WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en-GB 00:00:08.310 --> 00:00:14.940 I'm Travis Bader and this is the Silvercore PodcastSilvercore has 00:00:14.940 --> 00:00:18.600 been providing its members with a skills and knowledge necessary 00:00:18.600 --> 00:00:22.620 to be confident and proficient in the outdoors for over 20 years. 00:00:22.680 --> 00:00:27.120 And we make it easier for people to deepen their connection to the natural world. 00:00:27.720 --> 00:00:29.250 If you enjoy the positive. 00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:36.090 Content we provide, please let others know by sharing, commenting, and following 00:00:36.420 --> 00:00:38.250 so that you can join in on everything. 00:00:38.250 --> 00:00:39.630 That Silvercore stands for for. 00:00:40.710 --> 00:00:43.320 If you'd like to learn more about becoming a member of the 00:00:43.320 --> 00:00:48.250 Silvercore Club and community, visit our website at, silvercore.ca 00:01:02.220 --> 00:01:06.450 Today I am joined by the CEO of MDT, makers of fine firearms, 00:01:06.450 --> 00:01:07.680 accessories, and rifle. 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:08.190 Chasses. 00:01:08.730 --> 00:01:10.680 Welcome to the silver Corp podcast. 00:01:10.950 --> 00:01:12.220 Maarten Van Ruitenburg. 00:01:12.600 --> 00:01:16.140 Thank you for having me Maarten I'm really excited to have you on the podcast. 00:01:16.170 --> 00:01:22.950 It's I've been watching MDT grow for a very long time now, and you guys are at, 00:01:22.950 --> 00:01:24.810 it appears from your social media anyways. 00:01:25.934 --> 00:01:29.265 In a stage of even greater expansion, it looks like you're getting into 00:01:29.265 --> 00:01:33.015 a new building and maybe some new things coming down the pipe that 00:01:33.015 --> 00:01:34.274 we might be able to talk about. 00:01:34.695 --> 00:01:37.515 But before we go there, I kind of want to get a little bit of 00:01:37.634 --> 00:01:42.705 background for myself and for the listeners on, on you and kind of. 00:01:43.485 --> 00:01:44.865 How you came in to 00:01:44.865 --> 00:01:45.465 MDT? 00:01:45.825 --> 00:01:46.575 Yeah, absolutely. 00:01:46.905 --> 00:01:50.955 Uh, I came into MDT in 2012, late 2012. 00:01:51.105 --> 00:01:53.475 It was a kind of an interesting time. 00:01:53.955 --> 00:01:57.345 Um, I was a supply chain manager back then and Chilliwack had a company 00:01:57.345 --> 00:02:00.855 that was bought out by a company in California and it was a big management 00:02:00.855 --> 00:02:02.385 change and I was out of work. 00:02:03.165 --> 00:02:05.715 Um, I'd always been somewhat entrepreneurial, always been 00:02:05.715 --> 00:02:08.805 looking at creating my own businesses and getting involved. 00:02:09.555 --> 00:02:13.065 Somebody connected me with a lousy local Memphis. 00:02:13.165 --> 00:02:13.755 Uh, yes. 00:02:13.755 --> 00:02:17.085 I know Laszlo, you know, a lot of people locally here will know him. 00:02:17.085 --> 00:02:19.245 He was quite active in the shooting community. 00:02:19.245 --> 00:02:21.015 Especially back then today. 00:02:21.075 --> 00:02:23.085 He seems to be busy with having kids and stuff. 00:02:23.625 --> 00:02:30.255 Um, but, um, I was introduced to him and he was already making the TAC 21 chassis, 00:02:30.315 --> 00:02:33.555 which he started designing around 2009. 00:02:33.644 --> 00:02:33.915 That's 00:02:33.915 --> 00:02:34.155 right. 00:02:34.515 --> 00:02:34.905 That's right. 00:02:34.935 --> 00:02:36.285 The MDT TAC 21. 00:02:36.285 --> 00:02:37.755 That was the very first flagship. 00:02:38.235 --> 00:02:38.895 That came out. 00:02:38.895 --> 00:02:39.315 Wasn't it? 00:02:39.345 --> 00:02:39.915 That's exactly 00:02:39.915 --> 00:02:40.125 right. 00:02:40.125 --> 00:02:40.365 Yes. 00:02:40.365 --> 00:02:40.515 Yeah. 00:02:40.755 --> 00:02:43.845 So when I was asked to, uh, work with them, I said, now give me 00:02:43.845 --> 00:02:47.055 some time, I'll look online and see what people are saying about this 00:02:47.055 --> 00:02:48.405 and see if there's anything to it. 00:02:48.795 --> 00:02:52.425 And I looked online and there was a lot of people, just very stoked about it. 00:02:52.455 --> 00:02:56.085 I think, especially on Canadian gun nuts, people were like, I want one, I want one. 00:02:56.085 --> 00:02:58.665 I think we've got a list of some 80 people that want at one minute, 00:02:58.695 --> 00:03:00.165 it just posted a prototype picture. 00:03:01.180 --> 00:03:01.570 Yeah. 00:03:01.660 --> 00:03:03.730 And, uh, so, so that looks very exciting. 00:03:03.730 --> 00:03:07.150 And, uh, I actually started working for MDT as a contractor 00:03:07.150 --> 00:03:08.830 to see if I could do something. 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:11.590 Uh, I went to, Shacho worked hard. 00:03:12.810 --> 00:03:16.290 I believe I walked away with 750 business cards at that shot show. 00:03:16.290 --> 00:03:18.510 So that would have been January, 2013. 00:03:19.020 --> 00:03:21.330 So what were you doing as a contractor? 00:03:21.570 --> 00:03:23.340 Uh, sales and marketing. 00:03:23.550 --> 00:03:24.000 Okay. 00:03:24.030 --> 00:03:24.300 Yeah. 00:03:24.750 --> 00:03:30.090 Um, and then I realized that, um, a lot of things needed to happen at the 00:03:30.090 --> 00:03:33.540 company in order to like, you can sell something, but when you can't ship 00:03:33.540 --> 00:03:35.260 it in time, it's, you know, it's not. 00:03:36.200 --> 00:03:37.590 Not a lot of fun to sell something. 00:03:38.160 --> 00:03:42.299 Uh, so, you know, the quick version of it was that I ended up buying half 00:03:42.299 --> 00:03:44.250 the company from Laszlo back then. 00:03:44.730 --> 00:03:48.630 And so we ran a company together, 50 50 partners for a quite a number 00:03:48.630 --> 00:03:52.230 of years until 2017, when he was bought out by private actors. 00:03:52.810 --> 00:03:53.320 Okay. 00:03:53.410 --> 00:03:57.190 And, uh, yeah, so that's how, uh, how I got involved with MDT. 00:03:57.190 --> 00:03:59.320 So I'm not the founder Laszlo is right. 00:03:59.530 --> 00:04:03.760 Um, so I have run the company as the CEO since 2013. 00:04:04.180 --> 00:04:07.359 Um, but, uh, you know, all the product development, all the 00:04:07.359 --> 00:04:11.859 product design, everything that happens there, it's a Laszlo. 00:04:11.859 --> 00:04:16.120 And, uh, today a group of eight designers and engineers. 00:04:16.820 --> 00:04:18.260 Constantly working on new products. 00:04:19.010 --> 00:04:19.310 Well, 00:04:19.310 --> 00:04:23.300 I've, I've always known Laszlo is a very talented machinist and 00:04:23.300 --> 00:04:24.920 somebody who's got lots of ideas. 00:04:24.920 --> 00:04:30.110 And I remember around 2002, 2003, I think it was, he was going by the name 00:04:30.110 --> 00:04:32.900 of rooster 33 on Canadian gun nuts. 00:04:32.900 --> 00:04:36.440 And he's selling M 14 cheek pieces and muzzle breaks. 00:04:36.440 --> 00:04:42.650 And I didn't remember, I had moved out into, uh, a rental place 00:04:42.740 --> 00:04:44.930 at that time with my wife and. 00:04:45.625 --> 00:04:48.674 The place was just an absolute dump, just a terrible place. 00:04:48.674 --> 00:04:51.825 But I had a big backyard and I had a shop. 00:04:51.885 --> 00:04:54.614 And so there was a shop that I was interested in because at the time 00:04:54.614 --> 00:04:56.594 it was not silver cord training. 00:04:56.594 --> 00:04:59.715 I did the training, but I had silver cord gun works and Laszlo would come 00:04:59.715 --> 00:05:03.614 by with different muzzle breaks or a little screws that he's making up 00:05:03.614 --> 00:05:05.025 and I'd be parkerizing them for him. 00:05:05.114 --> 00:05:10.815 But I remember watching as the, uh, the whole chassis thing 00:05:10.815 --> 00:05:12.135 started coming to fruition. 00:05:13.200 --> 00:05:16.350 And I also remember watching a lot of people in the gun community kind of 00:05:16.350 --> 00:05:20.550 set down the back and trying to take credit for giving the idea to slow for 00:05:20.550 --> 00:05:22.710 doing this, whether that's true or not. 00:05:22.710 --> 00:05:24.750 He was the guy who really pushed it forward. 00:05:24.930 --> 00:05:25.110 Yeah, 00:05:25.110 --> 00:05:25.470 that's right. 00:05:25.470 --> 00:05:26.610 He's the guy that made it happen. 00:05:26.670 --> 00:05:30.690 And the reason it was called tack Tony wanted, because it was 21 versions on 00:05:30.690 --> 00:05:33.450 paper before it became an actual product. 00:05:33.990 --> 00:05:34.230 See, 00:05:34.230 --> 00:05:36.390 I didn't know that it's kind of like WB 40. 00:05:37.200 --> 00:05:38.400 Now we got tacked 21. 00:05:38.430 --> 00:05:39.210 Interesting. 00:05:41.025 --> 00:05:44.925 The whole chassis idea for some of the listeners, they're going to know 00:05:44.925 --> 00:05:49.125 exactly what we're talking about, but can you describe the concept behind 00:05:49.125 --> 00:05:51.675 the chassis and a side question? 00:05:51.675 --> 00:05:54.525 I'm wondering, uh, how long have chassies really been around 00:05:54.525 --> 00:05:54.795 for? 00:05:55.425 --> 00:05:58.455 Yeah, so I mean, the original chassies would have come from, 00:05:58.485 --> 00:06:00.405 uh, accuracy international, right? 00:06:00.615 --> 00:06:04.625 Um, Lazlo actually, when he started working on a chassis, he wanted to buy. 00:06:05.115 --> 00:06:06.135 But he couldn't afford one. 00:06:06.645 --> 00:06:09.585 And that's when he started looking at making something, 00:06:09.585 --> 00:06:11.235 since he is a machinist by trade. 00:06:11.295 --> 00:06:11.655 Right. 00:06:11.955 --> 00:06:17.655 And, um, he wanted to design something that was, uh, more ergonomic and natural 00:06:17.655 --> 00:06:21.315 to somebody that came out of military and was used to like an AR platform. 00:06:21.315 --> 00:06:23.025 So he wanted to do the pistol grip and he went. 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:25.020 AR butts stocks. 00:06:25.380 --> 00:06:26.909 That was a very important part for him. 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:27.539 Right. 00:06:27.599 --> 00:06:31.440 And, uh, and we, you know, that made it a modular system where you could 00:06:31.469 --> 00:06:33.690 swap, grips out and bought stocks. 00:06:33.690 --> 00:06:37.650 And we still pride ourselves today on the majority of our products being 00:06:37.650 --> 00:06:42.539 very modular and, and build it and swap at exactly to how you would want 00:06:42.539 --> 00:06:42.719 it. 00:06:42.870 --> 00:06:43.380 Right. 00:06:43.620 --> 00:06:45.630 So the, I guess, I remember. 00:06:45.670 --> 00:06:49.970 So accuracy international, the started there EICs actually accuracy international 00:06:49.970 --> 00:06:55.490 chassis system and the wood glue the receiver right into the chassis. 00:06:55.550 --> 00:06:58.040 And they say this makes a superior stronger product. 00:06:58.280 --> 00:07:00.050 I think that's been tested in debate. 00:07:00.609 --> 00:07:02.140 I believe they still glue it, don't they? 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:05.349 I don't know what they still do, but that is an it's an interesting question. 00:07:05.349 --> 00:07:05.979 And we deal with that. 00:07:05.979 --> 00:07:08.770 A lot of people should be bedding and gluing and all that kind of stuff. 00:07:09.219 --> 00:07:13.990 Um, I still have a, uh, a rifle at home in attack 21, 1 of the originals. 00:07:14.380 --> 00:07:19.659 So, uh, Laszlo had gotten two identical receivers, identical barrels shooting 00:07:19.659 --> 00:07:23.469 with them, make sure that they had, uh, very closely to the same, uh, 00:07:23.469 --> 00:07:24.729 results when shooting them and. 00:07:25.635 --> 00:07:28.605 But I'm in the exact same, chassies one glued in one log glued. 00:07:28.665 --> 00:07:31.335 And so both those rifles still exist today. 00:07:31.935 --> 00:07:36.585 And we have never been able to notice a difference between in 00:07:36.585 --> 00:07:38.025 performance between the two. 00:07:38.415 --> 00:07:42.255 And it makes sense because the way that all our chances are designed is the 00:07:42.255 --> 00:07:44.775 round action always sits in a Vblock. 00:07:44.865 --> 00:07:45.205 Right? 00:07:45.535 --> 00:07:48.405 You do have to pay attention to look where the V is in the, in 00:07:48.405 --> 00:07:51.675 the block, but it has nowhere to go when it's screwed in properly. 00:07:52.335 --> 00:07:52.765 And. 00:07:53.550 --> 00:07:57.540 It's since it cannot move glued or not, there should not be 00:07:57.540 --> 00:07:58.950 any difference in performance. 00:07:59.610 --> 00:08:02.250 And I guess see, cause I remember when they started coming out with aluminum 00:08:02.280 --> 00:08:05.430 Vblocks and they're putting them in stocks and they say, this is the latest greatest. 00:08:05.430 --> 00:08:07.260 You no longer have to bet at anymore. 00:08:07.560 --> 00:08:10.950 We've got this aluminum Vblock system, but the chassis will take 00:08:10.950 --> 00:08:15.360 that one step further and it's all going to be integral to the chassis. 00:08:15.390 --> 00:08:20.850 Will it, it's all going to be one solid as opposed to a stock that's been carved out. 00:08:20.850 --> 00:08:21.120 And then. 00:08:21.975 --> 00:08:23.385 Got a screw on in, is that, is that 00:08:23.385 --> 00:08:24.105 the concept? 00:08:24.135 --> 00:08:28.425 Yeah, definitely with the tax 21, uh, our other chances will be very similar, 00:08:28.425 --> 00:08:33.315 but yeah, it, it sucks that action tight into that entire chassis and, 00:08:33.315 --> 00:08:36.195 um, it essentially becomes one with it. 00:08:36.735 --> 00:08:40.515 Um, so over the tax, when you own, then it also has that housing, which has 00:08:40.515 --> 00:08:44.145 the real built-in and we see comments where people like I would never have 00:08:44.174 --> 00:08:47.325 the real be part of the chassis rather than being directly on the receiver. 00:08:47.865 --> 00:08:50.985 But again, it's, um, th there is no. 00:08:51.810 --> 00:08:53.880 Changes in accuracy. 00:08:53.880 --> 00:08:56.699 And as a matter of fact, that it's actually a more solid system because 00:08:57.089 --> 00:08:58.829 that real to simply has nowhere to go. 00:08:58.829 --> 00:09:03.120 It's not connected by a couple of cruises, literally machined right in. 00:09:03.599 --> 00:09:07.110 And, uh, so I mean, you can't argue with having a real machine 00:09:07.110 --> 00:09:08.520 right into the action itself. 00:09:08.610 --> 00:09:08.910 Right. 00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:10.219 But this will be the next. 00:09:11.204 --> 00:09:11.385 No 00:09:11.385 --> 00:09:11.834 kidding. 00:09:12.314 --> 00:09:13.545 So, okay. 00:09:13.545 --> 00:09:17.025 So you came in and said, I, did you have a background in firearms? 00:09:17.834 --> 00:09:20.355 I did not have a background in firearms before this. 00:09:20.385 --> 00:09:20.714 No. 00:09:20.925 --> 00:09:23.985 When I got involved, uh, I had never shot a center fire before 00:09:23.985 --> 00:09:25.334 I shut some budget stuff before. 00:09:25.814 --> 00:09:28.125 And, um, so I had to learn. 00:09:29.110 --> 00:09:29.290 Well, 00:09:29.290 --> 00:09:35.589 I see your name on a lot of different, uh, lists, competitive Les PRS style matches. 00:09:36.339 --> 00:09:40.750 You're the CEO of a company and you want to be out there shooting on a regular 00:09:40.750 --> 00:09:41.290 basis. 00:09:41.530 --> 00:09:47.949 Yeah, so I, I do, um, I don't, uh, I mean, I can't pretend that I have all 00:09:47.949 --> 00:09:51.459 the answers because I could, I wasn't even shooting, you know, 10 years ago. 00:09:51.490 --> 00:09:51.819 Right. 00:09:52.800 --> 00:09:54.790 So what's the best way for us. 00:09:54.969 --> 00:09:55.900 And this is not just me. 00:09:56.775 --> 00:09:58.875 We encourage everybody else at the company to do the same. 00:09:59.145 --> 00:10:01.695 How could we, how could we say, we're going to come up with all these great 00:10:01.695 --> 00:10:03.165 products if we're not out there shooting. 00:10:03.705 --> 00:10:07.485 So all our employees get a monthly, uh, uh, ammo allowance. 00:10:08.025 --> 00:10:10.725 Um, we do things we pay for our match fees. 00:10:10.725 --> 00:10:12.975 We want to make sure that everybody goes out and shoot. 00:10:13.245 --> 00:10:14.625 So it does so many things. 00:10:14.625 --> 00:10:16.155 It will going out to shoot. 00:10:16.155 --> 00:10:17.595 You can see what the pain points are. 00:10:17.595 --> 00:10:20.505 You can you come up with new products, but you also talk to the community. 00:10:21.135 --> 00:10:22.815 Uh, and it's the same thing for me personally. 00:10:23.330 --> 00:10:26.450 Um, I like to be out there talking to our customers, potential 00:10:26.450 --> 00:10:28.400 customers, editors, whatever. 00:10:28.400 --> 00:10:31.100 I have good relationships with a lot of our competitors. 00:10:31.850 --> 00:10:36.390 Um, And I want to better myself at the same time I want to learn. 00:10:36.750 --> 00:10:42.480 And when I just started shooting some of the matches, it was, um, I just 00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:44.430 wanted to, you know, just be there. 00:10:44.430 --> 00:10:48.480 And then I was like, okay, I want to be coming at least stop having. 00:10:49.035 --> 00:10:50.385 And then I started shooting some matches. 00:10:50.385 --> 00:10:53.655 I was calming and top five and couple, and I was like, mm, I got to do more. 00:10:53.655 --> 00:10:57.885 So I spent quite a bit of time, uh, really figuring out what I got to do. 00:10:57.885 --> 00:11:00.645 I spent a fair amount of time with, uh, Ryan, Stacey, who I 00:11:00.645 --> 00:11:02.444 believe is a phenomenal teacher. 00:11:03.045 --> 00:11:05.895 And, uh, he helped me a lot with a mental game. 00:11:06.255 --> 00:11:07.724 Rollovers, Jose, you still close. 00:11:07.724 --> 00:11:09.704 We collect an actor to a MDT. 00:11:09.704 --> 00:11:10.635 He's helped me a ton. 00:11:11.204 --> 00:11:15.175 Uh, we actually shot a video of one of the matches that I shot last year. 00:11:15.800 --> 00:11:17.720 The training that went into it ahead of time. 00:11:18.200 --> 00:11:21.740 Um, but I just love doing it and I love to go out different places. 00:11:21.740 --> 00:11:24.290 So I've shot matches locally here I've shot. 00:11:24.290 --> 00:11:26.090 One of the guardian matches in Ireland. 00:11:26.090 --> 00:11:30.230 I've shot some in the U S I would have already shot some matches in Australia and 00:11:30.590 --> 00:11:32.960 South Africa, but then COVID hit, right. 00:11:33.350 --> 00:11:36.830 That's kinda cut that down, but that's still in the plants. 00:11:37.310 --> 00:11:40.790 I don't have an objective to be coming in number, you know, first because 00:11:40.820 --> 00:11:43.790 the Amanda time that I would have dedicated to that would probably. 00:11:44.805 --> 00:11:46.215 Or maybe hurt the business. 00:11:46.305 --> 00:11:46.725 Right. 00:11:46.785 --> 00:11:49.185 Um, but um, I love doing it. 00:11:49.185 --> 00:11:53.340 I loved being there and I, uh, You know, I think that all of us should 00:11:53.340 --> 00:11:54.810 always work on bettering ourselves. 00:11:55.080 --> 00:11:56.940 I a hundred percent agree, you know, it's funny. 00:11:56.940 --> 00:12:01.380 I was out in the forest shore doing some hunting last night and I thought, 00:12:01.380 --> 00:12:04.080 you know, while I'm doing a little bit of research for this podcast, 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:07.530 we will just I'll reach out to Laszlo and I'll reach out to Ryan. 00:12:07.530 --> 00:12:09.690 I'll see what kind of dirt I can get on you and what can the 00:12:10.230 --> 00:12:11.550 information they can provide. 00:12:12.210 --> 00:12:16.290 No dirt, they have no dirt on you, either that, or they keep it pretty 00:12:16.560 --> 00:12:20.790 pretty to themselves at a Ryan was talking about your, um, your mental 00:12:20.790 --> 00:12:26.220 management in the, uh, in the PRS style shooting that you're doing and how far 00:12:26.220 --> 00:12:29.610 you've come with that, which is, um, which just pretty inspirational for 00:12:29.610 --> 00:12:34.890 somebody who's building a business, such as yours and expanding the business. 00:12:34.890 --> 00:12:37.650 It's still be able to have the time to, I think they call it the hook. 00:12:39.765 --> 00:12:42.015 Taking care of all the stuff at the top, but you're still able to 00:12:42.015 --> 00:12:46.655 hook down and use all the products at the end user level, which. 00:12:48.450 --> 00:12:49.050 Pretty cool. 00:12:49.140 --> 00:12:49.830 Yeah, it is cool. 00:12:49.830 --> 00:12:49.980 Yeah. 00:12:49.980 --> 00:12:53.820 I'm glad I didn't have any dirt on a, on, I mean, but you know, 00:12:53.820 --> 00:12:56.760 uh, personally, but as a company as well, we try to be extra neat, 00:12:56.790 --> 00:12:58.290 transparent in everything that we do. 00:12:58.680 --> 00:13:02.070 And, uh, you know, we screw up from time to time and, and we, we try 00:13:02.070 --> 00:13:03.510 to be as open as we possibly can. 00:13:03.930 --> 00:13:05.250 So there's really, shouldn't. 00:13:05.995 --> 00:13:06.565 Dirt out. 00:13:07.585 --> 00:13:09.175 No, there wasn't, there wasn't anything. 00:13:09.175 --> 00:13:14.935 And the other thing that's really cool is how you can, a lot of times when people 00:13:15.295 --> 00:13:20.335 get into business together, that's a very stressful situation and those stresses 00:13:20.335 --> 00:13:25.285 can introduce animosity between partners and I'm not picking up on any of that. 00:13:25.285 --> 00:13:27.805 In fact, it's quite the opposite as it looks like you've been 00:13:27.805 --> 00:13:32.725 able to grow the company and, uh, build MDT to where it is now. 00:13:33.915 --> 00:13:38.535 With the help of what Laszlo had built in the past and you guys are still 00:13:38.535 --> 00:13:41.314 quite, quite close, which is very a very, 00:13:42.135 --> 00:13:42.375 yeah. 00:13:42.405 --> 00:13:43.064 Oh, I appreciate that. 00:13:43.064 --> 00:13:43.515 Thank you. 00:13:43.545 --> 00:13:46.005 Um, and again, it comes with the transparency, right? 00:13:46.005 --> 00:13:49.064 So I'm clear with what I want to do and where I want to go. 00:13:49.185 --> 00:13:52.875 And if I don't do things with hidden motions, I think that's the animosity. 00:13:53.905 --> 00:13:55.245 At you almost get rid of it. 00:13:55.305 --> 00:13:58.905 Um, so, you know, I can't say that there hasn't been, you know, moments 00:13:58.905 --> 00:14:02.715 where, you know, like any partnership that things are kinda, you know, uh, 00:14:02.715 --> 00:14:05.715 you disagree on things and all that, but yeah, no, we still get along 00:14:05.715 --> 00:14:08.985 grades, Laszlo, and I still have lunch together from time to time, not anymore 00:14:08.985 --> 00:14:12.945 because you know, something is keeping us out of restaurants, but, um, that's 00:14:12.945 --> 00:14:16.575 something, yeah, that's something that's probably helping with. 00:14:18.125 --> 00:14:22.155 I would think he has COVID uh, we affected the, uh, 00:14:22.155 --> 00:14:22.755 the sales. 00:14:22.785 --> 00:14:23.505 Yeah, absolutely. 00:14:23.505 --> 00:14:23.625 Yeah. 00:14:23.655 --> 00:14:29.175 In 2020, at 2020, our sales increased by a significant amount. 00:14:29.175 --> 00:14:35.220 And then just this past year again, We don't really, uh, know what part of 00:14:35.220 --> 00:14:40.290 it is just simply, you know, our brand growing and us, our new product creation. 00:14:40.740 --> 00:14:44.069 Uh, and so how much of it really is COVID related with the exception. 00:14:44.069 --> 00:14:48.360 If we look at a couple of spikes that we saw, especially in 2020, those 00:14:48.360 --> 00:14:51.780 were at the exact same dates that people were receiving stimulus checks. 00:14:51.930 --> 00:14:52.949 So we do know there is 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:54.300 okay. 00:14:55.350 --> 00:14:57.150 Well-spent stimulus check. 00:14:57.740 --> 00:14:58.310 I love it. 00:14:58.730 --> 00:14:59.090 Yeah. 00:14:59.150 --> 00:15:04.310 I was pretty amazed at the, uh, the increase in interest in not just the 00:15:04.310 --> 00:15:06.500 outdoors community and being outdoors. 00:15:06.500 --> 00:15:09.830 Obviously when things are locked down, people want to be outside, but the 00:15:09.830 --> 00:15:15.920 interest in self-sufficiency, and I think for some people, there's a level of fear 00:15:15.920 --> 00:15:21.080 associated that they figure that maybe firearms can help allay those fear fears. 00:15:21.110 --> 00:15:24.560 And Canada's sort of a different culture, but it's not immune to it. 00:15:24.590 --> 00:15:30.330 Then let's say in the United States, But it's encouraging to know that if 00:15:30.330 --> 00:15:35.160 that is a motivator behind it, that it expands past just, Hey, I got to get 00:15:35.160 --> 00:15:38.550 me a gun it's I actually want to go there and get something that's quality. 00:15:38.580 --> 00:15:43.650 I want to get something I've, I've got a genuine, genuine interest in this 00:15:43.650 --> 00:15:44.880 new endeavor that I'm getting into. 00:15:45.540 --> 00:15:45.780 Yeah. 00:15:45.870 --> 00:15:48.710 That's an interesting point, especially on the safety side or, 00:15:48.750 --> 00:15:50.760 uh, you know, uh, self-defense side. 00:15:51.030 --> 00:15:52.110 I don't know that. 00:15:53.535 --> 00:15:57.675 Buying our products in that relation, you know, I would expect them to go to 00:15:57.675 --> 00:16:01.485 the store and get a gun and it doesn't really matter too much how accurate it is. 00:16:01.995 --> 00:16:03.525 Uh, you know, they just want to. 00:16:04.455 --> 00:16:05.535 Within reason, obviously. 00:16:05.564 --> 00:16:05.895 Sure. 00:16:05.985 --> 00:16:08.895 Um, and we do sell a fair amount to OEM. 00:16:08.895 --> 00:16:11.205 So, you know, they could still be buying our product when they 00:16:11.205 --> 00:16:12.615 buy it rifle off the shelf. 00:16:12.915 --> 00:16:13.064 Right. 00:16:13.095 --> 00:16:17.295 But our aftermarket sales, uh, I think it's probably more, you know, okay, 00:16:17.295 --> 00:16:20.955 so now they bought it it's at three months later, the world didn't blow up. 00:16:21.025 --> 00:16:22.095 There's no zombies. 00:16:22.605 --> 00:16:25.875 Um, I got to do something, but this rifle let me start browsing online. 00:16:25.875 --> 00:16:28.055 And hopefully I find, you know, they find some NTT stuff. 00:16:29.050 --> 00:16:32.680 So we were talking off air here a little bit and you're mentioning 00:16:32.680 --> 00:16:34.690 something that sounds really exciting. 00:16:34.690 --> 00:16:35.050 I don't know. 00:16:35.050 --> 00:16:36.360 Are we able to talk about this? 00:16:37.229 --> 00:16:38.670 Uh, yeah, we'll talk about it. 00:16:38.760 --> 00:16:42.180 Um, it is kinda funny for me to talk about because I've been keeping 00:16:42.180 --> 00:16:46.530 this a, uh, kind of somewhat closed guarded secret for a few years now. 00:16:46.620 --> 00:16:51.750 Uh, but it's my pet project and we've been referring to it inside of MDT S E. 00:16:53.625 --> 00:16:57.525 Uh, and, um, and the reason I can talk about it now is because, you know, we 00:16:57.525 --> 00:17:00.495 were patent pending and I was still a bit uncomfortable, but we're now at those 00:17:00.495 --> 00:17:03.285 final stages where testing was going to start happening and people are going 00:17:03.285 --> 00:17:04.545 to see this product in the marketplace. 00:17:04.545 --> 00:17:06.645 So E T stands for electronic trigger. 00:17:07.815 --> 00:17:11.565 So what, what, uh, the story behind that is, uh, several years 00:17:11.565 --> 00:17:15.825 ago, uh, we knew that, I mean, we make anything that attaches to a 00:17:15.825 --> 00:17:17.985 precision rifle except for triggers. 00:17:18.630 --> 00:17:19.050 Mm. 00:17:19.080 --> 00:17:22.470 So triggered was just a, you know, anybody that pays attention to what we're doing 00:17:22.470 --> 00:17:24.690 would see that as a natural next step. 00:17:25.560 --> 00:17:28.110 But at the same time, you know, as I mentioned earlier, when we make 00:17:28.110 --> 00:17:30.630 something, we want it to be better than anything else out there, or, 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:32.700 or unique and different in some way. 00:17:33.420 --> 00:17:36.780 And when we were rocking on a trick, we spent, we have a full trigger, design, 00:17:36.810 --> 00:17:39.750 mechanical trigger, uh, but we didn't believe that it wasn't necessarily. 00:17:40.230 --> 00:17:45.570 Better somebody issues that, uh, these high precision triggers have 00:17:45.570 --> 00:17:49.080 is reliability, especially when their feather lights trigger weights. 00:17:49.110 --> 00:17:49.620 Right. 00:17:50.130 --> 00:17:53.040 And, um, so we wanted something that was more reliable. 00:17:54.200 --> 00:17:57.810 We wanted to have something that would somehow will lend itself to more accuracy. 00:17:58.440 --> 00:18:01.200 And that's all we ended up doing is realizing okay. 00:18:01.200 --> 00:18:06.060 If we make it electromechanical, what it will do is, uh, it 00:18:06.060 --> 00:18:07.440 will be a faster lock time. 00:18:08.430 --> 00:18:11.970 It will be more reliable at a higher round count. 00:18:12.750 --> 00:18:15.240 And then another thing that we did and what we're starting with 00:18:15.270 --> 00:18:18.510 is, um, the trigger won't move. 00:18:19.140 --> 00:18:23.220 So we call it the zero stage instead of a single or dual stage. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:27.870 So it doesn't move, but you can program the pressure at which the 00:18:27.870 --> 00:18:30.000 trigger breaks, or this is interesting. 00:18:30.470 --> 00:18:35.060 So you can say four ounces, six ounces, 12 ounces, whatever, uh, don't know 00:18:35.060 --> 00:18:38.600 exactly how you're going to program it yet, but I know it's going to be with, 00:18:38.630 --> 00:18:42.620 you know, a, a sequence of trigger poles or connecting your phone to the trigger. 00:18:42.650 --> 00:18:45.080 Cause there will be a data port at the bottom of that trigger. 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:45.530 Okay. 00:18:45.950 --> 00:18:53.450 And, um, so this trigger should, um, have a faster lock time. 00:18:53.960 --> 00:18:55.190 It should be more reliable. 00:18:55.280 --> 00:18:55.490 Yeah. 00:18:55.730 --> 00:18:58.880 And you should have a higher level of accuracy because it'd be. 00:18:59.955 --> 00:19:01.275 Not nothing moving. 00:19:01.605 --> 00:19:05.445 Cause when you, when you click that trigger, I mean, if you look at any, uh, 00:19:05.475 --> 00:19:09.795 dry fire and you, you look at what you're doing, you are always moving something 00:19:09.795 --> 00:19:11.205 because of the ghost click, right? 00:19:11.235 --> 00:19:12.135 There's no click here. 00:19:12.165 --> 00:19:14.745 The only click that happens is the firing pin flying forward. 00:19:15.254 --> 00:19:18.465 So, uh, you know, do we really know what's going to happen here? 00:19:18.465 --> 00:19:19.485 I can be very honest with you. 00:19:19.485 --> 00:19:22.125 We, this, this could end up being, not working. 00:19:22.830 --> 00:19:23.189 Sure. 00:19:23.219 --> 00:19:27.419 So w we're kind of making ourselves vulnerable with this product development, 00:19:27.419 --> 00:19:30.810 but I think that that is a very important part of getting to a next level is 00:19:30.810 --> 00:19:34.469 coming up with something that is risky and something that might not work. 00:19:34.560 --> 00:19:38.580 And this is one of those products there's going to be, we're going to be looking 00:19:38.580 --> 00:19:44.610 for beta testers later this year, where people are going to be able to try this. 00:19:45.530 --> 00:19:47.820 It's going to have a lot of testing before this becomes. 00:19:48.825 --> 00:19:53.535 Uh, product that anybody can buy more than anything else that we do. 00:19:53.955 --> 00:19:58.695 Um, but I'm I'm well, I wouldn't, wouldn't be doing it if I didn't believe in it. 00:19:58.755 --> 00:19:59.145 So, 00:19:59.625 --> 00:20:01.965 oh, if somebody was interested in becoming a beta tester, 00:20:01.995 --> 00:20:03.015 they just go to your website. 00:20:03.585 --> 00:20:06.765 Um, or do you already have a cadre of people sort of in mind? 00:20:06.825 --> 00:20:10.805 Well, we do have, well, we'll be testing ourselves of course, heavily. 00:20:12.080 --> 00:20:17.010 Then we do have a group of, uh, sponsored shooters and brand ambassadors that are 00:20:17.010 --> 00:20:21.570 very close to MDT that already have known about this for a while that it's coming. 00:20:22.020 --> 00:20:26.970 And, uh, they would be next on testing this and that's in hunting environments. 00:20:26.970 --> 00:20:28.740 That's in competition environments. 00:20:29.320 --> 00:20:33.250 Um, and then after death, we would probably open it up to more people. 00:20:33.310 --> 00:20:36.430 And by that time we'll probably have a way for people to sign up for it, 00:20:36.430 --> 00:20:38.980 but it, this is not something that somebody is going to have the hands 00:20:38.980 --> 00:20:40.149 on in the next couple of months. 00:20:40.780 --> 00:20:45.159 Uh, this is something that, um, is going to be tested extremely thoroughly before. 00:20:47.669 --> 00:20:51.240 Yeah, I find if you really want to break something, give it to the general 00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:56.399 public to test the people who knowable firearms that are used to firearms 00:20:56.399 --> 00:21:01.590 will know the happy path, the proper way to take the product and use it. 00:21:01.740 --> 00:21:02.459 Yeah, for sure. 00:21:02.520 --> 00:21:02.730 Yeah. 00:21:02.760 --> 00:21:06.689 And, and we see that, I mean, you know, 10 years ago we would make something and, 00:21:07.110 --> 00:21:10.830 uh, there would be a quality issue with it and somebody would call in and say, okay, 00:21:10.830 --> 00:21:15.090 well, Today, we mess them up and there is a thousand people out there with that 00:21:15.090 --> 00:21:19.020 issue and it's a logistical nightmare. 00:21:19.050 --> 00:21:24.270 So it just makes us having to really push hard on, I mean, not that we 00:21:24.270 --> 00:21:29.250 wouldn't anyways, but it's vital that what we make is extremely high quality. 00:21:29.370 --> 00:21:30.060 We'll use the 00:21:30.060 --> 00:21:30.330 term. 00:21:31.170 --> 00:21:34.020 And what legendary prism is that? 00:21:34.090 --> 00:21:34.649 Am I saying it 00:21:34.649 --> 00:21:34.889 right? 00:21:34.950 --> 00:21:35.160 Yeah. 00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:35.790 You're saying it right? 00:21:35.790 --> 00:21:36.030 Yeah. 00:21:36.300 --> 00:21:40.920 Um, we, um, well, for many years we use the term shoot better. 00:21:41.160 --> 00:21:44.520 Um, that was our a w and we tried to trademark that, but then there was a 00:21:44.520 --> 00:21:49.680 trademark issue with us, or we knew a lot, no longer use it, but we always want to 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:53.790 have something to basically believe in rally around, like when we make a product. 00:21:54.690 --> 00:21:56.220 Why do you make this product? 00:21:56.220 --> 00:21:58.410 And we always would ask ourselves the question, does it make 00:21:58.560 --> 00:22:00.000 our customer should better? 00:22:00.750 --> 00:22:04.500 And we actually still ask the question internally, but there's another level 00:22:04.500 --> 00:22:08.370 to it because we don't want it to just be about the product we want to, uh, 00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:12.210 be legendary in any way, shape and form, not just in a firearms role. 00:22:12.210 --> 00:22:13.710 Just be just as a company. 00:22:14.705 --> 00:22:19.025 We portion them being legendary, uh, with the products that we make, how 00:22:19.025 --> 00:22:21.605 we deal with our customers, you know, our customers, when they contact 00:22:21.605 --> 00:22:25.235 us, they get a two hour response time, which, um, you know, a lot of 00:22:25.235 --> 00:22:26.965 companies struggle with doing that. 00:22:27.305 --> 00:22:30.455 We try to be legendary with how we deal with our employees, you know, 00:22:30.455 --> 00:22:33.845 and that's why we do things well, it's one of the reasons we also do the. 00:22:34.405 --> 00:22:38.875 AML program with them last year, all our employees were gifted, a precision rifle. 00:22:39.295 --> 00:22:43.585 Um, there's just a, and, and not just those things, but just, you know, the 00:22:43.585 --> 00:22:46.255 flexibility at which they can work by us. 00:22:46.645 --> 00:22:50.545 Um, the way we deal with our suppliers, the way we deal with. 00:22:51.465 --> 00:22:52.155 Just everybody. 00:22:52.185 --> 00:22:52.334 Well, 00:22:52.334 --> 00:22:56.235 having shot some of your matches, some MDT matches that are put on there. 00:22:56.235 --> 00:23:00.225 I can attest that your staff genuinely are happy. 00:23:00.225 --> 00:23:02.534 Your company culture is quite good. 00:23:02.534 --> 00:23:07.425 You've got a very good group of people working with you, which is 00:23:07.455 --> 00:23:10.995 not exactly easy in today's climate. 00:23:11.385 --> 00:23:16.125 When it's very difficult, it seems to find passionate quality people 00:23:16.125 --> 00:23:18.225 to be other employees or coworkers. 00:23:19.500 --> 00:23:24.120 How do you, how do you find these people and then how do you, 00:23:25.380 --> 00:23:27.630 yeah, we put a lot of effort into hiring. 00:23:27.870 --> 00:23:31.050 Uh, we, we ha we interview a fair amount of people that never get hired. 00:23:31.230 --> 00:23:33.810 So somebody could have all the qualifications in the world, all 00:23:33.810 --> 00:23:36.180 the education in the world and be the smartest guy in the room. 00:23:36.810 --> 00:23:39.210 Uh, that doesn't necessarily mean that that person fits our culture. 00:23:39.840 --> 00:23:42.840 So we put people through tests, personality, tests, 00:23:42.870 --> 00:23:43.920 uh, lots of different things. 00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:45.150 And we look, if somebody fits our. 00:23:46.460 --> 00:23:49.940 Um, if we don't believe that person fits our culture, we've made some 00:23:49.940 --> 00:23:53.420 very difficult decisions where we knew somebody had wicked skills 00:23:54.080 --> 00:23:55.460 and we won't hire that person. 00:23:55.760 --> 00:24:00.530 Whereas we can go and find somebody that may need some work on the skills 00:24:00.530 --> 00:24:02.000 and all that, but they fit the culture. 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:04.580 Well, we'll hire that person and we'll help them with the training 00:24:04.580 --> 00:24:06.170 or whatever we need to do. 00:24:06.470 --> 00:24:10.070 So our hiring process is very, uh, robust and big and it becomes. 00:24:10.530 --> 00:24:13.470 You know, as the years go by, we become better and better at it. 00:24:14.220 --> 00:24:19.590 Um, and when people are working at MDT, we want to make sure 00:24:19.590 --> 00:24:20.700 that they feel very free. 00:24:20.700 --> 00:24:24.600 So, you know, we, years ago we would, uh, if we had to let somebody 00:24:24.600 --> 00:24:26.340 go, people would feel on edge. 00:24:26.760 --> 00:24:28.740 Um, and you know, I didn't like that. 00:24:29.504 --> 00:24:30.675 Uh, feeling for people. 00:24:30.675 --> 00:24:33.945 So we implemented something where literally our managers cannot fire 00:24:33.945 --> 00:24:38.264 anybody unless that person has been written up three times and those 00:24:38.264 --> 00:24:40.514 write-ups can only happen once a month. 00:24:40.605 --> 00:24:43.905 So basically nobody has to worry that who am I going to get fired tomorrow? 00:24:43.905 --> 00:24:46.155 It doesn't, it cannot, it cannot happen. 00:24:46.185 --> 00:24:48.764 So like all those things, they're all little things, but to get. 00:24:49.360 --> 00:24:51.490 I do believe it makes a great culture at MDT. 00:24:51.700 --> 00:24:53.290 I think that's actually pretty huge. 00:24:53.290 --> 00:24:57.400 I've heard some people say that companies spend so much time worrying 00:24:57.400 --> 00:25:00.820 about hiring when they should actually be spending more time worrying about 00:25:00.850 --> 00:25:03.640 firing or how they fire somebody. 00:25:04.030 --> 00:25:04.930 Uh, because. 00:25:05.630 --> 00:25:09.410 You know, so often doesn't matter what it is, whether it's a relationship 00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:14.480 that people are in or what working with somebody is a working relationship, 00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:18.020 whatever the relationship is, there's going to be a feeling of, um, 00:25:18.500 --> 00:25:23.960 rejection and upset and hard feelings when it comes time to split paths. 00:25:24.810 --> 00:25:27.750 But it doesn't necessarily have to be that way. 00:25:27.750 --> 00:25:31.590 And if you work at how you do that, like a person can come on and like you 00:25:31.590 --> 00:25:35.730 say, smartest person in the world, but they just don't fit the company culture. 00:25:36.120 --> 00:25:39.390 Tell you what, I actually know other businesses that would love 00:25:39.420 --> 00:25:42.240 your expertise and you'd probably fit in well with their culture. 00:25:43.080 --> 00:25:45.330 Let me help you transition over there. 00:25:45.600 --> 00:25:51.620 Or, uh, yeah, I, I think, I think that is a very big part of having a. 00:25:52.605 --> 00:25:54.975 Transparent company and a successful one. 00:25:55.334 --> 00:25:58.935 And when people know that process, so they know it's not like they're going 00:25:58.935 --> 00:26:01.875 to walk into work tomorrow and they messed up and they're going to be gone. 00:26:01.965 --> 00:26:02.205 No, 00:26:02.205 --> 00:26:02.534 that's right. 00:26:02.625 --> 00:26:05.595 We, we, we like to think that, you know, it's kinda interesting 00:26:05.595 --> 00:26:08.345 to say for a 10 year old company, but we hire employees for. 00:26:09.090 --> 00:26:10.889 We really want him to stick around for life. 00:26:11.280 --> 00:26:14.040 And so once somebody is at MIT for three months, we will do 00:26:14.040 --> 00:26:15.780 everything to keep that person there. 00:26:16.230 --> 00:26:19.830 Uh, and if it does become apparent that it's not the right person 00:26:19.830 --> 00:26:21.840 for the job to try to put them in a different position first. 00:26:21.840 --> 00:26:25.470 And if that doesn't work, we'll, we'll help a person find something else, 00:26:25.770 --> 00:26:27.300 but it won't be a blind sight ever. 00:26:27.300 --> 00:26:30.480 It will always be from a light that we want to make sure that that 00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:33.480 person is set up for success no matter what they're going to do. 00:26:33.899 --> 00:26:34.560 That's awesome. 00:26:34.980 --> 00:26:35.240 So. 00:26:36.764 --> 00:26:40.125 I guess you have a very personal investment yourself with everybody 00:26:40.125 --> 00:26:41.175 that you're working with there. 00:26:42.105 --> 00:26:42.435 Yep. 00:26:42.465 --> 00:26:45.705 Um, it is, uh, it's very important for. 00:26:46.770 --> 00:26:49.860 To just have a really great workplace. 00:26:49.889 --> 00:26:54.270 I don't want to, I'm generally very blunt person is kind of say what I think 00:26:54.330 --> 00:26:59.490 you're Dutch, um, I'm Canadian, but yes. 00:26:59.820 --> 00:27:00.570 Yes I am. 00:27:00.689 --> 00:27:07.090 Um, I, uh, I don't want to walk on eggshells around people and they know 00:27:07.090 --> 00:27:10.270 it, but I also think that with the bluntness and just saying what I think 00:27:10.270 --> 00:27:12.580 people don't have to really guess it's not like, what does he think? 00:27:12.580 --> 00:27:14.110 It's a day and all that, right? 00:27:14.139 --> 00:27:17.139 There is some people that I know that come working for us, or that are 00:27:17.139 --> 00:27:20.350 intimidated by me because I am blunt. 00:27:20.350 --> 00:27:24.220 And I say what I think, but then after a while they realized that. 00:27:25.125 --> 00:27:28.605 It's just, what you see is what you get and they get comfortable with it. 00:27:28.665 --> 00:27:31.695 And so some people it's immediate and some people, it takes a little while, 00:27:32.175 --> 00:27:35.475 but I, I think that also contributes to the work environment that we have, 00:27:35.475 --> 00:27:39.555 where we all just try to reach a goal and we can just be open with each other. 00:27:39.675 --> 00:27:39.735 Yeah. 00:27:39.855 --> 00:27:40.125 Um, 00:27:40.845 --> 00:27:45.105 you know, from my perspective, I've always looked at myself more as a 00:27:45.135 --> 00:27:49.635 entrepreneur, a dreamer, somebody who's got ideas, he likes to invent or 00:27:49.635 --> 00:27:52.185 create different things than a manager. 00:27:52.905 --> 00:27:54.495 I can manage if I have to. 00:27:55.485 --> 00:27:59.295 And like, you always like to have people on board. 00:27:59.295 --> 00:28:03.315 I look at them more like a family who were working with me, working 00:28:03.315 --> 00:28:08.745 family, and would love to have people onboard with the company for life. 00:28:09.165 --> 00:28:13.365 But you got to, the hard part is realizing that that's not always for everybody. 00:28:13.395 --> 00:28:16.995 I mean, the natural lifespan of most people working for a company. 00:28:17.850 --> 00:28:18.720 Isn't life 00:28:19.290 --> 00:28:19.800 that's right. 00:28:19.860 --> 00:28:23.520 And it's going down from what my understanding is, you know, 30 years 00:28:23.520 --> 00:28:26.220 ago people would work somewhere for, you know, 30, 40 years. 00:28:26.250 --> 00:28:28.740 Whereas today people are like, ah, you should change every five 00:28:28.740 --> 00:28:29.700 years or something like that. 00:28:29.790 --> 00:28:30.180 Right. 00:28:30.270 --> 00:28:33.030 And, uh, I don't, I just don't want it to be that like that. 00:28:33.030 --> 00:28:37.170 I also think that our environment is challenging enough that people don't 00:28:37.170 --> 00:28:38.790 get bored, which is a big part of it. 00:28:38.850 --> 00:28:42.510 You know, you don't come in, you know, 10 years later and, and all it's all the 00:28:42.510 --> 00:28:44.400 same old, that's never the case at MDT. 00:28:44.400 --> 00:28:45.810 There's always something new going on. 00:28:45.810 --> 00:28:46.500 We rewrap up. 00:28:47.074 --> 00:28:52.205 Change and adapt and we create new brands and new products and, and all of that. 00:28:52.355 --> 00:28:55.865 Uh, so, uh, yeah, we've got to keep challenging each other, keep 00:28:55.865 --> 00:28:58.205 challenging ourself and that's part of the equation as well. 00:28:58.205 --> 00:28:58.595 I believe. 00:28:58.655 --> 00:28:58.835 Well, 00:28:58.835 --> 00:29:00.455 one thing I think is really valuable. 00:29:01.544 --> 00:29:04.815 You can build a quality product, which is, which is great. 00:29:04.995 --> 00:29:07.514 It can work very well in and of itself. 00:29:07.995 --> 00:29:10.304 Uh, but at the end user doesn't know how to use a properly. 00:29:10.304 --> 00:29:12.075 They're not going to reap the benefits of that. 00:29:12.075 --> 00:29:17.205 So you guys have invested a fair bit of time and energy and money into, uh, your 00:29:17.205 --> 00:29:21.764 social media and your media accounts and training and showing people and testing 00:29:21.764 --> 00:29:25.395 things out and showing transparently how, how these things are used. 00:29:26.085 --> 00:29:31.515 And then, you know, the third part of all of that I think is when we're 00:29:31.845 --> 00:29:38.205 talking about mental marksmanship earlier, the, the Nike effect, people 00:29:38.205 --> 00:29:41.775 can wear a pair of runners and they have another pair of runners of 00:29:41.775 --> 00:29:43.155 the got little Nike symbol on them. 00:29:43.365 --> 00:29:47.145 And they can all of a sudden run faster and jump higher because they believe in 00:29:47.145 --> 00:29:49.155 what it is that they're actually wearing. 00:29:49.155 --> 00:29:50.775 And I think you're kind of hitting it from. 00:29:51.365 --> 00:29:53.465 All aspects, you're creating something quality. 00:29:53.735 --> 00:29:58.534 You're showing people how to use it in a proper way and through the 00:29:59.074 --> 00:30:04.655 legendary prism, right through the media, through the, um, presentation 00:30:04.655 --> 00:30:09.004 and how you deal with your clients and customers, you're creating that. 00:30:09.720 --> 00:30:13.020 The mental aspect to it where people know they've got something that's good. 00:30:14.130 --> 00:30:14.880 Yeah, definitely. 00:30:14.910 --> 00:30:18.810 I mean, when, I mean the brand, that's kind of everything right to us. 00:30:19.320 --> 00:30:25.410 So when people see something with MDT on it, we, you know, we want them 00:30:25.410 --> 00:30:26.970 to be able to trust it, of course. 00:30:27.330 --> 00:30:28.140 And they do. 00:30:28.410 --> 00:30:32.460 So that is something that we set out to do a long time ago, uh, where. 00:30:32.980 --> 00:30:35.920 You know, back then we used to come up with a new product and people 00:30:35.920 --> 00:30:37.210 were like, oh, okay, I'll try it. 00:30:37.290 --> 00:30:39.470 Whereas today we can come up with something new and people are like, okay. 00:30:39.490 --> 00:30:43.330 Um, you know, the first day we'll sell many, right? 00:30:43.330 --> 00:30:44.920 Because people will trust in the brand. 00:30:45.520 --> 00:30:49.030 And, um, you know, of course that is, you know, from a business aspect. 00:30:49.030 --> 00:30:50.500 That is, that is what we want. 00:30:51.044 --> 00:30:53.955 Uh, but we do also at the same time, want to make sure that, 00:30:54.014 --> 00:30:55.935 uh, we don't put profits first. 00:30:56.415 --> 00:30:59.415 Um, we, uh, you know, I mentioned earlier, Laszlo was bought out 00:30:59.415 --> 00:31:01.514 by a private equity firm in 2017. 00:31:01.844 --> 00:31:04.365 I'm currently in the process of buying them back out. 00:31:04.875 --> 00:31:07.814 And the reason for it is we don't want to be this corporate environment. 00:31:08.385 --> 00:31:12.824 Uh, profit comes first because it simply just flat out does not, no matter what 00:31:12.824 --> 00:31:15.465 anybody says, when you put profits first, your company is going down. 00:31:15.915 --> 00:31:16.905 I truly believe that. 00:31:17.475 --> 00:31:20.834 And, uh, you know, we've made some choices and decisions in the past 00:31:20.834 --> 00:31:23.294 that, that, um, that didn't help us. 00:31:23.324 --> 00:31:29.205 And, uh, I think it was, you know, a little bit too focused on being profitable 00:31:29.774 --> 00:31:31.604 and, uh, that's not the company that. 00:31:32.225 --> 00:31:35.735 So, uh, we're in the process of buying them back out and we're 00:31:35.735 --> 00:31:37.685 going to be, we want to be good 00:31:37.685 --> 00:31:38.255 for you. 00:31:38.375 --> 00:31:42.155 You know, I always look at it like, you know, back in high school, 00:31:42.335 --> 00:31:46.205 the kids who really want to be popular and they never are, right. 00:31:46.355 --> 00:31:49.415 The kids who are out there doing their own thing, enjoying what they like to do, 00:31:49.415 --> 00:31:51.815 people naturally gravitate towards them. 00:31:51.815 --> 00:31:56.165 And they're the popular kids, but the ones who are chasing the popularity 00:31:56.225 --> 00:31:57.785 are always going to be behind it. 00:31:58.115 --> 00:32:02.805 And in a sense, People who are chasing the dollar who are looking at profit first. 00:32:03.345 --> 00:32:04.305 That means you're not. 00:32:05.295 --> 00:32:07.065 Going to actually be obtaining it. 00:32:07.065 --> 00:32:08.025 You're always chasing it. 00:32:08.025 --> 00:32:09.015 It's always in front of you. 00:32:09.015 --> 00:32:11.505 And in that process, you're not looking at what's really important 00:32:11.505 --> 00:32:12.465 that kind of got you there. 00:32:12.855 --> 00:32:14.505 It's like Rockefeller that he was once asked. 00:32:15.165 --> 00:32:16.335 You got so much money. 00:32:16.425 --> 00:32:17.655 How much money is enough? 00:32:17.685 --> 00:32:19.005 He says just $1 more. 00:32:21.140 --> 00:32:21.560 Yeah. 00:32:21.650 --> 00:32:22.970 That's like, we don't want to be like that. 00:32:23.040 --> 00:32:24.740 No, no, no, no. 00:32:24.740 --> 00:32:27.950 But, but we, I still get a kick out of it, you know, sometimes I'll, I'll 00:32:27.950 --> 00:32:30.830 still deal with customers, uh, even some support tickets here and there. 00:32:31.400 --> 00:32:35.720 I, uh, you know, we get some really big orders at NTT these days that, you know, 00:32:35.720 --> 00:32:38.330 with what we do with the customers that were larger customers that we have. 00:32:39.260 --> 00:32:43.640 I think I still get more enjoyment out of one guy that upgrades his rifle 00:32:43.820 --> 00:32:47.030 and gets a smile on his face because his accuracy improved or he just loves 00:32:47.030 --> 00:32:48.740 the way it feels or the way it looks. 00:32:48.860 --> 00:32:50.330 Some of our customers never shoot the thing. 00:32:50.330 --> 00:32:54.860 So you know that it's a, it's a safe queen and we just get a 00:32:54.860 --> 00:32:56.060 ton of enjoyment out of there. 00:32:56.220 --> 00:32:58.220 We get letters from our customers. 00:32:58.250 --> 00:33:01.010 Uh, sometimes they read off and our Friday morning meetings, we 00:33:01.010 --> 00:33:03.200 have a standup meeting with all our staff on Friday mornings. 00:33:04.050 --> 00:33:07.080 And, um, you know, sometimes one of our customer support staff will 00:33:07.080 --> 00:33:10.050 read out, read off a letter from a customer, just how we are so happy 00:33:10.050 --> 00:33:13.170 that he got a fast response and he was taken care of and this and that. 00:33:13.170 --> 00:33:19.170 And, and those are the things that that's really give us just a lot of joy. 00:33:20.010 --> 00:33:25.530 Well, if you're going to innovate, you can't expect to make advancements 00:33:25.530 --> 00:33:27.240 without slipping every once in a while. 00:33:27.240 --> 00:33:31.200 You can't expect to run fast without having to slow down and 00:33:31.230 --> 00:33:32.430 kind of catch your breath a bed. 00:33:33.915 --> 00:33:36.495 Mistakes do happen or there is a slip. 00:33:36.705 --> 00:33:37.815 How do you guys deal with it? 00:33:38.115 --> 00:33:43.065 Uh, yeah, we just gotta be very open about it and these mistakes certainly do happen. 00:33:43.065 --> 00:33:48.135 One that's fresh on my mind currently is in 2000, just this January. 00:33:48.135 --> 00:33:51.054 We have to do a price increase and, uh, you know, it's 00:33:51.054 --> 00:33:52.155 stuff to do price increases. 00:33:52.155 --> 00:33:52.815 We generally don't. 00:33:53.880 --> 00:33:57.480 But, you know, I think everybody currently understands how much a 00:33:57.480 --> 00:33:59.040 supply chain costs have gone up. 00:33:59.460 --> 00:34:02.610 If you look at the aluminum index, that's gone way up just in the last bit. 00:34:02.610 --> 00:34:03.810 Then we use a lot of aluminum. 00:34:04.050 --> 00:34:07.320 I think we're BC's largest billet, aluminum user. 00:34:07.440 --> 00:34:07.860 Really? 00:34:07.890 --> 00:34:08.239 Yeah. 00:34:08.909 --> 00:34:09.989 Basically I've been told that. 00:34:11.279 --> 00:34:15.960 Um, but, uh, so what we did so great, well, we have to put it on a website, you 00:34:15.960 --> 00:34:17.009 know, that the price is going to go up. 00:34:17.009 --> 00:34:18.089 So how do we do this? 00:34:18.179 --> 00:34:22.560 Okay, well, how bout we put the price on a website of what the new price is going to 00:34:22.560 --> 00:34:26.339 be, but still allow people to buy at the old price for November and December smart. 00:34:26.699 --> 00:34:26.850 Hell. 00:34:26.850 --> 00:34:27.089 Okay. 00:34:27.089 --> 00:34:28.199 Well, that was a good idea. 00:34:28.420 --> 00:34:31.230 So we put it on a website, so we crossed out what the new price is going to 00:34:31.230 --> 00:34:32.940 be and then show it the old price. 00:34:32.969 --> 00:34:36.569 And next thing you know, there's a thread on Reddit where it's like, MPTs showing 00:34:36.569 --> 00:34:41.049 fake prices to make that product sound like a sale, like, oh, I didn't see that 00:34:41.049 --> 00:34:43.900 comment, but, but, but they were right. 00:34:43.900 --> 00:34:45.400 That's exactly how it looked. 00:34:45.819 --> 00:34:49.029 And, uh, some people are extremely upset with us over that. 00:34:49.540 --> 00:34:52.299 And, uh, you know, how do you deal with that own up to it? 00:34:52.359 --> 00:34:54.909 Like don't, you know, it's, you know, and some people are 00:34:54.909 --> 00:34:55.960 still not going to believe us. 00:34:55.960 --> 00:34:58.630 And I, I think that the people that those people don't 00:34:58.630 --> 00:35:00.279 really know who we really are. 00:35:00.880 --> 00:35:03.609 Uh, but the majority of people that know us, like, you know, 00:35:03.670 --> 00:35:06.850 yes, they realized they screwed up and that they're fixing it. 00:35:06.850 --> 00:35:07.900 So we fixed it right away. 00:35:07.900 --> 00:35:08.259 But yeah. 00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:09.650 It hurts, man. 00:35:10.160 --> 00:35:10.670 It hurts. 00:35:11.000 --> 00:35:12.590 And that's such a small thing. 00:35:12.620 --> 00:35:15.200 And the fact that you take that to heart like that. 00:35:15.860 --> 00:35:16.430 Oh yeah, it's tough. 00:35:16.430 --> 00:35:19.190 I mean, I'm willing that personally answering people, uh, on the, 00:35:19.370 --> 00:35:23.840 on the MTT account because it's a, it, it eats me alive. 00:35:23.870 --> 00:35:24.820 It's I just, I can't have it. 00:35:25.880 --> 00:35:27.770 That's the life of a business owner. 00:35:27.770 --> 00:35:29.870 I mean, it's not a nine to five job. 00:35:29.990 --> 00:35:30.950 No, it's not. 00:35:31.040 --> 00:35:31.760 You can joke around. 00:35:31.760 --> 00:35:33.530 And so you can take off when you ever, you want. 00:35:34.310 --> 00:35:35.959 But you don't and you're thinking about it. 00:35:35.959 --> 00:35:38.390 And even when you're out doing something else in the back of 00:35:38.390 --> 00:35:39.259 your head that you're thinking. 00:35:40.005 --> 00:35:42.705 The business and your coworkers 00:35:42.705 --> 00:35:43.245 and yep. 00:35:43.654 --> 00:35:43.865 Yeah. 00:35:43.875 --> 00:35:45.615 And that, I mean, it's, I mean, it's our life. 00:35:45.615 --> 00:35:49.605 And my, I asked my wife, uh, when, uh, when I started a process with 00:35:49.605 --> 00:35:52.904 buying out at our private equity partner, I said, you know, we're 00:35:52.904 --> 00:35:54.375 basically gonna risk everything here. 00:35:54.525 --> 00:35:57.045 And she says, well, MDT is our life. 00:35:57.674 --> 00:36:00.645 Well, my wife is, you know, she she's a shipping at MDT, so he 00:36:00.645 --> 00:36:02.085 knows he's deep into it as well. 00:36:02.565 --> 00:36:06.765 Uh, two of our kids are, are involved as well in, in, uh, 00:36:06.825 --> 00:36:08.055 on the manufacturing side. 00:36:08.504 --> 00:36:11.205 Um, so it's, uh, yeah, MDT is our life 00:36:11.835 --> 00:36:15.345 from the firearms industry. 00:36:15.345 --> 00:36:19.274 In general, you guys have a very smart business model. 00:36:19.725 --> 00:36:23.805 Uh, firearms are heavily regulated firearms, accessories 00:36:24.404 --> 00:36:25.845 aren't necessarily as regular. 00:36:26.940 --> 00:36:32.280 Uh, they got a lot more leeway in there with how things are 00:36:32.340 --> 00:36:36.240 moving forward in Canada with the restrictions that are coming in place. 00:36:37.185 --> 00:36:38.505 Does that give you heartburn at night? 00:36:38.535 --> 00:36:43.185 Is that something that, uh, I sits in the back of your head is a big, 00:36:44.025 --> 00:36:45.525 well, well, yes and no. 00:36:45.555 --> 00:36:50.475 So there is, um, there is a divide there of my personal 00:36:50.475 --> 00:36:53.475 opinion and my business opinion. 00:36:53.505 --> 00:36:57.855 So from a business perspective, uh, it does give me concern, but it gives 00:36:57.855 --> 00:37:02.055 me longterm concern because, uh, when you can take a few steps like 00:37:02.055 --> 00:37:04.435 this in the wrong direction, in, in. 00:37:05.395 --> 00:37:10.075 In this country, uh, it is, uh, concerning and it will affect the business. 00:37:10.075 --> 00:37:11.215 Long-term for sure. 00:37:11.845 --> 00:37:14.935 On a personal level, you know, I got these beautiful AR sitting in 00:37:14.935 --> 00:37:17.215 my safe, uh, I like shooting them. 00:37:17.665 --> 00:37:22.185 Um, I, you know, I, I just think it's, um, Yeah, it is a 00:37:22.185 --> 00:37:23.625 big question mark in my mind. 00:37:23.685 --> 00:37:31.815 And, uh, even though MDT doesn't really make much for the world of all the 00:37:31.815 --> 00:37:36.194 rifles that were banned, I, I would, I would flip this back in a heartbeat 00:37:36.194 --> 00:37:38.535 because I think this is terrible for our. 00:37:40.080 --> 00:37:40.620 I agree. 00:37:41.529 --> 00:37:46.049 I've been asked like many others to, um, to assist the courts as a 00:37:46.049 --> 00:37:51.149 subject matter expert in regards to some of these, uh, OIC challenges. 00:37:51.240 --> 00:37:54.720 I noticed that there was, I think, on the ninth, so. 00:37:55.694 --> 00:37:56.685 Uh, what does it today? 00:37:56.685 --> 00:37:57.105 The 10th. 00:37:57.105 --> 00:38:00.555 So yesterday, yesterday, there was an announcement that came out that 00:38:00.555 --> 00:38:02.174 will most likely be contested. 00:38:02.174 --> 00:38:08.265 But the, uh, uh, the courts had said that the government has to, um, detail the 00:38:08.265 --> 00:38:10.305 algorithm they use for the prohibitions. 00:38:11.145 --> 00:38:17.955 And when you talk about the freedoms and the, um, The, the threat against freedom. 00:38:17.955 --> 00:38:19.755 I think that's the scariest thing out of all of it. 00:38:19.755 --> 00:38:22.875 Cause that was one of the things that I brought up in my affidavits and 00:38:22.875 --> 00:38:29.145 then cross essentially was how do they define what a variant is and how do they 00:38:29.265 --> 00:38:33.405 define what a modified version of is? 00:38:34.485 --> 00:38:38.775 Having that framework of definition would be very useful for them so 00:38:38.775 --> 00:38:41.535 that they can clearly articulate why something's going to be prohibited 00:38:41.535 --> 00:38:43.035 or not as well as for the end user. 00:38:43.035 --> 00:38:45.885 So they can say, ah, I see why I can't get this. 00:38:46.245 --> 00:38:48.915 I don't agree with the rules, but these are the rules. 00:38:48.915 --> 00:38:50.355 And, and it meets the rules. 00:38:51.015 --> 00:38:55.695 The difficult part in all of that is that question, mark and the reluctance. 00:38:55.695 --> 00:38:58.965 It would seem for the federal government to want to articulate 00:38:58.965 --> 00:39:00.405 that, which leaves it open for them. 00:39:01.395 --> 00:39:02.625 Expand on that. 00:39:02.865 --> 00:39:06.375 And I think from a business owner perspective, that might be one of the. 00:39:07.575 --> 00:39:08.895 The scariest prospects. 00:39:08.895 --> 00:39:13.815 If I were to put myself into your shoes is what areas of expansion 00:39:13.845 --> 00:39:15.525 could these things be moved into. 00:39:15.855 --> 00:39:18.765 And like, when we talk about an electronic trigger, which sounds 00:39:18.855 --> 00:39:23.535 absolutely amazing, would that be something that all of a sudden meets 00:39:23.535 --> 00:39:28.935 either provincial regulatory restrictions because they've, uh, last year, the year 00:39:28.935 --> 00:39:33.435 before they brought a new restrictions in BC anyways, on, uh, electronic 00:39:33.435 --> 00:39:35.295 devices, when, um, when hunting. 00:39:35.959 --> 00:39:41.149 I think basically in response to a tracking point, you use their 00:39:41.149 --> 00:39:43.819 stuff for stuff or stuff like that. 00:39:44.390 --> 00:39:48.049 And, uh, and then from the federal side, are they going to turn 00:39:48.049 --> 00:39:50.419 around and say, well, that can, like a paintball trigger can be 00:39:50.419 --> 00:39:53.689 modified to fire more than one shot. 00:39:53.899 --> 00:39:54.109 Yeah. 00:39:54.470 --> 00:39:56.149 I'm sure these are things that have gone through the back 00:39:56.149 --> 00:39:59.660 of your head explaining what we do. 00:39:59.899 --> 00:40:04.129 Um, you know, I think it's very important that, uh, we are. 00:40:04.890 --> 00:40:09.690 Very short, we're dealing with ignorance on the other side. 00:40:09.870 --> 00:40:12.990 And, uh, it gets a lot of people, very frustrated and rightfully 00:40:12.990 --> 00:40:16.920 so, but they also lash out about it verbally and online. 00:40:17.190 --> 00:40:18.900 And I think that that is the wrong approach. 00:40:19.200 --> 00:40:22.500 I think what we need to be doing is like one of what I would love to be 00:40:22.500 --> 00:40:26.250 able to do when people might not, might not like this, but I would love 00:40:26.250 --> 00:40:29.430 to be able to take somebody like I'm just going to take it to an extreme 00:40:29.430 --> 00:40:30.750 Justin Trudeau out to the range. 00:40:30.779 --> 00:40:32.160 Let's go shooting and parents show. 00:40:33.115 --> 00:40:37.995 Much fun you can have with this and having be less intimidated by this. 00:40:37.995 --> 00:40:41.595 And kind of really, if he were to really understand the shooting community, 00:40:41.835 --> 00:40:44.265 he would look at this different or bill Blair or somebody like that, you 00:40:44.265 --> 00:40:49.395 know, like, um, But we can do it at, in a miniature version of think, uh, 00:40:49.455 --> 00:40:53.145 you know, just somebody that we know, maybe we have a re really left-wing 00:40:53.145 --> 00:40:54.285 friend or something like that. 00:40:54.345 --> 00:40:56.625 They come out through the range shooting and, and, and show 00:40:56.625 --> 00:40:57.435 him what a great time it is. 00:40:57.435 --> 00:41:00.765 I have never, I've taken a lot of people shooting that had never 00:41:00.765 --> 00:41:04.665 shot before, and I've never taken somebody that said I really hated it. 00:41:04.725 --> 00:41:05.145 Never. 00:41:05.685 --> 00:41:07.904 And I think that's just about anybody. 00:41:08.655 --> 00:41:11.175 That does the same would probably say the same thing. 00:41:11.385 --> 00:41:14.595 So you can only really attribute this to ignorance then case, 00:41:15.105 --> 00:41:15.615 you know? 00:41:16.335 --> 00:41:16.745 Yeah. 00:41:16.745 --> 00:41:17.005 Yeah. 00:41:17.115 --> 00:41:21.675 They say never a scribe malice to what can be explained by ignorance. 00:41:21.675 --> 00:41:22.005 Right. 00:41:22.515 --> 00:41:26.385 Um, but I have a feeling that Justin Trudeau probably likes 00:41:26.385 --> 00:41:29.595 to shoot guns if given the opportunity, if he's ever done it. 00:41:30.225 --> 00:41:34.755 Um, bill Blair, I mean probably the same thing and whoever is in his shoes now. 00:41:36.420 --> 00:41:40.320 But I, I remember when I was, uh, sitting in on just the local city 00:41:40.320 --> 00:41:44.100 council here, and they're looking at bringing in restrictions for firearms 00:41:44.100 --> 00:41:45.780 businesses in the corporation at Delta. 00:41:45.780 --> 00:41:50.160 Now the city of Delta and I had all of my points set up and I'm get up and it's 00:41:50.160 --> 00:41:51.960 my turn to talk and I'm going through it. 00:41:51.960 --> 00:41:55.800 And finally, one of the guys from the city, um, nice guy. 00:41:55.860 --> 00:41:57.720 I, he says, Travis, Travis, hold on. 00:41:58.110 --> 00:41:59.100 Do you have much more of this? 00:41:59.400 --> 00:42:00.440 So yeah, I got a whole bunch. 00:42:00.450 --> 00:42:02.160 He's like, okay, I'm going to stop you right here. 00:42:02.580 --> 00:42:04.100 I'm going to tell you, I agree with everything. 00:42:05.025 --> 00:42:10.815 Everything you say makes sense, but we're not in the business of making sense. 00:42:10.815 --> 00:42:16.875 We're in the business of doing what we think our constituents want and that 00:42:17.295 --> 00:42:20.535 sort of a local government level honesty. 00:42:20.625 --> 00:42:21.795 I didn't know what to say. 00:42:21.795 --> 00:42:23.625 I'm like, oh, okay. 00:42:23.625 --> 00:42:25.035 I don't know how to combat that. 00:42:25.035 --> 00:42:28.815 So from your perspective of saying, Hey, I'd love to take out Justin, but 00:42:28.815 --> 00:42:30.255 what we're doing is let's take it. 00:42:30.255 --> 00:42:31.575 A family member is taking a friend. 00:42:32.280 --> 00:42:37.710 I think that's a much more powerful tool because my thinking is, is that the 00:42:37.740 --> 00:42:42.810 current liberal government could care less about firearms and banning them. 00:42:42.840 --> 00:42:47.220 I think it's more about just creating a position that they can force 00:42:47.220 --> 00:42:50.610 their opposition into and say, oh, look at how bad these guys are. 00:42:50.610 --> 00:42:53.340 Cause they want to, they want to have guns running around everywhere. 00:42:53.490 --> 00:42:54.750 It's more just for political. 00:42:55.545 --> 00:42:59.174 But if they knew that the general public was like, we can see past 00:42:59.174 --> 00:43:03.105 this w gun owners, non-gun owners, we all want the same thing. 00:43:03.404 --> 00:43:06.255 We want people to use them responsibly and not illegal. 00:43:07.080 --> 00:43:11.670 So by the social media stuff that you're doing by the fun environment, 00:43:11.670 --> 00:43:16.320 from the products you're putting out, I think you're speaking to a wider range 00:43:16.320 --> 00:43:18.330 group than just the diehard gun owners. 00:43:18.750 --> 00:43:21.720 You're speaking to the people who are like, Hey, that looks like 00:43:21.720 --> 00:43:23.070 a lot of fun looking at that. 00:43:24.040 --> 00:43:24.850 Yeah, exactly. 00:43:24.850 --> 00:43:26.950 Those are that's and we should all be doing that. 00:43:28.600 --> 00:43:32.170 Well, you talked to a redhead and of course in Canada, anyone listening in 00:43:32.170 --> 00:43:33.940 Canada, there's another website out there. 00:43:33.940 --> 00:43:38.250 It's been pretty popular for a lot of time, which can have a lot of, uh, Uh, 00:43:38.250 --> 00:43:40.620 opinionated people on there as well. 00:43:41.190 --> 00:43:42.900 How do you deal with these? 00:43:42.900 --> 00:43:45.120 Uh, when the internet haters come up? 00:43:45.300 --> 00:43:48.980 Is that something that I've seen most businesses have to deal with 00:43:48.980 --> 00:43:50.400 it to some degree or another? 00:43:50.400 --> 00:43:50.580 Yeah, 00:43:50.640 --> 00:43:52.080 we don't have much of it. 00:43:52.290 --> 00:43:54.720 Um, but of course it, it happens. 00:43:55.170 --> 00:43:57.120 Um, we are. 00:43:58.020 --> 00:43:59.730 We're just transparent and honest. 00:43:59.730 --> 00:44:02.130 And we say just the way it is, we don't hide stuff. 00:44:02.640 --> 00:44:05.790 Um, we don't talk negatively. 00:44:05.970 --> 00:44:09.630 Um, and that is that even inside of our office, our customer support 00:44:09.630 --> 00:44:15.240 staff get really weird phone calls sometimes where, uh, we are accused 00:44:15.240 --> 00:44:20.339 of something that makes no sense and the tendency for any human being. 00:44:20.990 --> 00:44:24.290 When the phone call is finished to say something negative about that person. 00:44:24.590 --> 00:44:24.860 Right. 00:44:24.900 --> 00:44:28.850 And we don't, we don't do that at MDT, even though it doesn't, it would never 00:44:28.850 --> 00:44:30.680 go outside to the outside world anyway. 00:44:30.740 --> 00:44:31.070 Right. 00:44:31.330 --> 00:44:34.820 That is still somebody that, uh, has been in contact with MDT. 00:44:34.820 --> 00:44:37.520 We want them to have a positive experience with what we're doing. 00:44:38.030 --> 00:44:39.890 Uh, maybe he went through a hard time himself. 00:44:39.890 --> 00:44:41.240 Like there's so many reasons why. 00:44:42.375 --> 00:44:46.215 Uh, something can be negative and, uh, we just won't participate 00:44:46.305 --> 00:44:47.565 in that side of things. 00:44:47.625 --> 00:44:51.465 And, um, it's, it's, I don't, it's kind of a business policy. 00:44:51.465 --> 00:44:53.775 We don't really, we're not really a strict rule company. 00:44:53.775 --> 00:44:56.295 Like we don't have all these polishes and rules, you gotta into your bike. 00:44:56.295 --> 00:44:57.825 Cause I don't like that kind of environment. 00:44:57.945 --> 00:44:58.245 Right. 00:44:58.305 --> 00:45:03.045 Um, but people are, people know that we don't go talk a negative and 00:45:03.045 --> 00:45:05.565 sometimes we do and we don't mean to. 00:45:05.625 --> 00:45:05.805 Yeah. 00:45:05.865 --> 00:45:09.525 And then we need to have an environment where people can say to anybody. 00:45:10.035 --> 00:45:13.065 Including to me, but Hey, remember, we don't talk like that. 00:45:13.245 --> 00:45:13.815 Right? 00:45:13.815 --> 00:45:17.115 That's the environment that we want because we're all gonna screw up, but 00:45:17.115 --> 00:45:21.975 we should all make sure that we are there to hold each other accountable. 00:45:22.425 --> 00:45:27.615 You know, that's extremely refreshing to hear and very, very positive. 00:45:28.515 --> 00:45:33.884 To here, because particularly in an industry that is constantly 00:45:33.884 --> 00:45:38.835 under fire, pardon the pun, it can be very easy for people to take a 00:45:38.835 --> 00:45:40.365 bit more of a negative approach. 00:45:40.365 --> 00:45:44.085 And I see a lot of people within the industry taking, taking 00:45:44.085 --> 00:45:47.565 that negativity on and having a difficult time sorting through it. 00:45:47.895 --> 00:45:51.615 And that's part of the reason why I started the silver Corp podcast is to 00:45:52.245 --> 00:45:56.645 meet other positive people within the industry and to share their passion with. 00:45:58.095 --> 00:46:04.815 That, that, that level of, uh, basically the buck stops here, the negativity 00:46:04.815 --> 00:46:08.145 comes and we're going to do everything we can just to sort it out and put 00:46:08.145 --> 00:46:12.705 positivity forward, I think is going to serve the outdoors community, the 00:46:12.705 --> 00:46:14.295 hunting, the fishing, the firearms. 00:46:15.359 --> 00:46:20.399 Far more than any griping or complaining or rallying Everwill 00:46:20.759 --> 00:46:22.109 oh yeah, no, a hundred percent. 00:46:22.230 --> 00:46:22.500 Yeah. 00:46:22.640 --> 00:46:26.339 I'm many things have been positive, positive, but really been impacted 00:46:26.339 --> 00:46:27.600 by somebody complaining a lot. 00:46:28.379 --> 00:46:29.279 No, that's right. 00:46:29.279 --> 00:46:30.299 That's totally. 00:46:30.359 --> 00:46:30.569 Yeah. 00:46:31.230 --> 00:46:31.649 Yeah. 00:46:31.709 --> 00:46:35.129 Or if you're going to complain, have a solution and find a way to 00:46:35.129 --> 00:46:40.169 end that in a positive way, I'm really sick and tired of receiving. 00:46:41.160 --> 00:46:43.980 Calls from customers and they're complaining about ABC. 00:46:44.040 --> 00:46:45.990 Well, maybe we take a look, do they have a point? 00:46:46.290 --> 00:46:47.610 Is their complaint? 00:46:48.450 --> 00:46:50.640 Is there any validity to this? 00:46:50.640 --> 00:46:57.510 And if so, rather than screening out all of those customers, why don't we 00:46:57.510 --> 00:46:59.190 just fix what they're complaining about? 00:46:59.220 --> 00:46:59.880 Yeah, exactly. 00:46:59.970 --> 00:47:00.210 Yeah. 00:47:00.330 --> 00:47:01.740 You know, tell us a long time ago. 00:47:01.830 --> 00:47:06.660 Uh, maybe it was BC talent, then Telus came in and it used to be cell phones 00:47:06.660 --> 00:47:07.890 are dropping calls all the time. 00:47:09.150 --> 00:47:13.200 If you called up and you got mad at him and he told them where the call was 00:47:13.200 --> 00:47:18.900 and they would reimburse your call and then reimburse a month of your bill. 00:47:18.900 --> 00:47:21.570 And, but it was a process and everyone knew it. 00:47:21.600 --> 00:47:25.980 You'd had to call up, get mad, ask to speak to a supervisor. 00:47:26.550 --> 00:47:27.030 And I remember. 00:47:27.615 --> 00:47:31.275 One time calling up and I'm talking to the agent, I'm like, so do I 00:47:31.275 --> 00:47:32.925 got to call in and get mad here? 00:47:32.925 --> 00:47:35.625 And like, like everyone says, I speak to a supervisor. 00:47:35.625 --> 00:47:36.825 Can we just sort this out? 00:47:36.825 --> 00:47:37.215 Right. 00:47:37.575 --> 00:47:40.965 And the agent says, well, actually funny, you mentioned that we've 00:47:40.965 --> 00:47:43.215 just had a company-wide meeting. 00:47:44.235 --> 00:47:51.255 And we are changing or getting rid of our customers who call and complain like that. 00:47:52.155 --> 00:47:56.655 If you approach us in a reasonable fashion, we will bend over backwards to 00:47:56.655 --> 00:48:00.405 help you in a reasonable way, because they found they had built their own 00:48:00.405 --> 00:48:04.095 company culture up to a point where they've trained all of the customers 00:48:04.575 --> 00:48:06.075 to be extremely negative to them. 00:48:06.825 --> 00:48:07.965 In order to get what they want. 00:48:08.445 --> 00:48:11.715 So I thought that was kind of an interesting pivot that they made and 00:48:11.715 --> 00:48:14.595 she just came straight out and told me, he says, yeah, no, anybody's 00:48:14.595 --> 00:48:15.795 going to call up and complain. 00:48:16.225 --> 00:48:17.685 We're just going to say, thanks. 00:48:17.745 --> 00:48:18.075 It was great. 00:48:18.075 --> 00:48:20.265 Having you as a customer, go check out one of our competitors. 00:48:20.655 --> 00:48:22.785 I love that actually makes me think off. 00:48:23.855 --> 00:48:27.095 This may be kind of a controversial thing to some people, but, uh, 00:48:27.125 --> 00:48:28.774 Starbucks versus Tim Horton's. 00:48:28.835 --> 00:48:29.105 Okay. 00:48:29.464 --> 00:48:30.694 I don't go to the important anymore. 00:48:30.694 --> 00:48:33.845 I used to a lot, but when I go to the Tim Horton's, I got a grumpy, I got 00:48:33.845 --> 00:48:37.654 a grumpy person generally, or I just, it's just kind of, you know, whatever, 00:48:38.134 --> 00:48:39.484 or do your coffee and get out of here. 00:48:39.544 --> 00:48:39.964 Right. 00:48:40.024 --> 00:48:40.685 You go to Starbucks. 00:48:41.310 --> 00:48:45.990 And, uh, you gotta, you get somebody to this, very excited to 00:48:45.990 --> 00:48:48.240 meet you and give you a coffee. 00:48:48.240 --> 00:48:51.960 And I pay a lot of attention to how businesses are, and I try to 00:48:51.960 --> 00:48:54.480 poke at like, what, what kind of training do you guys get done? 00:48:54.490 --> 00:48:59.430 I think it's actually, my brother had asked somebody at a Starbucks off, um, 00:48:59.550 --> 00:49:01.250 you know, like, what did they tell you? 00:49:01.250 --> 00:49:03.540 You train as you guys are so different than Tim Horton's. 00:49:03.540 --> 00:49:05.250 And they said, well, we always make the situation. 00:49:05.250 --> 00:49:05.640 Right. 00:49:05.640 --> 00:49:10.105 And they have those kinds of things and, and, uh, Yeah, I think that's, 00:49:10.105 --> 00:49:12.685 that's the difference between a positive and a negative experience. 00:49:12.895 --> 00:49:14.214 Well, where did you learn this? 00:49:14.275 --> 00:49:16.915 I mean, you were working in greenhouses before, right? 00:49:17.245 --> 00:49:19.165 Like I did work in greenhouses a long time ago. 00:49:19.194 --> 00:49:19.464 Yeah. 00:49:19.825 --> 00:49:20.395 That's man. 00:49:20.515 --> 00:49:25.795 I tell you, and now you moved your way through and you're doing sales and 00:49:25.825 --> 00:49:27.505 like, where did you learn how to run it? 00:49:28.095 --> 00:49:30.435 The company of this size, I 00:49:30.435 --> 00:49:30.795 guess. 00:49:30.885 --> 00:49:33.585 Well, uh, first of all, I haven't learnt yet. 00:49:33.735 --> 00:49:34.395 I'm still learning. 00:49:34.845 --> 00:49:35.505 Good answer. 00:49:35.565 --> 00:49:35.865 Yeah. 00:49:36.195 --> 00:49:43.485 Um, I, um, I don't really know how to answer it well, because I don't, uh, 00:49:43.515 --> 00:49:44.745 I don't have a high school diploma. 00:49:45.015 --> 00:49:46.635 I don't have any schooling, really. 00:49:46.635 --> 00:49:48.855 I have done different kinds of education. 00:49:48.855 --> 00:49:51.645 Like for example, I've taken apex courses, it's operator, you 00:49:51.645 --> 00:49:54.405 know, associates for operations management and those kinds of things. 00:49:55.065 --> 00:50:02.505 Um, I, uh, I have failed a lot, so I, you know, since I was, uh, I got 00:50:02.505 --> 00:50:04.395 married at 19, so I got married young. 00:50:04.815 --> 00:50:07.965 Uh, I've always been trying different businesses. 00:50:07.965 --> 00:50:12.885 So MDT wasn't the first time I got involved with business, um, I, I have 00:50:12.885 --> 00:50:16.395 learned much more from failure than. 00:50:17.490 --> 00:50:18.330 The other side. 00:50:18.660 --> 00:50:23.490 So, you know, with the success that we have, there was a lot of painful failure. 00:50:23.910 --> 00:50:24.030 Yeah. 00:50:24.030 --> 00:50:28.020 And nothing, nothing really teaches lessons like lumps. 00:50:28.110 --> 00:50:28.410 Hey. 00:50:28.500 --> 00:50:28.710 Yeah, 00:50:28.740 --> 00:50:29.130 for sure. 00:50:29.130 --> 00:50:32.520 You know, just even an example, even at a company where I worked and they would pay 00:50:32.520 --> 00:50:38.400 their suppliers, uh, at about 90 or 120 days and you, we would often deal with. 00:50:39.140 --> 00:50:41.390 Our account being an old and we needed to buy something 00:50:41.390 --> 00:50:42.410 and it would hurt production. 00:50:43.040 --> 00:50:47.480 And, uh, I never, ever wanted to be in an environment like that with my own company. 00:50:47.480 --> 00:50:51.590 So we pay weekly, you know, we just do the entire payroll and every week and 00:50:51.680 --> 00:50:53.480 people are happy to deal with us because. 00:50:54.305 --> 00:50:59.045 Um, they know they're going to get paid and it makes everything so much easier. 00:50:59.165 --> 00:51:02.285 And again, you know, going back to being a legendary company, it's, 00:51:02.285 --> 00:51:05.375 it's, it's what we, we just look at everything that we do and say, how 00:51:05.375 --> 00:51:06.935 can we make this the best possible? 00:51:07.445 --> 00:51:10.625 Um, there's, there's a lot of trial and error in that. 00:51:10.625 --> 00:51:13.045 And there's a lot of things we don't have figured out yet, then 00:51:13.045 --> 00:51:14.225 there's a long way to go yet. 00:51:14.255 --> 00:51:18.215 But, uh, it's what makes the path of what's next so much so 00:51:18.215 --> 00:51:20.855 enjoyable for everybody at the company, because we all know that. 00:51:21.420 --> 00:51:24.870 The thing that's not working well right now is only going to be a short 00:51:24.870 --> 00:51:29.060 period of time because we will not, we are relentless about legendary 00:51:29.060 --> 00:51:29.340 ism. 00:51:30.030 --> 00:51:30.750 I love it. 00:51:30.810 --> 00:51:33.330 So what's next in the future? 00:51:33.540 --> 00:51:36.480 What do you see as the next big thing for MDT? 00:51:37.920 --> 00:51:39.090 Um, we are. 00:51:39.665 --> 00:51:43.025 You know, well, currently we have eight designers and engineers 00:51:43.025 --> 00:51:44.225 working on new products. 00:51:44.375 --> 00:51:47.525 So new product development is always going to be huge for what we do. 00:51:47.675 --> 00:51:52.145 As a matter of fact, we have another eight new hire scheduled for 2022 00:51:52.145 --> 00:51:53.225 in the engineering departments. 00:51:53.285 --> 00:51:53.675 Wow. 00:51:54.065 --> 00:51:59.435 Um, we are, um, doing more in. 00:52:00.524 --> 00:52:01.785 Different materials. 00:52:01.814 --> 00:52:04.484 So, you know, we started out doing a lot of aluminum machining. 00:52:05.415 --> 00:52:07.154 Uh, then we started introducing polymers. 00:52:07.185 --> 00:52:11.535 So, uh, we own our own injection molding company. 00:52:11.535 --> 00:52:14.444 It's got radical composites, which is owned directly by MDT. 00:52:14.444 --> 00:52:17.714 And that's kind of how we like to set things up because radical, radical, 00:52:17.714 --> 00:52:21.555 complex, it's going to go to the bank and get a lease along with MDT cannot. 00:52:21.734 --> 00:52:22.095 Right. 00:52:22.305 --> 00:52:24.104 Um, just because of the space that. 00:52:25.549 --> 00:52:30.470 Um, we also recently started a company called audacity manufacturing and 00:52:30.470 --> 00:52:31.910 that's actually doing woodworking. 00:52:32.180 --> 00:52:38.150 So a laminate stock is going to be it's semi released, already has people. 00:52:38.180 --> 00:52:40.790 Some people have seen it out in the wild here and they're being tested. 00:52:41.299 --> 00:52:42.560 Uh, but that's going to be released here. 00:52:43.529 --> 00:52:47.759 Uh, we are working hard on making sure that we have multiple spectrums 00:52:47.759 --> 00:52:48.930 that are getting attention. 00:52:48.930 --> 00:52:53.069 So the MDT side is going to grow, uh, with all those products, but we also 00:52:53.069 --> 00:52:57.060 have our Orix brand, which, uh, is more of an entry-level and that's going 00:52:57.060 --> 00:52:58.830 to start seeing some new products. 00:52:59.250 --> 00:53:02.850 So, you know, for example, uh, you know, MDT there's released or is in the works 00:53:02.850 --> 00:53:06.720 off, uh, officially releasing a new bi-pod very soon, it's going to be about $200. 00:53:06.720 --> 00:53:08.730 Bipod, uh, $200 us. 00:53:08.730 --> 00:53:09.240 That is, yeah. 00:53:10.035 --> 00:53:14.985 Um, and, or actual police, he saw I'm similar, but more at an entry-level price 00:53:14.985 --> 00:53:19.185 or a $200 at a good price price for that kind of products that the MDT makes, but 00:53:19.185 --> 00:53:21.884 orange needs to have something that's more like in the hundred dollar range. 00:53:21.884 --> 00:53:25.065 So those are the kind of things that we, uh, work on. 00:53:25.575 --> 00:53:28.785 Um, so we're very, very product focused. 00:53:29.115 --> 00:53:33.134 Uh, we will expand while we're working on a new building right now. 00:53:33.134 --> 00:53:37.485 So, uh, on the MDT side where we do our distribution and. 00:53:38.049 --> 00:53:42.609 Uh, services, we're moving into a 30,000 square foot building in a couple 00:53:42.609 --> 00:53:47.740 of months on the manufacturing side, we're working on building a 110,000 00:53:47.740 --> 00:53:49.359 square foot building also in cello back. 00:53:49.839 --> 00:53:54.759 And we will probably also be looking at expanding our us operations. 00:53:54.759 --> 00:53:57.430 So right now it's just warehousing, but we'll be doing while we do in 00:53:57.430 --> 00:54:00.220 some manufacturing in the us already, but Rick's looking to expand that. 00:54:00.915 --> 00:54:01.695 Are you smart? 00:54:02.685 --> 00:54:05.415 Well, when we talked earlier, we're talking about breaking 00:54:05.415 --> 00:54:06.615 this into two sections. 00:54:06.645 --> 00:54:09.975 One where we get some background, we learn all about what MDT is about. 00:54:10.065 --> 00:54:13.395 And the second part, the second section we get into some of them where 00:54:13.395 --> 00:54:17.475 the technical aspects of how your products work and why, and some of 00:54:17.475 --> 00:54:19.275 the decision-making process behind it. 00:54:19.695 --> 00:54:22.605 Before we jump into that second part, which I'm going 00:54:22.605 --> 00:54:24.615 to have available separately. 00:54:25.065 --> 00:54:28.545 Um, is there anything else we should be talking about on that? 00:54:32.145 --> 00:54:33.795 Um, there's probably lots. 00:54:34.095 --> 00:54:36.645 Um, you know, I can talk about MDT for. 00:54:37.995 --> 00:54:38.955 Um, 00:54:39.015 --> 00:54:42.615 where would the TV, so it wasn't there a TV so that, uh, he just recently did. 00:54:42.884 --> 00:54:43.365 Uh, yeah. 00:54:43.395 --> 00:54:45.705 So this morning, actually, just this morning, I talked to, 00:54:45.705 --> 00:54:48.404 uh, rod Gattaca from the CCFR. 00:54:48.674 --> 00:54:54.944 Um, so, um, there was a, it's a short interview, some similar questions that's 00:54:54.944 --> 00:54:57.615 going to air next week on wild TV. 00:54:58.035 --> 00:55:00.584 I think when this podcast airs that probably will. 00:55:01.425 --> 00:55:05.115 Uh, it's so basically it will be last week, last week. 00:55:05.175 --> 00:55:05.505 Yeah. 00:55:05.535 --> 00:55:06.735 But it will be available. 00:55:06.765 --> 00:55:09.525 It will probably react a bunch of times, but it is going to 00:55:09.525 --> 00:55:11.325 be, it's a series for CCFR. 00:55:11.865 --> 00:55:15.975 Um, so definitely tuned into that because it's not that that show is not 00:55:15.975 --> 00:55:17.685 about, you know, me coming on this show. 00:55:17.685 --> 00:55:20.355 It's about all the good that rod is doing there. 00:55:20.355 --> 00:55:23.685 And, uh, in Dell, in the landscape that we're working on in the firearms industry. 00:55:24.195 --> 00:55:26.175 So, um, yeah. 00:55:26.235 --> 00:55:26.655 Check that out. 00:55:27.279 --> 00:55:27.670 Okay, 00:55:28.930 --> 00:55:32.980 well, Martin, thank you very much for coming on this silver Corp podcast. 00:55:32.980 --> 00:55:35.770 It was an absolute blast talking with you, and I'm really looking forward 00:55:35.770 --> 00:55:37.089 to talking about the next section. 00:55:37.089 --> 00:55:37.180 That 00:55:37.180 --> 00:55:37.509 sounds good. 00:55:37.509 --> 00:55:38.080 Thanks for having me.