Ducks Unlimited Podcast

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN 

Great gear gets people in the door. Community keeps them coming back.

In this episode of the DUX Series, host Jimbo Robinson and co-host David Schuessler sit down with Dennis Zuck and Carter Oliver of Chêne Gear to discuss the company's growth, its people-first philosophy, and how Chêne has become one of the most recognizable brands in waterfowl hunting.

What started as a mission to build a better wader has grown into something much larger. Dennis and Carter share the story behind Chêne’s rise, the importance of customer service, and why relationships remain at the center of everything they do. The conversation also includes major announcements about new products debuting exclusively at DUX, the continued evolution of ChêneFest, and the growing partnership between Chêne and Ducks Unlimited.

Topics Covered
  • How Chêne Gear got started
  • The philosophy behind building better hunting gear
  • Why customer service remains a company priority
  • New products launching for the first time at DUX
  • The growth and impact of ChêneFest
  • Chêne’s partnership with Ducks Unlimited
  • Expanding the brand beyond waterfowl gear
  • Building community in the modern hunting industry

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: DUPodcast@ducks.org

SPONSORS:

Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

Creators and Guests

Host
Jimbo Robinson
DUPodcast Co-Host

What is Ducks Unlimited Podcast?

Ducks Unlimited Podcast is a constant discussion of all things waterfowl; from in-depth hunting tips and tactics, to waterfowl biology, research, science, and habitat updates. The DU Podcast is the go-to resource for waterfowl hunters and conservationists. Ducks Unlimited is the world's leader in wetlands conservation.

VO:

You're tuned in to the Ducks Unlimited Podcast. Conserving wetlands, restoring habitat, and working to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow, and forever. From field tested hunting insights to the biggest conservation wins across North America, This is your front row seat to wetlands conservation in action. The DU podcast is proudly sponsored by Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails. Whether you're wrapping up a hunt with your best friend or kicking back with your crew, Bird Dog brings award winning flavor to every moment.

VO:

Enjoy responsibly.

Jimbo Robinson:

Alright. Alright. We're still live. Maybe there we go. You gotta say it now.

Jimbo Robinson:

Welcome back to another installment of the DUX series here on the Ducks Unlimited Podcast. I'm your host, Jimbo Robinson, alongside today's cohost, David Schuessler. This year's DUX presented by Purina Pro Plan is July 31 through August 2 at the Renaissance Convention Center. But today, in the studio with us, mister Dennis Zuck and Carter Oliver with Chene gear and boys over the past few years, Chene has built a loyal following by creating premium gear designed by hunters for hunters while also, which I think this is the coolest part, cultivating that community that's much more than what you wear in the blind. From their support of conservation initiatives, creating unique experiences like Shen Fest, Shen Diggs film tour.

Jimbo Robinson:

They've become a major force in the waterfowl culture, and we're excited to have Chene as a valued partner and sponsor again of the Ducks Unlimited Expo. And today, we'll dive into a little bit of the Chene story, talk about the partnership with DUX. Hopefully, get a preview. This is why we did it now of what they're bringing to DUX this year and hear how Chene Fest has become one of the most anticipated gatherings in the waterfowl community and how the new partnership between DU and the FES looks. Fellas, how are y'all doing?

Carter Oliver:

Doing great. Doing great. Never felt better.

David Scheussler:

That was a heck of an opening, Jimbo.

Dennis Zuck:

It did.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. I worked on that one a little bit.

David Scheussler:

Mhmm. You didn't come up for air.

Jimbo Robinson:

Nope. I had to, I had to write that one. I had to write that one down. So we have a fun game when you're in studio and when you're remote called the flock shot. My man's gonna hit the button.

David Scheussler:

The flock shot.

Jimbo Robinson:

We're gonna spray you with questions, and you have to give us quick answers. Are you ready? Ready. Yeah. Let's do it.

Jimbo Robinson:

Dennis, coffee drinker or not? Coffee. Yes. How do you

Dennis Zuck:

like it? Black.

David Scheussler:

That's right. He does.

Dennis Zuck:

Heck yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

Y'all stay over there.

Dennis Zuck:

Don't pepper it.

Jimbo Robinson:

Carter, favorite color of

Carter Oliver:

Gatorade? Orange. Go balls. God.

Jimbo Robinson:

Oh. Oh. It's actually more Auburn orange.

Carter Oliver:

Well, no. It's debatable. Auburn,

David Scheussler:

no. I'd say it's more Tennessee orange.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. Auburns are burnt orange. Manning? I mean, Gatorade, that was the partnership back in the day.

Jimbo Robinson:

No. Yes. Florida Gators Gatorade. Well, yeah. Maybe.

Jimbo Robinson:

And I'm pretty sure Florida owned Tennessee.

Dennis Zuck:

We're gonna need a fact

Carter Oliver:

check here. No. That's debatable. But Debatable.

Jimbo Robinson:

We're not we can't talk about college sports yet.

Carter Oliver:

No. Okay. That's fine.

Jimbo Robinson:

That's six weeks.

Dennis Zuck:

That's fair.

David Scheussler:

Can we talk about goalkeepers, Goalies?

Jimbo Robinson:

The flub? My favorite meme of all that. I mean, I love USA. I mean, you gotta love Yeah.

Carter Oliver:

But that was Of course.

Jimbo Robinson:

All aligned up for us

Carter Oliver:

to win. Mhmm.

Jimbo Robinson:

I mean, we're celebrating two fifty, but it was like, that's what happens when I pipe a drive down the middle and I get my 58 degree wedge out. That's exactly right. Chunk it. And I don't know. I think he didn't wanna kick it, but it's still like a flub.

Carter Oliver:

That was bad. That was bad.

Jimbo Robinson:

And then have the never. I can't talk about it. I'm riding with England now.

Carter Oliver:

Yep. Are you? I am.

Jimbo Robinson:

Okay. You're because everybody else riding with Argentina.

Carter Oliver:

I love it.

Jimbo Robinson:

We cannot talk about soccer, though. Futbol.

Carter Oliver:

Do you do you like soccer?

Jimbo Robinson:

No. Okay. Played soccer. I I like soccer. I like the World Cup.

Jimbo Robinson:

Okay. Especially when it's in our home country.

Carter Oliver:

Yep. That's right.

Jimbo Robinson:

Alright. Dennis, what was your first gun?

Dennis Zuck:

Savage 20 gauge pump.

Jimbo Robinson:

Nice. I don't think anybody said a savage.

David Scheussler:

That's the first that's the first we've had with a savage mother.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. Savage pump. Still got it.

Jimbo Robinson:

What's your favorite? Waterfowl or turkey hunting?

Carter Oliver:

Waterfowl by far.

Jimbo Robinson:

Really?

Carter Oliver:

I do like shooting turkeys. It fires me up, but nothing like shooting a limited ducks.

Jimbo Robinson:

Good answer. Yep. Really good answer.

David Scheussler:

For this show.

Jimbo Robinson:

For this well, yeah. Yeah. Alright, Dennis. Favorite piece of Chene clothing? One.

Jimbo Robinson:

The waiter. Gotta have the waiters. Yeah. That's right.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. Just different.

David Scheussler:

Carter, what's what's yours?

Jimbo Robinson:

Great.

Carter Oliver:

I would say one, the waiter, but he's already said that. But right now, my favorite product would be the Flyway jacket.

Dennis Zuck:

I knew you were say

Carter Oliver:

breathable, comfortable. You love the Flyway jacket. I know that.

Jimbo Robinson:

Wear it every day. Jimbo? What's yours? Jacket.

Dennis Zuck:

See? There you go.

Jimbo Robinson:

Because I, you know, I have the camo and the the plane, and it's T shirt. I wore it North Dakota under over a T shirt and wear it in Arkansas as the fourth layer.

Carter Oliver:

Easy. All you need.

Dennis Zuck:

Oh, it ain't all you need.

Carter Oliver:

It ain't all you need.

David Scheussler:

But What's yours? Outside of the waiters? Yeah. Well, I'm gonna embarrass myself. I'm gonna have to describe it.

David Scheussler:

It's the it's the underlayer waffle 60 series. Inside. What is it?

Dennis Zuck:

60 series.

David Scheussler:

60 series. 60 series.

Carter Oliver:

Yep.

David Scheussler:

Yeah. Because very rarely do I need a jacket if I'm wearing that and something underneath it.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. Yep. Me as well.

David Scheussler:

Turtleneck if the wind's blowing, the Chene merino wool underneath if the wind's not blowing.

Carter Oliver:

You and I run hot.

David Scheussler:

Yep. I run hot. Small We're men.

Carter Oliver:

We're not small. So

Jimbo Robinson:

David still has. Him and my dad, that they're not the same age, but they're the only two I know that still wear a, like, old school.

Carter Oliver:

Like, whopper Turtleneck. Turtleneck. Yeah. Yeah. With the long johns, the matching long johns set?

Carter Oliver:

No. Okay.

David Scheussler:

No. It it so I I cannot stand for my neck to get cold. Yeah. I I it just it drives me, especially the back of it. Mhmm.

David Scheussler:

And, you know, Jimbo usually hunts with the wind in his face. I like to put it at my back. And so You start I

Jimbo Robinson:

go where they are.

Carter Oliver:

Well, I mean Right.

David Scheussler:

Yes. I'm getting better. I'm getting better with hoodies.

Jimbo Robinson:

We'll make

Dennis Zuck:

you a turtleneck. We'll get you a turtleneck. Don't you let them dog on a turtle.

Jimbo Robinson:

It's not going to change anything.

Dennis Zuck:

Right. Or get you a neck gator at least something.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. That's not gonna change anything either. It's not. It's like my dad. Like, they are not breaking away.

Dennis Zuck:

Not happening. No. K. No. If you trust it.

Jimbo Robinson:

Alright, Dennis. If you had to live the rest of your life with only one of these, what

Dennis Zuck:

would it be? TV, music, or books? Music. Yeah. Music.

Dennis Zuck:

I mean, books are great, but you said the rest of my life, I I don't know. I need to get jam.

Jimbo Robinson:

That's a good one.

David Scheussler:

That is a good one.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. You gotta be happy in this world.

Jimbo Robinson:

You know? Somebody else said music makes me happy.

Dennis Zuck:

Music makes me happy. You know? If I you gotta do a project, turn on the radio or something. You know? It just puts you in another place.

Jimbo Robinson:

How do you turn on the radio?

Dennis Zuck:

Well, turning on the radio, well, it depends on where I'm at. My truck, you know, I got a radio. Alright. Alright. But, otherwise, you can stream that.

Dennis Zuck:

I know. You know? So it's just a whole another world. You used to dial it back in the day. I'm not old.

Dennis Zuck:

You know? I'd do that.

Jimbo Robinson:

And wait for it to you slowly move it?

Dennis Zuck:

Oh, yeah. I yeah. I'm old enough to have had a had a a stereo that I made by pulling an old car radio out of my dad's vehicle, wiring it to a battery, and it was literally like an old dial radio. And that's that's what I used to in my bedroom.

Carter Oliver:

That's awesome. That is awesome.

Jimbo Robinson:

That's the good old days.

Dennis Zuck:

I'm a go go gadget guy. I can make anything.

Jimbo Robinson:

Alright. Alright. What's your favorite movie of all time?

Carter Oliver:

Oh, man. If it's Christmas, elf. If it's not Christmas, probably stepbrothers.

Jimbo Robinson:

Okay. Connection there.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. There's yeah. Will Ferrell's my favorite. I mean, any movie Will Ferrell's in, that's that'd be that'd probably be hilarious.

Jimbo Robinson:

I like Step Brothers. It's good. Because I like Mark Wahlberg.

Carter Oliver:

They don't make movies like they used to. Like, they don't they can't they can't read

Jimbo Robinson:

they used to. Hold on. I just gotta

Dennis Zuck:

hold real quick.

Jimbo Robinson:

Go on for it. Like, Stepbrothers came out in 2012. Doesn't matter.

David Scheussler:

He's right. He's right.

Carter Oliver:

You can't they can't recreate comedies. They can't recreate Christmas movies. I mean, nothing nothing's good anymore.

Jimbo Robinson:

I agree.

David Scheussler:

I wanna know Dennis'

Jimbo Robinson:

favorite movie.

Dennis Zuck:

River runs through it. Oh. Montana. Heck yeah, man. Like, yeah.

Dennis Zuck:

You know, you got

Carter Oliver:

That's right.

Dennis Zuck:

I I like good feeling music. I like a little purpose in my in my in the things I watch. Yep. Now I like a comedy. Come on.

Dennis Zuck:

But I I you know, I like a little message.

Carter Oliver:

Movies I'd have to think about, though, because I don't watch TV. Don't watch TV. I mean, I do, like, when it's on

David Scheussler:

my life. Football on it.

Carter Oliver:

Stuff. I do watch Tennessee football. Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

Do you stream all the time?

Carter Oliver:

No. I watch a lot of YouTube. I'm a big YouTube guy.

Jimbo Robinson:

My son will be

Carter Oliver:

in the Podcast. You can talk him

Jimbo Robinson:

about it.

Carter Oliver:

You know? All my kids. Series, all that.

Jimbo Robinson:

I walked in this morning. It was some YouTube show on TV, and I I sat there and started watching it. And fifteen minutes later, I was like, what are we watching? He was like, dad, it's YouTube. Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

Something about baseball.

Carter Oliver:

It's huge. It's cool.

Jimbo Robinson:

Alright. Favorite place to hunt waterfowl state and habitat?

Dennis Zuck:

So my favorite place probably is Montana and probably goose hunting and more in the breaks area. So, you know, fields. I know I you know, I'm a CEO

David Scheussler:

of a

Dennis Zuck:

the crap. I'm a CEO of a flooded timber brand, and I and I love the hell out of it. But, you know, I've I just had some of the best hunts with some great people doing that.

Carter Oliver:

Can make me to answer? You know my answer.

Jimbo Robinson:

I know your answer.

Carter Oliver:

FloodedTimber. Arkansas.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yes.

Carter Oliver:

That is the best.

Jimbo Robinson:

When I met Carter originally, he had just gotten fired from a store because he was a fired.

Dennis Zuck:

I I I haven't heard this story yet.

Carter Oliver:

Left. I left. They when

David Scheussler:

they You were just hitting all the marks today.

Jimbo Robinson:

It's great. It's great. He did leave. He didn't get fired, but he would they told him he had to work. Was it opening weekend or Christmas?

Carter Oliver:

Opening weekend.

Jimbo Robinson:

Opening weekend. He was like, that's not happening. I was in

Carter Oliver:

college, so I could you know, I was like, you know, that college kid, hard headed. I'm like, see y'all.

Jimbo Robinson:

Well, you weren't too hard headed.

David Scheussler:

That's not hard headed. That's freedom at that time.

Dennis Zuck:

I got a lot of life to live. I'm I'm I'm out.

Jimbo Robinson:

That's right. I'm out. He was running a very successful DU chapter at Martin Forest, and he called me. Was like, well, not working there anymore. I'm headed back to hunt.

Jimbo Robinson:

I was like, let's go.

Carter Oliver:

That's right.

David Scheussler:

What time we leaving?

Jimbo Robinson:

Oh, that's a good one.

Carter Oliver:

Yep. That is a good one.

Jimbo Robinson:

You know, it's probably the best thing you did.

Carter Oliver:

It is.

Jimbo Robinson:

Because you met all the people that you've met have realigned in your current job.

Carter Oliver:

That is correct. So

Dennis Zuck:

Set your set your dreams

Jimbo Robinson:

for for a reason.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. They do.

Jimbo Robinson:

Well, that was fun. Thank you for participating in the flock shot. Pow pow. Gotta limit. Spray and pray.

VO:

Welcome to the Old Timer Minute, sponsored by Old Timer Knives.

Old Timer:

Oh, man. There was this one time, we we actually left a football game halfway through to to make it to this spot, and we we left, we loaded the boat down all the way, went all the way down to the coast of Louisiana and launched the boat, four dudes, fully loaded gatortail, and we're going to the Mississippi River, and as we're going in the river, we meet this barge because we didn't know it was coming because there's only a light bulb in that you can see coming down, and huge huge weight coming from this dude, and we didn't capsize. We didn't die, but we almost did both, and we set up in this pond, if you wanna call it that, and we throw decoys out. We shoot our teal, and while we're shooting teal, boats are leaving. We don't know why.

Old Timer:

Turns out, Todd was leaving. We go to leave. We're stuck. Should've left way before we shot our last teal, but we didn't know any better. We go to leave, go back up the river, and before we get back, because we used most of our gas trying to get unstuck, we ran out of it in the Mississippi River about a mile from where we were trying to go and had a boat tow us back.

Old Timer:

We made it, drove all the way back home. It was a thirty six hour fiasco. That's been your Old Timer Minute brought to you by Old Timer built for generations.

VO:

Visit the oldtimer.com.

Jimbo Robinson:

Alright. Let's talk about let's talk about Shen. Let's talk about y'all real quick. Let's let's for the listeners that may not know Dennis, I don't know that you have you been on the Podcast you have? Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

So they probably know a little bit. Carter, most people probably know you as employee number three. 2. 2?

Dennis Zuck:

2. Oh, boy. Get it right.

Jimbo Robinson:

I knew it was well, I guess yeah. That's right. Yeah. Morgan. Morgan.

Jimbo Robinson:

Morgan was first. Yep. But let's for those folks that don't know the full Chene story, give us the quick version. How did Chene get started, and what was the vision kind of with the owners behind the brand? And then you can tell them how people how they can also read it too.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. So really how I got started, it's four founders out of Memphis, passionate waterfowl hunters, avid hunters, public land, private land, all the above. And I think they they really just got to the point where the gear that they were wearing, they weren't really happy with. Their their, you know, their thought process was there's gotta be a better way to make a waiter and and that's how Chene was founded off the off the waiter. The waiter is the foundation of Chene.

Carter Oliver:

And so really they, you know, threw some ideas around, found a guy, Jeff Jones, as we all know, that is a mad scientist when it comes to products and a veteran in the industry. He he had an idea. Field, John, Jeff, they all met with him and said, hey, let's let's make a better waiter for us, one, just to enjoy the hunts more, but let's let's give this to the hunter, the waterfowl hunter for him to enjoy his time and field better and not have to worry about constantly just failing products. So that's really that's really where it started. I got a call one day out of the blue.

Carter Oliver:

I graduated college with the ag business degree, so I was working in the seed industry for a company here in Memphis. And I got a call from Field, and Field told me about Chene, what Chene was, and it it's a waiter company. I said, well, I'm a waterfowl hunter. I wear waders all the time. I said, let's see what happens.

Carter Oliver:

Let's take a jump. And so I I hopped over to Chene and we traveled the country for a year and a half, two years just spreading the word about Chene, about the product, about the waiters, and now here we are. It's been it's been a crazy ride and very fast ride. Seems like I've been here for twenty years, but it's really only about five. But it's been it's been been a lot of fun and and a lot of respect for the founders and I will say and then Dennis can kind of speak, but there was some non negotiables put in place whenever the founders started Shen.

Carter Oliver:

One being when that phone rings, there needs to be a human on the other side of that phone that is going to take care of you quickly and and reliably. And then number two, it does not matter the cost, it does not matter where it is sourced in the whole entire world. They're gonna make sure that the quality of face fabrics down, boots, whatever that may be is the best we can possibly get and put into the consumer's hands. So that's what that's what I'll say about that.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. No. And and, you know, so, you know, Carter, you know, play number three as a as a little further down the line, but, you know yeah, I'm point number two now. Point number two. Yeah.

Dennis Zuck:

Right. I'm messing it up now. But, you know, I think it's it's been an amazing last few years with with the founders and everybody, and, you know, it's it's kinda wild to see like that that origin story, you know, that's make something better. But see what it's become. Right?

Dennis Zuck:

And, you know, when you when you think about what it's become, you know, I think quickly, those those those four guys and a few others there realized that it was bigger than a product. You know? It was it was bigger than probably any of them really immediately thought it was gonna be. And as we started to kinda like, you know, have our Chenedigs and just bring people together or, you know, have an event or, you know, know, work with you guys, you know, quickly became obvious that the real win was finding a way to make the hunting world and industry better. Right?

Dennis Zuck:

And bringing people together and, you know, remembering what it used to be, you know, or what it used to be like. Or, you know, there's relationships you had in the lodge or the camp and, you know, so, you know, yeah, the, you know, the stuff we make is amazing. It will never, like you said, nonnegotiable. But but it's just the thing in the middle, the currency in the middle that makes the the tide roll through, and it's what makes all the rest of the things that I think we've all come to understand is more important connect. So I that that's been awesome to watch.

Dennis Zuck:

It's and it's and it is pretty you know, I've been I've been in the industry a really long time, and I've I've been fortunate to see a lot of lot of brands come through. And it's really rare to have a handful of people just so aligned and connected with a vision. You know, you you could grab anybody from any corner of our warehouse to any part of our company and ask what division that company is and they they're pretty pretty lined up. Like, they they both love being there. They love working there, but they love that it's bringing bringing people together.

Dennis Zuck:

You know?

Jimbo Robinson:

I think that in this industry, not many people bust out walls faster than y'all do. Yep. Going back to the small entrance.

Dennis Zuck:

Mhmm.

Jimbo Robinson:

Right? The the I mean, I remember walking in there, I don't know, before waiters were being sold.

Carter Oliver:

Before we knew somebody was even gonna come in and shop at the store. Right.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. Coming by and seeing you and and Jeff and and Morgan. And and I remember the day I came, the first time I ever went to the office, there was, you know, there was, like, a big the kitchen was gonna be, like, the spot the spot to hang out. There was food sitting out there. That was in '21 or '20.

Jimbo Robinson:

Maybe '1. '21? Yep. Early twenty one. And and so there was food there, and I remember like, god.

Jimbo Robinson:

It's kinda cool. It's be cool by staying out. And you're like, yeah. We're about to knock the kitchen out. We're gonna make it, like, a little bit better.

Jimbo Robinson:

And now it's that that's changed how many times since then?

Carter Oliver:

At least four, five.

Jimbo Robinson:

So once a year so far.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. Once a year.

David Scheussler:

Well

Jimbo Robinson:

To where it is today. So, you know, it speaks to the volume.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. Everything we set up, we outgrow it the next year.

Carter Oliver:

Yep. Seem Seemaker. Team, growing warehouse, growing, know, all

Dennis Zuck:

Those Everything. Of it. Retail.

David Scheussler:

Carter, you were at the first DUX.

Carter Oliver:

Yes. And, I mean, that

David Scheussler:

Like, I I I can remember. That's a six years ago, five years ago, six. Yeah. There was a year off for

Jimbo Robinson:

It was just waiter year.

Dennis Zuck:

Right?

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. It was Yeah.

David Scheussler:

It that it that was it.

Jimbo Robinson:

It was just waiting. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Wow.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. Because I you had the trailer. Mhmm.

Carter Oliver:

It was hot.

Jimbo Robinson:

Did you wreck that? Never mind. Never mind.

David Scheussler:

That was the first year.

Carter Oliver:

Did I wreck that one? I never I had well, I have not wrecked a trailer. No. But I've ran it into a few things.

Jimbo Robinson:

Everybody does.

Dennis Zuck:

Not wrecked. Yeah. It's got some more wounds.

Jimbo Robinson:

My favorite was about I don't know if this was the second year or the first year. I can't remember if it was y'all's first or second year, but when it was like there were five of y'all in a pickup truck. Mhmm. Duck was one.

Carter Oliver:

Yep.

Jimbo Robinson:

And y'all got out.

Carter Oliver:

In Texas. Yep.

Jimbo Robinson:

And yeah. And it was so hot. Y'all all had on golf shirts and

Carter Oliver:

Flip flops.

Jimbo Robinson:

Shorts. And when the trailer door opened, all the golf club, all four five of their golf clubs fell out of there. And I was like, what are y'all doing? They're like, man, this is a long way. We had to take our time, play a little golf on the way

Carter Oliver:

here.

David Scheussler:

There's a lot of golf between here and

Jimbo Robinson:

Oh.

Carter Oliver:

That's right.

David Scheussler:

Texas Motor Speedway.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. To see the country.

Jimbo Robinson:

Y'all had to. I think y'all were on a seven five or six day, seven day trip on that one. That was awesome. But that that's, you know, DUX from Texas. Y'all went all three years.

Carter Oliver:

All three

Jimbo Robinson:

years. You know, there's very few there's there's a lot of companies, but Purina. Purina.

David Scheussler:

Like, I know Purina's one.

Jimbo Robinson:

But then.

David Scheussler:

I think the only person I've seen at every single show is Carter and then Carl Gunzer from Purina. Yeah. That just dawned on me while

Jimbo Robinson:

Oh, yeah.

David Scheussler:

We were talking.

Jimbo Robinson:

Oh, yeah. I mean, and y'all you know? So that the partnership, you know, at DU with Shen, it started as, you know, kind of us helping get the waiters out there. Yep. And 100%, you and I, will take credit for that one.

Jimbo Robinson:

But Carter was like, hey. We need help getting these waiters across the country, and y'all have the best platform. And the whole time and I I he says this in every meeting we ever have, but the whole time we're going through this, I have David Schuessler, like, in the back of my head going, we don't do sizes. We don't do sizes. We don't do sizes.

Jimbo Robinson:

And I'm like, how in the world am I gonna pull this off when we don't do sizes? Yep. Because not only was it a boot size, but it was kind of the first one that was like, alright. You got boot, then you got tall, you got extra large, you got Right. All of these other components in in Carter and I.

Jimbo Robinson:

And that was a fun project to work on and see where it is to today.

Carter Oliver:

It's come a long way too.

Jimbo Robinson:

But it was a really cool thing, and I remember Field saying one time, the organic feel and touch that we got through DU events helped it grow in certain places.

Carter Oliver:

It did. It did. Yeah. To be in DTC, it's, you know, it's hard for a customer to be able to feel, touch, you know, smell the product without, you know, their buddy buying one or, you know, somebody that they hunt with have one. So that was very, very helpful.

Carter Oliver:

One, just, you know, having hundreds of people in a room and being able to see that see that product and get the word out there. So, yeah, it's it's grown. It's grown. I think we've got close to 80 RDs signed up in the program now. I mean, it's it's pretty pretty awesome.

Jimbo Robinson:

So which kinda leads to you know, I I very fortunate we get to travel the country all the time. And and, you know, it used to be when you saw a brand walking around, it was like, oh, they're a duck hunter. Right? And I've heard people say before, oh, when I see somebody wearing Chene, I know they're a duck hunter. But I don't believe that anymore.

Jimbo Robinson:

I truly believe that the community y'all have built with everything around it, when I see somebody wearing Chene, I think they've not only do I think, okay. They probably duck hunt, but they've also bought into the community that Chene has made it and and Chene has become Mhmm. Which is really interesting. So kinda leads me in this question. Has you know, y'all become one of the most recognizable brands in the industry.

Jimbo Robinson:

What do you think has driven that growth and the connection to people across the country?

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. You want me to take it?

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. You can

Dennis Zuck:

take it. No. I'm happy to. I mean so I I love that. And and it kinda gets to where I was talking about being a little bit bigger than a product, you know, and, you know, I think we we we were hoping that as we were kinda building building community and talking to people and just trying to be be be have a real relationship, you know, show up in person, That that would transcend.

Dennis Zuck:

And we weren't really sure until probably Turkey, until we launched Turkey, NWTF. And that was our first time really walking into, you know, another another hunt environment. And I a lot of us all turkey hunt, you know, it's not completely new. But work walking into another environment and saying, hey, we're we're here and we we wanna we wanna service you guys. And I mean, we had people wrapped around the booth And that that right that moment.

Dennis Zuck:

And I remember Jeff Farmer coming up to me and saying, this is this is bigger this is bigger than I thought. And what he was responding to was the way that people were reacting to our brand selling a turkey vest, not not selling a waiter. You know, you know, not, you know, not selling even even a a waiting jacket. You know, we were selling just a whole different thing. And I really think that it's just been so long overdue.

Dennis Zuck:

You know, we you know, right now, you know, convenience is how quick you can get on Amazon and buy something and, you know, good services, you know, an AI bot. Right? And I think just trying to just being a little bit more personable and connecting, it's it's not it's it's probably bigger than just hunt too. You know? And and we're certainly not the only ones who do this, but I think that's what's driving it.

Dennis Zuck:

And now people are saying, well, this stuff's nice, and I love it, but I like that brand. I like those maybe I like those people, you know, or I like that conversation.

David Scheussler:

And we we saw because that same weekend, I think John and Morgan were over at Seaweed because the tents are very close, if not right next to each other. And several times, Jimbo and I would look out, and they were wrapped around that tent. And I said, they didn't bring enough.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's amazing. Like, you know, we talk about Morgan.

Dennis Zuck:

So Morgan, you know, is first employee. Morgan doesn't waterfowl hunt. Right. Right? But there isn't a person that doesn't come in the door who hasn't been there that doesn't know who she is, and it's because it's not about that.

Dennis Zuck:

It's about the way she treats people. It's about the way she services and helps them. It's the question she answers or she'll figure it out. And that's exactly why I think that I hope I'm answering your question, but it's connecting it's just connecting bigger, you know? And as soon as we realized, hey, if you have this platform and you can provide a little purpose, if we keep doing that and giving back, let's see where it goes.

Dennis Zuck:

You know?

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. And, I mean, you know, in in part of that, you know, y'all have been huge supporters of DU along the way, whether it's events across the country, but, you know, with DUX and it going to Texas. But why do you why do you think DU what made DUX for y'all when it came here? Why do you think it made it such a bigger natural fit?

Carter Oliver:

I mean, the biggest one of the biggest things would be location. I mean, that is you know, we are in the Tristate area where, you know, that's you're you're dragging all the people from the big hunting locations, your Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, all around. But I think that it, you know, it needed to happen. I mean, was it was something that needed to come back to Memphis because that's I mean, waterfowl culture in Memphis on the Mississippi River is, I mean, very ingrained, but people, you know, haven't brought that back yet. So I think that was that was one of the biggest I mean, just being here and moving it to Memphis was was huge.

Jimbo Robinson:

When Jeff Jones mentioned that to me probably before he mentioned it to you, David, or he may have mentioned it

David Scheussler:

to in meeting?

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. When he mentioned that, it that was so far from a thought of mine Yeah. That it took me a while to kinda get my head around that.

David Scheussler:

Well, it's we live here. Right? And so you kinda forget about it. You do. The epiphany I had and and look.

David Scheussler:

Texas was great. Oh, yeah. I mean, I mean, we hit marks and all that stuff. But when at last year and it's the first, you know, the first year you're in a new location and you're nervous, and then Friday gets there and you go, oh, wow.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah.

David Scheussler:

What we did worked. But, Jimbo, it's the same thing that brought DU to Memphis in 1992. Right. When they looked at what this is there were just so many. It's such an important part of the world.

David Scheussler:

There's so many waterfowl hunters here. And and what the business leaders of Memphis did when they came together to build endowments and everything. And and there, you know, I've heard Chuck Smith talk about it that we just

Old Timer:

knew that it needed to

David Scheussler:

be here because this is such an important part of everything waterfowl. Mhmm. You know, right here where those three states come together and the Mississippi River runs through it.

Carter Oliver:

I don't know if any expo will be able to replicate what y'all did.

Jimbo Robinson:

Let's not go there yet.

Carter Oliver:

I but I'm I'm I'm being serious. For real. Like, it it it was special last year.

Jimbo Robinson:

Alright. Then here's here's the next question then. Every year your booth at DUX seems to draw a massive crowd. What was the biggest surprise last year for y'all? Because if y'all weren't nervous, let me tell you, I was.

Jimbo Robinson:

I didn't sleep. Our Sunday night after the show was over, and this was a cool this was a cool moment for for myself. But but being a regional director, your job was to be the last man standing on cleanup. Well, not your job, but part my my MO was to be the last one standing at a cleanup or anything. You know, I wanna be working just as hard as my volunteers.

Jimbo Robinson:

Mhmm. And when we were wrapping up, I was sitting in a in a chair kicked back, I was like, feels so good to sit down. This is, like, six it's about 06:00. And the ray I had turned my radio off, and somebody came by me with their radio, and I heard all this chatter on this radio of, I need help in Dock 4. We got six eighteen wheelers and 19 directors coming up.

Jimbo Robinson:

And I looked across. Dave was like, what are they what's going on right now? And we he was like, I don't know. We must be moving out. So we turned his radio back on.

Jimbo Robinson:

He's like or I think he may have called somebody. I like, hey. What's going on? They're like, man, we've got so they got tons of these people. And it was myself, Nick Wiley, our COO at the time, Tim Ferringer, national director of event fundraising at the time, Adam Putnam, our CEO, and David Schuessler.

Jimbo Robinson:

And we're and and and, like, I think Adam was talking about going home. Like, hey. I'm you know, anything else we need to do, Nick? You know? You don't need me to do anything?

Jimbo Robinson:

No? About to leave. And all of a sudden, Dave was like, hey. Y'all, they need our help on the dock. And from six to 10:30 that night, our COO, our CEO, our chief fundraising officer, myself, Tim, and a whole slew of volunteers, they were on the dock in the heat.

Jimbo Robinson:

We just couldn't see them helping people load their trailers because that's a tight dock up there.

Carter Oliver:

Right.

Jimbo Robinson:

And it was and it it was like, you know what? This is what's making the show what it is, watching these people load this Mhmm. This trailer. And to me, that was a really cool moment of watching of watching that whole thing, and it kinda beginning to settle down a little bit. Mhmm.

Jimbo Robinson:

But that was a really cool moment last year.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. But you guys owned it though. You know, like, you know, of course, you guys sit here and say, yeah. We owned it. Of course, you know, it's our format.

Dennis Zuck:

But it's you know, you go to a lot of shows. If if it wasn't working, don't know who to talk to. I don't know I don't know who who's in charge. I'm not exactly sure, you know, who to give advice to on something we should change. You guys are an army.

Dennis Zuck:

You're walking around. You're you're all you're all asking for opinions. You're all asking what could we do different or what what if we tried x or what z or whatever. Like, that that is a bunch of engaged people trying to create another kind of outcome. Go to any other show.

Dennis Zuck:

Go to one in the outdoor industry. Go to s you know, go go to one in the ski industry. Go to wherever. Go to a archery trade show. There isn't a group of people walking around trying to figure out how make that thing better.

Dennis Zuck:

It's it's kind of like a rinse, wash, repeat.

VO:

Stay tuned to the Ducks Unlimited Podcast sponsored by Bird Dog Whiskey after these messages.

Jimbo Robinson:

I think and I've said this numerous times on this show. We may have the format and we may have we we know that from being event fundraisers, being fundraisers. You you know what that looks like to take care of people. But without y'all, we're just a bunch of bodies standing in an empty room. So it's a team effort in what we we we gave the platform and the and the blueprint to somebody, but to build the show, it took people like y'all and others to help us build that show.

Jimbo Robinson:

And I think what's really cool is a collaboration between the industry and DU. And and it hasn't always been there. Right? But the neutral collaboration between DU and the industry, I think, is what made it special because people knew different people to talk to. And and I think that's what makes a good, a good show, but also there needed to be other things.

Jimbo Robinson:

Like, the social media had to be there. And and and our team, and I give a lot of credit to Logan Evans and Alex White and Dana Barton. I mean, they're kind of the and James Cook and John Walker, kind of the the brains behind what we do. But they traveled around and went to a bunch of different shows and saw and brought a lot of pieces home, and they would talk to us about it. And David obviously knew some, and and and Dana's been doing this for, you know, her whole career being, you know, part of the the original Great Outdoors festival here in Memphis.

Jimbo Robinson:

But that that that team knew kinda what they wanted, plus we learned so much in Texas that we were able to bring. But the one thing that people that that Logan and Dana and Alex were adamant and David about bringing here was the customer service. We had to bring the same type of customer service we had in Texas to Memphis. And I was like, how are y'all gonna do that? Oh, yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

And that's the compliment that we got on on numerous times was, man, I've never had somebody help us move in, but I don't see that. Like, I and I David may have he he's a little bit more in that, but I didn't see that part. But people constantly saying, man, that big tall blonde kid that I mean, he carried eight pallets in one load, and I'm know, we're all laughing. I'm like, we knew who it was, but, you know, they wanted that customer service. But that's that that's the same type of customer service that Chene wanted.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. From day one, Alex, Logan, Dana were adamant. We've got if we don't do that, we are just like everybody else.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. And I'll say, I mean, going back to you ask what were we most scared about or, you know, about the the expo, you know, you always you always don't know how many people are gonna attend, how many people are gonna show up. You can see ticket sales, but a lot of them are, you know, day of and and whatnot. But I was very, very shocked at the attendance of the show last year. And I mean, that's that is a massive building.

Carter Oliver:

Like, it takes a lot of people to fill that building out and it felt packed the whole time.

Dennis Zuck:

Oh, yeah. And the quality of people Quality.

Carter Oliver:

The quality of

Jimbo Robinson:

people.

Dennis Zuck:

There's a lot of shows you go and it's just, you know, you're just you're just you're just spending a day out. You know, you're just doing something. Right? There's everyone who showed up were they were getting themselves out. They were they were planning for their year.

Dennis Zuck:

They I mean, they were serious. It was a it was a quality group of people who showed up. Yep.

David Scheussler:

No whistling gophers, Jimbo.

Jimbo Robinson:

Is that what it is? I've been trying to think of that the whole time. That's weird that you said that.

David Scheussler:

Whistling gopher. Was that gopher?

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. Love that before? No. I'm gonna use

Carter Oliver:

that one.

Jimbo Robinson:

So apparently, it's a farmer's market. It was a farmer's market. Somebody told us that one time. It was like a farmer's market saying, hey, Bob. What's that gopher?

Jimbo Robinson:

$58?

Dennis Zuck:

That goes for an awful lot, man. Alright. Love it.

Jimbo Robinson:

I'm not gonna I'm gonna go ahead and ask this now. Okay. But you wanted this podcast in July Mhmm. For one reason. You kinda knew what was gonna be at the show.

Carter Oliver:

Yes. Can you

Jimbo Robinson:

tease the people of what they can expect? Because last time I checked, most of Chene's launch days are seven fourteen.

Carter Oliver:

Yes.

Jimbo Robinson:

Right? Yes. What's are they launching on 07/14?

Carter Oliver:

They are not. They will be launching at DUX. Let's go. Let's go. Yes.

Carter Oliver:

That will be the first time everybody is able to see them and feel them and try them on and all the good things.

Jimbo Robinson:

What what what can they expect?

Carter Oliver:

Some, I would say, upscale technical hunting wear and Dennis is more he's better with that language, but very excited about the technical casual crossover pieces that will be there, that will be launching there and it's it's really good stuff.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. We we have so we our product development team is pretty amazing and and what's also pretty amazing is is the the people that work behind them with the insulation companies and, you know, all the people who supply us. Right? And so we said, you know, Carter said, you know, we're gonna put the best stuff we possibly can in these things. And this year, we will launch we will launch an insulation that has never been in the in the waterfowl industry period.

Dennis Zuck:

We will launch a form factor of a product. I say form factor, it's it's how it's made. That will be unique to the to this industry, something that's never been done before. And we have an accessory item that is extremely detailed, I would say, that is gonna have to be, like, one of those you must have. So Yep.

Dennis Zuck:

We're we're looking at, you know, five five to pieces of things that we will bring unique, brand new, never sold. You know, it's gonna fill out a lot of your mid layers, some of your outer layers, but we think it brings together a lot of things that were already amazing, but it it it's connecting some dots that we've been excited to connect. It takes us eighteen months to develop something. So I don't know if people know that from the time that, you know, Jimbo, you walk in and you're like, you know what you really need. We just thought about it and we're like, how, you know, how do we want to be launching these things?

Dennis Zuck:

And, you know, we that that date you said that was the founding of the company, and that's a special date for us. It's the number of, you know, undergrad memberships we have. You know, it's always been important, But we decided we wanted to show up where when everyone else showed up. Like, when when I say everyone else, the consumers, that the, you know, the Mississippi Delta just flocked on this place. And so, I mean, we couldn't be more excited and like like, you know, Carter said, you know, some of and some of those pieces aren't just wear it in the field.

Dennis Zuck:

They certainly are all wear it in the field, but there's some stuff that you probably will you you'll you'll if there's five days in a week, you're gonna wear at least one of those five every week.

Jimbo Robinson:

It's so hot today. It's probably and and and Well,

Dennis Zuck:

we'll say in the winter.

Jimbo Robinson:

David will

Dennis Zuck:

test it

VO:

with stuff.

Dennis Zuck:

Not today.

Jimbo Robinson:

Something you wear every day. This I have in the last week since I, you know, last week, since it got this hot, I have not worn my leather boots, my growth boots.

Carter Oliver:

Really?

Jimbo Robinson:

I wear them every day.

Carter Oliver:

Every day. Problem. You you got sock you got a sock problem.

Dennis Zuck:

Carter's like, you could push through that weather.

Carter Oliver:

Come on. Got a sock problem.

David Scheussler:

Come on.

Carter Oliver:

You need some new socks.

Dennis Zuck:

Get you some of that.

Carter Oliver:

A little sock. You're probably

Jimbo Robinson:

a Nike dry fit guy. Caught in full 100%. Idea. Right.

Carter Oliver:

It's a sock problem.

David Scheussler:

That's why we're

Jimbo Robinson:

here sanitary.

David Scheussler:

It's good. We can't

Jimbo Robinson:

about socks later. My sock problem. I probably have more problems than just my socks, but, I mean, it that is I've that never crossed my mind. The fact that I had leather boots I mean, I I wore them every day last summer. I wear them.

Jimbo Robinson:

I mean, they'll come back. I wore them. I actually wore them Monday. They're kinda like my nicer work shoes. We had a town hall

David Scheussler:

meeting representative cuffed off

Jimbo Robinson:

in here.

Carter Oliver:

That's right. You were wearing

Jimbo Robinson:

them. I wore them Monday. Kinda That's right. I like to wear them, you know, when I gotta meet somebody. That's good.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. It's funny you say that the Grove boot. We have so many people now because, you know, we've had it now long enough. You know, you beat that first pair up pretty good, and they're you're just using them around the house. People got their going out Groove boots.

Dennis Zuck:

They're going out. Oh, yeah. They don't mess them up. Like

Jimbo Robinson:

That's stupid.

David Scheussler:

I do. Alright. I do.

Dennis Zuck:

You got your going

Carter Oliver:

out grove boots.

David Scheussler:

My go to club, go to the camp grove boots, and I've got my going out

Dennis Zuck:

grove boots. Have your going out grove I

Jimbo Robinson:

probably need to think about that because my first pair are, like, ice skates. Yeah. And I was I I I I I asked Dennis. I said, Dennis, is this a problem? He goes, no.

Jimbo Robinson:

No. Yeah. I remember that. And that that conversation that we had in the hallway that day stuck out to me because what the consumer sees is, wow. I'm losing my my grip on the bottom of these is gone.

Jimbo Robinson:

But then when you explain why it is, it all makes perfect sense.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. I mean, it comes from I mean, that soul originally came from, like, the concrete world where you were those guys, then, like, you didn't want a lot of tread, and you don't want the mud tracking and doing all that stuff. So so that you weren't trailing all that mud in and out of places. You know? So that's that's where that soul came from.

Dennis Zuck:

It was always gonna be a you know, it wasn't about, you know, hiking up mountains.

Jimbo Robinson:

Right. You know? And the, you know, the soul wears, and that's the softness of it, gives it the comfort

Dennis Zuck:

and all that. So Sponginess.

David Scheussler:

Like a baseball glove.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. Mhmm. Better with time.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. Better with time.

David Scheussler:

Or a guitar.

Jimbo Robinson:

So when y'all are building out for, a DUX or a show you're going to, in in our heads, in my head, I'm thinking, okay. We sold 500 pairs of waiters last year. Well, if the same people we you assume a lot of the same people may come back with a lot of hopefully, lot more this year. Do y'all plan y'all is that part of the planning of, okay. We're gonna take 500 again, or are you saying if we sold 500 last year, I think I mean, obviously, after five years, Carter, you've you've burned the road more than anybody with shows.

Jimbo Robinson:

You kinda have an idea. Do y'all plan to sell more than you did last year?

Carter Oliver:

Well, we have now that we've done it, like you said, for five years. We can kind of forecast that. So we yeah. We've got a a very good plan in place and, you know, I've got a team that I work with now that is incredible at forecasting, you know, inventory sales, whatever that may be. So we can we can hit the nail pretty pretty on the head when it comes to, you know, bringing stuff and not running out of things, but it's also helpful we're here in Memphis and we can run to

Jimbo Robinson:

the warehouse. Do. Like us.

David Scheussler:

Swell. That's right. Run back to one waterfowl way, grab some more. Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

Did y'all sell a ton last year?

Carter Oliver:

It was good. Yeah. Yeah. It was good. I would say I would say the most impactful and surprising thing product, if you wanna call it, was just logo wear.

Carter Oliver:

I mean, people wanted to wear the brand. They wanted the hat. They wanted the t shirt. They just wanted to be put the the the badge on their chest. That was really that was really cool.

Carter Oliver:

I I would say that's probably, you know, the biggest, like, logo wear event we've had. It was pretty awesome.

David Scheussler:

It's what Jimbo and I see. Yeah. At the store over in Stuttgart. Right? When we have and we have friends from all over the country that come and hunt with us at the club over there.

David Scheussler:

And any group that comes in, that's one of the stops one afternoon, and that's what they buy.

Jimbo Robinson:

Hoodies. Yeah.

David Scheussler:

Or if if I'm taking somebody by the store here on the way to the airport, which is a great stop, especially if they get delayed because

Carter Oliver:

Mhmm. Right.

David Scheussler:

You just go grab a beer and sit on a couch and spend your afternoon.

Dennis Zuck:

Come on by. But that that's what that's what they're buying is is that. Yeah. Which is, you know, for in my opinion, you know, certainly, want you to buy a pair of waders. I I love you to buy a nice jacket, but it almost means more to me personally, and and, Carter, you've heard me say this.

Dennis Zuck:

The logo wear purchases mean we mean something to you as a company. There isn't an outfitter that doesn't have a logo piece that you can own, a group, but that, you know, there there's there's no shortage of t shirts and hats on this world. Right? And we all have a million of them. The ones you decide to wear, there's a reason.

Dennis Zuck:

And if those people are are buying that stuff from us, that means that means we got a good relationship. You know?

Jimbo Robinson:

So And and meaning, you know, in Memphis and and the kind of some of the things we've talked about, I remember Field telling me last year. I don't know if it was it must be a couple weeks after the show or it may have been even been at at CheneFest. I can't remember. But Field said what he loved the most was watching his hometown show up and support something that meant so much to him. Yep.

Jimbo Robinson:

Kinda goes back to how many people came. And I know it's kinda like us. Like, you know, this is our home. This is y'all's home. You know, others claim Memphis that may be on the outsides like the Rolling Thunders and those.

Jimbo Robinson:

You know? They were proud. We were proud to to to have the people show up to this town that did, and it it it, you know, I defend Memphis all the time, and and, you know, some some of it is is just. But I defend Memphis in especially in when it comes to how much waterfowling means to this town. And David has said it.

Jimbo Robinson:

I've heard him say this numerous times on shows and and to other people is the history there's not a place, and you said it the other day. There's not a place find me another place where the history of waterfowl hunting and hunters is so big.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. It's true.

David Scheussler:

Well, and and

Carter Oliver:

West Tennessee. You know? I mean, I think you could kind of

David Scheussler:

Yeah. And and

Carter Oliver:

say the West Side Of Tennessee.

David Scheussler:

Certainly spilling over into Arkansas. Arkansas and down into Mississippi. But what I learned, and I'd I'd lived in North Carolina. I'd lived in Alabama. I'd lived in Texas.

David Scheussler:

This was the first place I ever went to that when I got here, you met somebody at a cocktail reception or a a school function for your kids, and it wasn't what country club are you a member of. You did get what church do you go to, but you also got where do you hunt. Yep. And that was a shock, especially for my wife. She was like, well, we've landed right where you need to be, and I think, yeah, we have.

David Scheussler:

Mhmm.

Jimbo Robinson:

So the new so the big launch, any big plans with the booth?

Carter Oliver:

It's it's it's about the same as last year. But, yeah, we're gonna have, you know, some more some new fixturing that'll make make things look a little better. We're revamping the whole the whole booth in '27, so it's gonna look really nice and and kind of aligning that with our our store. So you feel, you know, in my vision and, you know, hope is that when you walk in our store and you walk walk in our booth at DUX, you know, next year or in future, you feel the exact same way. You feel like you're at home, you feel like you're there with the you're seeing the same people, so you should feel like you're in that store too.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And I would say one thing that we're, you know, Carter and his team are just getting really good at the booths and the merchandising and just making it feel homey, like you said. We're we're also working really hard to try to have more things there for people.

Dennis Zuck:

Mhmm. You know? Because, you know, before, you know, a lot of things are bigger and you place an order or whatever. So we we're working harder on that too just so, you know, if you would want it that day, you can have that day. Right?

Dennis Zuck:

Or we find a way to you can go over to our store. We've done some of that stuff. So we try to really ping pong it into just whatever the customer wants. How can we help you? Right?

Dennis Zuck:

And I think you'll see even more of that this year.

Jimbo Robinson:

You know, for me, and and one of the things that Chene has done incredibly well is provide the kids, the youth, an opportunity to get in the outdoors comfortably. Mhmm. And I I, very fortunate both of my kids, hunt with me, and and they people have asked, like, man, I've seen your daughter out there when it's, you know, 25 degrees. How does she how can she take it? I'm like, the gear that she wears.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yep. Right? And and that has been something when they go out in the water, I don't have to worry about their boots leaking and ruining my day.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. Well,

Jimbo Robinson:

ruining their day. But but and that's something that not everybody took into consideration, but y'all did early on in the in the trade in program. Yeah.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. Yeah. I mean and we'll think about that too. You know? Like, you know, how many how many kids or how many people just don't do don't go hunting or don't do something because they just all they can remember was freezing.

Dennis Zuck:

That's all they remember. And dad wasn't gonna take me home and, you know, I was a problem and so they don't that that's what they remember and they don't wanna participate anymore. Right. You know? If you can just do a little bit more, and Chene's done an amazing job with the trader program and kinda just kinda growing with you, you know?

Dennis Zuck:

Like, truth is is that's a terrible business. Yeah. But it's it is. It's terrible business. Like, you know you know, there are people wrapped around the building here trying to start grow with your waiter programs and, you know, and trade in programs.

Dennis Zuck:

We feel like it's part of doing business is is making sure that we take care of that group of people to get kid.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. And it goes back to, you know, just our our founders, like we said, that they're they're family first people. So they want their kids, you know, they wanna pass down, you know, the the legacy and, you know, to their kids and be able to enjoy it. You know, like Dennis said, just being able to enjoy it and them remember not getting wet, just enjoying the, you know, scenery, the ducks, the all of it.

Jimbo Robinson:

You know what? Trip is so excited to come and see you. I know. You know why?

Carter Oliver:

He's probably gonna ask me for something.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yes.

Carter Oliver:

I to guess. What

Jimbo Robinson:

do you remember what he's most excited about?

Carter Oliver:

Scout fitting into a men's original bottomland camo scalp boot. Yes. Is that correct? Yep. Okay.

Dennis Zuck:

That's pretty exciting. My memory is good. Tripp and

Jimbo Robinson:

Carter have all Tripp loves he also loves tree stand now. He's gotten into the tree stand.

David Scheussler:

Oh, that's because he

Jimbo Robinson:

Well, Carter gave him a He's killing deer now. Yeah. He was freezing last year at the show. Bring more hoodies.

Carter Oliver:

More hoodies.

Jimbo Robinson:

That that was in the specs. That's a funny thing. So that that did not that was not planned, but I told when we were meeting with the people of RCC early on, they were like, you know, I said, hey. Does the AC work good here? Because it's gonna be August.

Jimbo Robinson:

I said, it needs to be on the lowest setting possible.

Carter Oliver:

Snow. Great.

David Scheussler:

I think you said snow.

Jimbo Robinson:

I think I didn't say snow. I said, like, if y'all have a snow, we'd love it. Well, I didn't know that it whatever AC unit they're using down there is impressive.

Carter Oliver:

That bill wasn't cheap. I know that.

David Scheussler:

Well, we didn't pay

Carter Oliver:

it. Goodness.

Jimbo Robinson:

I think it's part of what I think it's part of doing business down there.

Carter Oliver:

I know.

Jimbo Robinson:

Because the doors were open on Thursday on Thursday Wednesday Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. During load in, those big doors stay open.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

And he did and and Dean Dennis, the executive director, was executive director of RC, told me, like, how when those doors are open, how they don't lose all the air. Somehow they circulate that air or something.

Carter Oliver:

Ceiling's so high in that place too. It just

Jimbo Robinson:

You would think all the hot air rises, but it was so cold in there. People bought hoodies.

Carter Oliver:

It was great.

Jimbo Robinson:

If I go back and look at pictures, you would think it's October outside based on what people were wearing inside. Hey. We're not changing. Set the

Dennis Zuck:

tone. Set

Jimbo Robinson:

the tone. It's on we're not changing. It's and Dana wrote it in the spec for this year, which was I was very, very excited that we wrote it in the specs for them. But

David Scheussler:

Dennis, you've worked with some iconic brands Yes, sir. Through your career. This is a if you if you would have told me and maybe, Jimbo, I think we did have this conversation when this Chene concept with the original four was bubbling up, I'm like, how how are you going to make it as a waiter company right now? Right? Because because, you you know, every five years, you're like, well, they can nobody can ever do anything different.

David Scheussler:

And then all of a sudden, somebody else comes along. Where do you see somebody who's been in the industry, but not necessarily just the waterfowl circle of that industry? Where do you see everything going in the future as far as far as all consumer brands? And let's just let and and and we'll broaden out hunting.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. No. I I I love the question, and, you know, and it's I I know where we're going. So, mean, I'll put that part in there, and I and I'd like to see other brands do it too. But, you know, it it's yeah.

Dennis Zuck:

You're right. And I've been fortunate. I've I've been able to be part of a few brands, and that's why I love Chene so much is it's we're building something different. We're trying to change an industry. Right?

Dennis Zuck:

And I think where you're gonna see people go is is, you know, it it the world is cyclical. It goes up and it goes down. You know, it it goes hard in one direction and then it that creates such a strong bias. It creates problems, and then people have to address those problems again. Right?

Dennis Zuck:

So I think now we live in a world where you have too much information to understand what's right or wrong. You have too many options to really decide what's best for you and you you have you're you're just inundated with just just different personalities and people and motives. Right? So I think if you assess that, you say, well, well, that's interesting. Right?

Dennis Zuck:

Because I you know, when I was a kid, we didn't have any information. You know? Mhmm. There was no Internet. There was none of those things.

Dennis Zuck:

You know? A couple of It was uncle George and

David Scheussler:

Yeah. A couple of Yeah. Of catalogs that came out at this time every year.

Dennis Zuck:

That's right. I mean, I remember, like, keeping the catalog coming. It was hardbound if you bought enough. Right? Those things are awesome.

Dennis Zuck:

Right? I mean, I I read them back and forth as a kid. But we came from a world where there none of the things that are over overall for today existed. So where's it gonna go? Well, you're gonna go to a place where you're gonna have to start trusting in a few things again.

Dennis Zuck:

And you're gonna have to someone's gonna have to water down that information and bring it to a closer place. Even with AI, you know, it's hard to discern what's right or wrong. That thing will lie to you. I mean, you tell hey. You you know, you were wrong.

Dennis Zuck:

And it's, oh, yeah. You're right. I was wrong. You know? So I think where the industry is gonna go is where we're gonna go is at least we're gonna be more human.

Dennis Zuck:

We're gonna be more personable. We're gonna do we're going to try to be a real first person who answers the phone. If you don't if you need advice on how to dress or what to wear, you know, I you know, I'm not gonna make you read 50 blogs or believe an AI bot. We're gonna have somebody tell you how to do that. I think you're gonna see the brands that emerge be the brands that do that.

Dennis Zuck:

Because commodities, you know, commodities are basically the thing that lives in the middle where right now you can you can source things from all over the country and everybody knocks everybody else off and that's just that's just the outdoor industry and that's all industries. Think of the brands that you look at today that are different to that than you. And, you know, like I was fortunate to be at Yeti, and I think today you look at that and you're like, yeah, they were kind of different. What did they do? Well, they they made me fall in love with the outdoor, being outdoors maybe again, and they re showed me an image.

Dennis Zuck:

You know, they stood for something. Right? You know, you start looking at the brands that have purpose and meaning and they communicate differently. The ones that will survive and the ones that will make a difference in this next ten years will be the brands that do that. The the brands that, you know, chase a little cheaper dollar or, you know, you know, I can sell more on Amazon, so let me do that too.

Dennis Zuck:

Those are gonna be the ones that struggle. You know, you will you will find convenience, but what you're losing actually is convenience. It's actually convenient to talk to a human, believe it or not. You know? So I hopefully, I'm answering your question.

Jimbo Robinson:

No. You are.

Dennis Zuck:

I think that that's a trend variance and it's cyclical where you're going back almost to a time and place that we came from in lots of ways.

David Scheussler:

And and we have a phrase that we use inside of the event division, pick up the phone. Oh, a 100%. If you if you if you get an email and and you can tell this person is unhappy, pick up the phone and call them.

Dennis Zuck:

Oh, a 100%. You know, Chick fil A, you love Chick fil A because they they're nice to you and they talk to you and they they say it's my pleasure and they and they follow-up. They're people, and they work with you. Pick up the phone. You know what?

Dennis Zuck:

If one gas station right now, pick one, decided that they're gonna start washing windows again Oh. Could you Right there. Right there. You you go to them.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yep. That's why Buc ee's is dominating the world.

Dennis Zuck:

A 100%. Service.

Jimbo Robinson:

Walk in, they speak to you. You know when fresh brisket's on the board. You go to the bathroom, there's somebody cleaning it. They're all clean. Like, there it is a touch point, and we heard somebody who runs a very, very large business Retail.

Jimbo Robinson:

Retail business Mhmm. Say that when they went to d u this is the absolute truth. In this room, they told us this story. When they went to DUX the first time, they walked into Buc ee's. They were the two owners, two of the owners were so blown away with how they did their business.

Jimbo Robinson:

They brought they've taken the entire sales team and most of their people to different Buc ee's across the country to learn how they did it so well. That's awesome. And if you've never been to a Buc ee's on a Sunday after July 4 Oh my god. In Leeds, Alabama, you know that they're doing it well.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. Yeah. A 100%.

Jimbo Robinson:

And it it's convenient. You can get everything you need. It's a clean bathroom. You know where things are. There's stuff for everybody.

David Scheussler:

And you're not gonna stand in line.

Jimbo Robinson:

And you're never gonna stay in line.

Dennis Zuck:

That's amazing.

Jimbo Robinson:

And so what you're I agree with you a 100%. And some of the things that we're hearing in the talks and the chatter with with the younger generation is that they like people. Even though they're even though the everything else is telling them, they don't know how to talk. They don't know how to do this. They'd rather pick up the phone and hang out and call.

Carter Oliver:

Right. Oh,

Jimbo Robinson:

yeah. They're going away from just texting all the time. We all text, but they're kinda going that that you're right. It's moving away from

Dennis Zuck:

It's great. They never lived in the world we lived in before. No. They they to them, that is absolutely groundbreaking. How about that?

Dennis Zuck:

Never feel that old, Dave?

Jimbo Robinson:

I call people all the time.

David Scheussler:

The malls are coming back.

Dennis Zuck:

They're coming back. Ring it back, baby.

Jimbo Robinson:

I call people all the time, certain things and and catch up with friends. I got to see a bunch of high school friends recently, and and that was one of the things they said is that, know, part of they're like, man, I I just need to call people more. Instead of checking in on them texting wise, it's it's a man, like, I've gotta call people more. Like, I I feel like I'm missing I've missed out, and and, obviously, the you know, all of our group was like, yeah. We'd, you know, pick up the phone and call each other as we're driving and talking.

Jimbo Robinson:

And It's awesome. And it's come I I agree with you. I think that the personable thing is something that I've tried to never let go of at all. And you know?

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. That's what we've done. At I'll give Morgan complete credit for this, you know, customer service is number one priority. But speaking of, you know, picking up the phone and calling, just a lot of our, you know, customers that have been there from day one, believers in Chin, you know, we've we've Morgan has started putting together call campaigns for those people. Just calling them, checking in on them.

Carter Oliver:

How you doing? Could we do anything for you? Let me tell you about FilmFest. You'd probably love

Dennis Zuck:

it. Atlanta.

Jimbo Robinson:

It'd be

Carter Oliver:

a great time. Atlanta. Yeah. I mean, just calling just calling people that may have just bought a hat from us in Atlanta, but saying, hey, we're coming. We're coming.

Carter Oliver:

And, you know, we're having a film tour in your town and, you know, just thank you for being a customer and believing in us.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. We did a show of hands at that and then things where you're going is, you're like, how many how did you guys all find out about this? You know? And the biggest part of that room found out of it because someone in our company called them and said, why don't you come out?

Carter Oliver:

Yep. Wow. And a lot of them did give a, you know, a testimony while they were there about just like how meaningful it was that somebody from Chene called them and told them about the event. They didn't have to get on Instagram. They didn't have to see an ad on Facebook.

Carter Oliver:

Whatever.

Dennis Zuck:

We weren't selling them anything.

Carter Oliver:

No. We weren't. Just telling them. Like, come on

Jimbo Robinson:

out. So A lot can be learned from that.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. Absolutely.

David Scheussler:

Here we are giving out all of our secrets.

Dennis Zuck:

Hey. They're free. If it makes this world a little better

David Scheussler:

It will make this world worse.

Dennis Zuck:

They're they're they're free.

Jimbo Robinson:

No doubt. It's amazing how many times we have to have the pick up the phone conversation, though.

Dennis Zuck:

Oh, yeah.

David Scheussler:

I had it yesterday.

Dennis Zuck:

Common sense go a long way, though. Yeah.

David Scheussler:

Somebody was in an email argument, and I said, have you picked up the phone?

Dennis Zuck:

Right. Just

Jimbo Robinson:

just Pick it up. Yeah. I do it. I call Carter all the time. I do

Carter Oliver:

it. But then when I call you, you don't answer. So Wrong. That's wrong.

Dennis Zuck:

Wait a minute.

David Scheussler:

Jimbo, you know, DUX is only one massive show in Shelby County, Tennessee every year. Yep. And the other one, these gentlemen hold, and then we get to go to it.

Dennis Zuck:

That's right.

Carter Oliver:

Chenefest. Chenefest. Chenefest. That is correct.

Jimbo Robinson:

And I and I purposely there's questions about CheneFest because I think that one of the one of the things that I think is is when talking to most people at Chene, I think from your perspective when you first came here. Mhmm. We had a meeting up front. One of the things you kept saying is, like, we gotta figure out ways to tell the DU story. Gotta get how how do we get how does DU and Chene at that time, Chene Film Festival work?

Jimbo Robinson:

How do we make this work? And there was a lot of questions, and it made our team thinking like, alright. What do we do with CheneFest, and what what does DU need to do? What what makes this? And I think that in the last year, what most people don't know is that, you know, DU and and the CheneFest have partnered, into a deal where, know, you Ducks Unlimited is the beneficiary of financially of that show.

Jimbo Robinson:

And Which is

David Scheussler:

incredible. Nothing else like it. No. In in the country, there's nothing else like it.

Jimbo Robinson:

Not in this industry.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. Right.

Jimbo Robinson:

Maybe in any industry. I I don't know where you can go.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. I mean,

Dennis Zuck:

it's actually I can't think of another industry.

Jimbo Robinson:

Right. There may be film festivals, but they don't have the Yeah. The the boost and and and the vendor part of it and the conservation payback. No. But they're just trying to stay afloat Mhmm.

Jimbo Robinson:

Each year. I mean, and that's

Dennis Zuck:

That's right.

Jimbo Robinson:

And and, you know, part of one of the cool things that we're offering at DUX this year, we can drop this bomb, but is that we are gonna have a massive screen above the duct in. And in between people in the duct in, they're gonna be showing the Chene Fest films throughout the years. So And there

David Scheussler:

are there are some really good ones.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah.

David Scheussler:

Like, bring your bring your Kleenex.

Jimbo Robinson:

Mhmm. Right. Yeah. True. So Chris Isaac, our audio engineer, who helps produce this is is also the brains behind this, what's gonna be on this on the on the, on the big screen.

Jimbo Robinson:

So people will be able to come by the the DU, duct in. And when we're a downtime inside of the duct in, the Chene films will be showing not only on the big screen, but also live on our YouTube and on the screens that we have right outside the the den. So that'll be it's another touch point, but it came from that that CheneFest Yeah. And the partnership that we have. So, no.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yes.

David Scheussler:

Well, that budget just went up.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. The $5, you

David Scheussler:

can get

Jimbo Robinson:

a shit thing of popcorn. I'm just kidding.

Dennis Zuck:

There you go.

Jimbo Robinson:

There may be free popcorn. Love it. But that they were trying to create, like, and and part of that, David went on a what what can we do for people sitting down in the duck den watching a a Chene film festival? I mean, a Chene film. Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

And so we're gonna have a little popcorn machine.

Dennis Zuck:

Love it. Love it.

Jimbo Robinson:

And that time.

David Scheussler:

And Elvis.

Jimbo Robinson:

I mean, you're throwing it all out there. Why not? Elvis is gonna be walking around inviting people to come and see.

David Scheussler:

I mean, Jimbo, we're we're less than three weeks out. And I Maybe I mean, it's

Dennis Zuck:

Right. I wonder you guys could be Elvis.

Jimbo Robinson:

No. That oh, come on. That'd be great. We've hired a

David Scheussler:

We've hired a real

Dennis Zuck:

A A professional Elvis.

David Scheussler:

A professional.

Jimbo Robinson:

So it's gonna be so we're trying to create and part of that is, you know, that that partnership and then, you know, that the screen, you know, will be powered by Shen Fest, and so we're excited to offer that this year to, you know, the attendees. Yeah. I think it'll be fun.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. That dug in was awesome last year. Y'all really, really nailed that on the head and just the the feel and the look of it.

Jimbo Robinson:

I think it's gonna be better this year.

David Scheussler:

I agree.

Jimbo Robinson:

We we got elevated it.

Carter Oliver:

That's cool.

Jimbo Robinson:

It's gonna be kind of more of a stage presence. It won't be more the the couches are are gonna be they're have been replaced by benches.

Carter Oliver:

Mhmm.

Jimbo Robinson:

There were some people that may have been a little tired. Yep. You know? And they kinda camped on that couch for a little bit too long. Mhmm.

Jimbo Robinson:

Mhmm. So we don't think they'll do that on a bench.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. And I think people I think people will watch the podcast more. I mean, I really do. I think people are starting to enjoy watching podcast.

David Scheussler:

Yes. Well and with the guests we have lined up this year, and I know we can't drop all of those right

Jimbo Robinson:

now. No.

David Scheussler:

There would definitely

Dennis Zuck:

It's gonna be great.

David Scheussler:

Yeah. There would definitely be people watching.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. So we're super excited about about that and kinda what's that being, but what I know Chene Fest has kinda changed.

Carter Oliver:

Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't say the whole feel of it's changing in any way. It's still gonna be the same, you know, feel and same, you know, Yeah. Time to get get the community together.

Jimbo Robinson:

Same vibe.

Carter Oliver:

A few yes.

Jimbo Robinson:

Same vibe. Yeah.

Dennis Zuck:

The vibe is impressive. I think what we're doing is we're really just trying to sharpen that thing. Right? And when you know, what it what it quickly kinda became was like a kickoff to the season.

Jimbo Robinson:

Oh, You

Dennis Zuck:

know? People are coming out. They're bringing their kids. There's the day cycle. There's a time in the day where people are coming out during the day and watching SEC football and hanging out and playing cornhole or whatever.

Dennis Zuck:

And then there's the evening, you know, we'll have Nate Smith this year, but you know, where you'll have, you know, artists play and you'll have all the films and all those things. And what we're really trying to do is sharpen that thing to where we are bringing meaningful things to a family environment that can go from earlier in the day to late in the day, and it can feel like it's a gathering for the waterfowl industry. And and that's why, you know, that partnership with you guys was so important to all of us, were already like last year we did a donation from that, which was the proceeds. It was already something that we in our hearts wanted to do and felt to do. It's just we had never sat down and formally said, hey, let's just let everyone know that that's why this is happening.

Dennis Zuck:

This isn't for Shen. This isn't for the other vendors there necessarily. It's for us all to come together and have a good time and raise some money. So it's changing a little bit, but, you know, our underground, we have an area for underground and we'll make sure that that's, you know, nice and somewhere they can come and enjoy and hang out. We're also gonna make sure that we balance the movies and the music so that we make sure both sides of the people who enjoy those things would get good times.

Dennis Zuck:

Some of the ways the auctions will run, know, the law, you guys know better than that, that's all changed a little bit, but we're just trying to make it as easy and as convenient for people to participate in all those things. And I think the having you you you guys, you gentlemen be part of that is just just gonna make it all that much better.

Jimbo Robinson:

Iron sharpens iron and we learn from each other.

Dennis Zuck:

That's right.

Jimbo Robinson:

And having a collaboration with that event just helps us and helps y'all.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. Absolutely. And it's in Memphis. It's in Memphis. It's in the backyard.

Dennis Zuck:

All of our backyards, it's, you know, it's just just like just like ducks. Just like ducks. Same idea.

David Scheussler:

And it's a great time.

Carter Oliver:

Yep. It is.

Dennis Zuck:

So come on out. And there's there's one thing that, you know, about I'll say that I think is important everyone know too because we we spend a lot of time thinking about this. This year, we are not planning to charge for general admission. We wanna make sure that people who wanna attend that event can attend that event. Right?

Dennis Zuck:

We'll still have the special areas for the VIPs and senior VIPs, and we'll do nice things for those people and make sure they have a great time. But we also wanna make sure that if if you can, you you you have no barrier to come and spend time and watch those movies and get excited about Ducks.

Jimbo Robinson:

You heard it here first. That's been two big, big announcements. Huge Yep. Today. Number one being that, you know, y'all are launching all of the new products at DUX this year.

Jimbo Robinson:

It'll be the first time you can see it. As Carter said earlier, I'm still laughing about this. Smell it. But, you know and then no admission. No general admission fees to get into Chene fest.

Jimbo Robinson:

I think that'll be huge.

Carter Oliver:

It's massive.

Dennis Zuck:

It's massive. And but, like I said, we just wanna make it inclusive. Make sure you come out. But, hey, help be part of the auctions. Absolutely.

Dennis Zuck:

You know, support support Ducks, but do but come out and just have a good time with your family.

Jimbo Robinson:

What else? Anything else big at Chene coming up?

Dennis Zuck:

Well, our Atlanta store opening. That's a big one. So we're we're opening our store late September, and Peachtree Battle is the the area right off Peachtree Street. So we're super we're really excited about that. It's we just we have a lot of we have a lot of folks out there who do great things for our brand that believe in us, have believed in us for a long time.

Dennis Zuck:

So we're gonna go show up. Yes. That's our version of showing up. We're gonna be there in person and and help them try on waiters and buy things and do the things. Right?

Dennis Zuck:

And we'll have movies there for them to watch too and entertain them. Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

If you haven't been to the Stuttgart store in one of the cold months of November, December, January, we need to. The fireplace is absolutely unbelievable. Yeah. There's so many great things. The lodge.

David Scheussler:

Food trucks.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. Food trucks. Grab a beer in the bar area. Yeah. It has become a hangout of Stuttgart.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. Yeah. And that was a big part of the vision. You know, the owners, I remember, you know, when I first started talking through it with them and they were like, you know, they wanted to be like your duck lodge. You know?

Dennis Zuck:

Hey. We if you you wanna pick up some things, pick them up, but hang out by the fireplace watching football.

Jimbo Robinson:

And it puts out some

Dennis Zuck:

heat. Oh, boy.

Jimbo Robinson:

It does.

Dennis Zuck:

It's 20 feet. It's a 20 foot fireplace. That's unbelievable. It's so awesome.

Jimbo Robinson:

Well, I've got a a a fun question for both of you.

Carter Oliver:

Okay.

Jimbo Robinson:

It's kind of a end of the show flock shop, but not really. If you've gotta pick one of these, a VIP pass to every future Chene fest or a lifetime supply of your favorite piece of Chene gear, what are you taking and why?

Carter Oliver:

I'm taking the experience. I'm taking the VIP. Our experiences I mean, you know, obviously, I'm partial, but our experiences are next to none, like just being there, seeing the films, the chills they give you, just all those emotions are wrapped into one, our experience is we make great product, but our experiences are pretty great too.

Dennis Zuck:

They are. And I'll build off of that. And I I'm with I'm with Carter. I do the same way, and I I like to say it's all Chene gear, but purpose comes before product. And that that thing is telling you why everybody wants to go duck hunting and why they care about hanging out with their friends and all the great things people are doing.

Dennis Zuck:

So purpose comes first. I wanna go and be reminded of that at least once a year.

Jimbo Robinson:

Man, what an answer. If that didn't it gave me chills just thinking about some of the films I've watched, and and then you're right, that experience. But if that doesn't, you know, get people to wanna come join October 25. Fifth, you gotta be here in Memphis.

Carter Oliver:

But Gotta be here.

Jimbo Robinson:

Before there, you gotta come to Memphis for DUX and and see everything that all the new stuff.

Carter Oliver:

Booth 534. They can't You can't miss us. Can't miss

Jimbo Robinson:

us. No. Yeah. Can't

Dennis Zuck:

see us.

Jimbo Robinson:

Well, as we begin to wrap up this show, there's been so many big and awesome announcements that that came from today's show, which is exactly what we were looking for. You can find y'all at at in Memphis, the home store, I guess, you wanna call it, the original store in Stuttgart on, you know, Waterfowl Alley as I like to call it. Yeah. Yeah. Right there, the big sign.

Jimbo Robinson:

Campus. Driving into Stuttgart, and then in September, Atlanta.

Carter Oliver:

Atlanta. That's right. Atlanta.

Dennis Zuck:

And then

Jimbo Robinson:

also online at Chenegear.com.

Carter Oliver:

That is correct.

Dennis Zuck:

That's right.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yes, sir. Pretty good with this.

Carter Oliver:

So we're on

Jimbo Robinson:

the road.

Dennis Zuck:

Visit. Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

We'd come by and see them. I mean, it's an experience to stop by. Yeah. And I love getting pictures from there of people just sitting on the couches drinking a beer. Like, that's my favorite part.

Dennis Zuck:

Yeah. If you feel at home when you get there, we've done we've done it right, and that's what we're trying to do.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yep. And, Hope's still open on Saturdays. Mhmm. Still open. And those hours will expand during the hunting season.

Jimbo Robinson:

So come by and see the team at Chene. They're always available, and that's one of the the neat things. You can by and see any of y'all. Open the door, sit in, talk, just share stories, and and have fun.

Carter Oliver:

That's right.

Jimbo Robinson:

And we are excited about, DUX this year, and we thank all of our listeners out there. We wanna thank Dennis and Carter for stopping by, spending some time with us on the DUX series on the Ducks Unlimited Podcast. And from all of us here at 1 Waterfowl Way, we will catch you on the other side. Watch out for geese.

David Scheussler:

And them alligators.

VO:

That's a wrap for today's episode of the Ducks Unlimited Podcast brought to you by Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails. From post hunt unwinds to celebrations back at camp, Bird Dog delivers award winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe, and check out ducks.org/dupodcast for more stories, science, and all things waterfowl. Guest opinions are their own and don't necessarily reflect those of Ducks Unlimited. Until next time, stay fired up, stay focused, and stay tuned to the Ducks.