-house professionals controlling the majority of the manufacturing process. That said, the biggest factor for us was and always will come back to the people. The commitment and dedication of the employees at HHA is second to none, and I can’t say enough about the job they continue to do.
Successful businesses are built around the quality of the people, and we feel that we have one of the best teams in the industry, period. At the end of the day, they are the difference maker.
Jake Mancl: Although the pandemic has impacted our industry as a whole, HHA has been able to navigate this challenge because of the strong team we have both internally and externally. This is a credit to not only the culture, but also the loyalty that HHA and the Hamm family have been able to establish over the past 38 years.
For more information, visit www.hhasports.com.
