Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Calibers Shooting Sports Centers' CEO Joins NSSF's Retail Advisory Council

NEWTOWN, Conn. - The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the trade association for the firearms industry, is pleased to announce that Ryan Burt has joined its Retail Advisory Council.

Burt is the CEO of Calibers Shooting Sports Centers based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a family-owned business since 1997. In the last seven years, Burt has guided the company's growth to include three independent retail stores and an ever evolving ecommerce website. This growth took the company from its original, single 10,000 square-foot facility having one classroom and a 16-position, 25-yard range to its current footprint that now includes two 30-yard .50 BMG-rated ranges, 38 shooting positions, three classrooms, a Safe Store-specific retail store and a dedicated ecommerce department, all totaling more than 47,000 square-feet.

To provide for additional expansion and diversification, Burt created a real-estate subdivision for Calibers that provides for lease space on its properties to entities such as fly-fishing retail stores, restaurants and doctors' offices. Calibers now marketing its brand as a nationwide franchise opportunity, while Burt serves as a voice for the industry with his involvement as the host of the industry-exclusive Caliber Sportsman Show, an ESPN radio broadcast in Albuquerque.

"Our Retail Advisory Council is designed to take the expertise of its members and combine that with the both the input from our members at large and NSSF's vast resources to improve how today's firearms retailers do business," explained Patrick Shay, NSSF Director, Retail Development. "We are very fortunate to have someone with the lifelong experience and passion for the shooting sports and hunting that Ryan Burt has join our team, and we're looking forward to the fresh voice and innovative thinking he brings to the table."

"The opportunity NSSF has afforded me is one that I am truly appreciative of," said Burt. "Not only does this opportunity allow Calibers to work alongside the other members of the Range Advisory Council to improve the retail aspect of our sport, it allows us to collectively address various social issues related to the firearm industry."

NSSF has memberships available for all professionals in the firearms industry, including its Premium Retail membership, which provides a complimentary store compliance audit, access to a legal defense fund and many other resources. To learn more and to discover all the benefits to becoming an NSSF member, visit www.nssf.org.


About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 13,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.


For more information contact:

Bill Brassard
203-426-1320