Eric Price Talks About Lumenok
Eric Price, VP over at Burt Coyote was kind enough to answer some questions for my readers. You may know that Burt Coyote is the company that makes Lumenok lighted nocks, and now - arrows too! I hope you enjoy the information Eric provided, and please take a minute to peruse their site. ~Desert Rat
1. How long have you been in the business? Tell us a little how Burt Coyote came to be, and how you got where you are today.
11 years My Younger brother Curt had a bright idea one day. (pun intended) He showed up at my house that evening, we discussed it, put our heads together and decided to launch a 2 pronged attack on the problem of putting a light on the arrow. He went looking for chemical lights to do the job, and I went to Radio Shack. It did not take long to figure out that we could get a lot more light with an LED, and since then we have been building some version of the Lumenok.
2. What is the biggest challenge in your business?
Staying ahead of competition who have their stuff made offshore. The Chinese and Koreans work cheap. While we must import some components that are not available domestically, we still build the products right here in Central Illinois.
3. Why do archers need light on their arrows? What are the advantages?
Imagine shooting an arrow from say, 60 yards at a target. Now imagine what your arrow did on its way there, and where it is in the target. That’s right, that requires some imagination, because today’s bows shoot so fast that following arrow flight is almost impossible. With a bright lighted nock like ours, the archer can see imperfections in arrow flight that may be due to bow setup issues or form issues, and when the arrow hits its mark, even at that distance, he can see it. The speed with which the archer is delivered this information allows him to closely associate his effort with a result. It is like having a little archery coach on your shoulder.
In a hunting situation, knowing more positively where your arrow strikes an animal is a great advantage with regard to how to pursue an animal beyond that point.
4. You just launched a new product - tell us about that.
The Lumen-Arrow is an assembly of an all carbon shaft and a Lumenok that fits it precisely. Add to that the fact that we have developed a method to precision square the back of the shaft and you have an optimum situation for Lumenok function. Since a Lumenok requires that the material in the arrow shaft act as part of the circuit it is important to be sure of shaft construction. Nock fit to the shaft is likewise critical. Our assembly is built with all of these things in mind. By eliminating factors that may be problems, we were comfortable to further engineer the Lumenok Blazer to be brighter than ever with a very easily replaceable battery. It even weighs less than its predecessor. This will help us to develop improvements throughout our product line.
5. Are you a hunter? What is your favorite species to hunt? What is on your “dream hunt” list?
Absolutely! I crossed bullfrogs off the list last week. Unfortunately I am not going in alphabetical order. That would have had me on buffalo the week before. Still on the list. I grew up hunting whitetail deer here in Illinois. I still love to do that, but I am up for any adventure.
6. Are you going to stick with your focus on lighted nocks and similar products, or do you plan to diversify?
We are constantly listening and looking to our customers to give them the best product that we can. Our newest product is the FAST (Fletched Arrow Squaring Tool) , developed in the pursuit of improved Lumenok function. When I get this perfected, I think cold fusion would be another worthy goal. Lord knows where life will take us. My hope is that I can have some positive influence on the next generation.
7. What are the keys to surviving such a tough economy?
Continue to work lean. If I need something, I build it. If I need more hands, I build automation. Working with the best companies in the industry helps me, and I endeavor to help them. There is strength in cooperation.
8. Where do you hope to see Burt Coyote in 5 years?
As the Lighted arrow nock leader in the world.
9. What do you want people to know about your company and products?
We do as much as we can to stay competitive in a market that we created, and do it as a US manufacturer. Our primary customers need to understand that the reason we put out name and address on the package is so that they can be assured of customer service beyond the sale. Lumenoks are fun to use and useful tools to the serious bowhunter and target archer.
Eric did an awesome job, and I think I will add some arrows to my wish list. You can buy Lumenok products at their online store. You can read more product info HERE. Still scratching your head? Check out Lumenok’s FAQs. Thanks again Eric!
[...] Eric Price Talks About Lumenok [...]
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:43 am