Every company worth its salt is always on the lookout for new things they can learn from their partners. John Bright calls these kinds of learnings ‘invaluable’ for his business Highland Outdoors.
“You definitely learn things from each other when working together with partners, sharing ideas and also information from different parts of the world,” he says. “Shows like IWA OutdoorClassics are a great way to start learning from potential new partners too. The chance meetings are still vital. I met with an American contact this year that was complete chance and could end up being good for both of our businesses. Those kinds of things are what make trade shows high value for us.”
Built to last
What is most impressive about partnerships forged in the shooting and hunting industries is how they have stood the test of time. Even through difficulties like threats from legislation, global recessions, pandemics, and more, strong partnerships have allowed their participants to survive and thrive in times of adversity. Giving each other a hand and working towards a mutually beneficial goal is one of the principles that Waimex is built on – what’s good for one side of a partnership is usually good for the other.
Christopher Mijal explains: “Waimex has a very long and successful partnership with Smith & Wesson, which is about 16 years, back to the start of our company. When you get to that long working with each other, a partnership works well from a networking point of view. We keep our ear to the ground for them and they do the same for us. They often keep an eye out for new business partners and potential contacts and sometimes bring them to us. When you have worked with one good company that makes good products for so long, it means you are more likely to get more coming along who want to work with you.”
And so, we reveal another key benefit of being able to nurture a strong partnership: it can bring new ones to you more easily. This was on display at IWA OutdoorClassics in 2025 where Waimex revealed a new partnership with ammunition company Nosler.
“We are very happy to be working with Nosler,” concludes Christopher. “It’s very important for us when we begin a partnership that we begin with an exclusive business relationship. That is good for us because it avoids any price fighting with other wholesalers. For Waimex, we are always looking for high-quality products, and also for brands that offer good pricing and value for the end consumer as well. We also want to make sure that it works out well for the dealers and that they have good customer service. And we have all of that and much more with Nosler. We are excited for the future as we walk towards it together.”
