Eagle Industries

[Peregrino]

OK Gear Heads. For those of you in the Fort Bragg/Fayetteville area (or those forced by duty to visit on a regular basis) I’m now permitted to pass along some fantastic news! I’ve had to sit on this since early December and I’ve finally gotten the go-ahead to let the cat out of the bag.

Eagle Industries is opening a branch in Fayetteville. They’ve been servicing the Ft Bragg/SpecOps community long distance since the early 80’s (how many guys still have their 1st generation SAS holster and duty belt lying around somewhere?) and now they’ve decided to do it “up close and personal”. The sign is finally up and the crew is in the process of setting up the displays as I write this. It probably would have been open sooner except the word leaked out; every time they got a shipment in for setup somebody on Bragg would buy the lot “for the upcoming deployment” and they’d have to reorder. Even with no sign out front and brown paper covering the windows people in the know were beating a path to the door.

The new office is on Bragg Blvd. across from Eutaw Village Shopping Center. The place is run by Eli Gonzalez, a guy who is well known within the community. He has a small staff that includes a full-up prototyping team that’s already addressing the specialized needs of Bragg units. The Fayetteville facility’s primary functions are twofold: to provide a showroom so end users can familiarize themselves with the Eagle product line; and, to put an R&D facility within reach of units/organizations with unique requirements. They also have a “state of the art” conference room, a nice classroom, and agreements in place for vendors and other SMEs’ to give demonstrations and classes to select audiences.

Eagle is taking it to the next level; this truly will be an end user education center and R&D facility. The showroom uses a diorama approach with mannequins to show various configurations of military, LEO, and PMC loadouts; a little something for everyone. Individual pieces of gear are on racks around the walls where customers can inspect (fondle) them. The R&D section is a complete sewing facility that’s producing designs to meet unique requirements that are going straight to the end user for real world testing. They’re able to immediately incorporate feedback and get the revision back out for additional testing. It’s a face-to-face collaboration between the end user and the guys that turn ideas into reality. The final product really is “soldier tested and approved” (I love COTS and IMPACT credit cards). The prototypes judged commercially viable (of benefit to the whole community) will go to one of two manufacturing facilities (made in the USA!) for mass production. Then we all benefit from some knuckle dragger’s good idea. The “one-offs” (not commercially viable) for war-fighters are just part of the way John Carver (Eagle’s owner, a.k.a. “ The Father of Tactical Nylon”) does business. It’s the personal service of a small shop (the way all the good ones started) backed by the economic muscle and manufacturing ability of one of the industry’s founders.

Finally the “good news – bad news”; bad news first. The bad news is – it won’t be a retail sales outlet. Eagle considered some level of in-house retail, but didn’t want to detract from their primary missions with “sales pressure”. The showroom is just that, a place where customers can familiarize themselves with Eagle’s product lines and discuss requirements with a knowledgeable staff. The good news is - agreements are in the works to stand up a dealer in the area. Eli is negotiating with select local retailers (one of our favorites is at the top of the list) so that individuals can purchase the products from a stocking dealer at reasonable prices. Don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m excited about this. Except for the short-lived Light Fighter experiment, Eagle gear has never been available locally in any quantity/selection. Access to the highest quality gear in the Fayetteville area just got a whole lot better.

My .02 - Peregrino

[NousDefionsDoc]

Great News! Eagle is a fantastic company and John Carver is people.

[Monsoon65]

I have to get to Bragg for a liaison TDY now!! I've been looking for a holster for my 9MM. I hate the one on my survival vest.

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by Peregrino

OK Gear Heads. (how many guys still have their 1st generation SAS holster and duty belt lying around somewhere?)My .02 - Peregrino

I do........

Great news.

Eagle Industries makes great gear! I still use my twenty year old (I think) "SAS holster and duty belt"...... I did purchase another to fit the USP Tactical........

TS

[jatx]

From a business standpoint, their stocking dealer plan makes no sense. They are investing heavily to stimulate local demand at Ft. Bragg, then pushing customers to an alternate channel where the retailer captures the margin. A better plan would be to have some warehouse space nearby with an employee or two to pick and pack. They could have a computer in the showroom with live inventory info for customers to place orders on, then pick up in person at the warehouse. I doubt most .mil customers would mind if it meant they could have immediate gratification and avoid paying postage. In addition, it would speed delivery to Eagle's customers up and down the East coast.

Just my $.02. I hate seeing good companies with bad profit models.

[kgoerz]

I doubt most .mil customers would mind if it meant they could have immediate gratification and avoid paying postage. In addition, it would speed delivery to Eagle's customers up and down the East coast.

Jacksonville SC has the largest gear store I ever seen. A place like that in Fay would make a killing. No more emails saying sorry Back Order Of course Gen Jacksons had a hand in U.S Cav shutting down on Yadkin Road, so I heard. Something about U.S CAV's lower prices were hurting Gen Jacksons sales. Unfair to open the same type of store across the street, GJ was there first, GJ had connections with local Govt.....etc. Don't know the whole story. Lots of politics when it comes to opening a store catering to the Military in Fay.

[Snaquebite]

Eli is negotiating with select local retailers (one of our favorites is at the top of the list)

Which one is that?

Jacksonville SC has the largest gear store I ever seen.

Same question....

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by kgoerz

Jacksonville SC has the largest gear store I ever seen.

Where is Jacksonville, SC?

TR

[mswilliams]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

I do........

Great news.

Eagle Industries makes great gear! I still use my twenty year old (I think) "SAS holster and duty belt"...... I did purchase another to fit the USP Tactical........

TS

TS, I still have my SAS holster and duty belt too, though I think my son cut off a couple of inches of my duty belt just to mess with me!
Need to get a new one sometime soon.

[Peregrino]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Where is Jacksonville, SC?

TR

+1. The wife and I are scratching our heads too.

Snaquebite - See Dave at Shooter's. BTW - Good seeing you at the Bragg AUSA Show (even if just in passing). Congrats on the job.

Peregrino

[Snaquebite]

good to see you also...

I think he may be referring to Jacksonville NC, outside Lejeune

maybe Tactical Applications Group??? Heard they were opening a shop...

maybe a compass is in order......

[kgoerz]

I think he may be referring to Jacksonville NC, outside Lejeune

What he said