2010 EXCELLENCE AWARD RECIPIENT

At the age of five, one could already see the passion in Will Primos' eyes. He couldn’t wait until he was old enough to tag along with the older guys on a family duck hunt. In 1963, an 11 year old Primos crafted his first duck call. From that first effort evolved what is now heralded as the most accurate, most reliable call on the market, the legendary Primos Brand call.

From a gleam in the eye of a young boy who was fascinated with calling in ducks, Primos has grown into a major force in the hunting industry. The Primos Hunting line of products includes hunting calls, game cameras, decoys, supplements & attractants, shooting sticks, scent control products, ground blinds, clothing and numerous hunting accessories. They also produce the ever-popular video series “The TRUTH” and the television show “Primos’ TRUTH About Hunting.”

Despite early success with the company, Primos did not make the mistake many young entrepreneurs make - he kept his day job. He continued working at the family restaurant until 1989, using his salary to support his family so he could put everything he made from making game calls back into the company.

Each year new products are added to the line, and each year Primos maintains the hallmark that defines them: quality. As the company has added new product categories, they’ve also improved their materials and technology. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the quality of the workmanship.

Today Primos has more than 160 employees, and manufactures some 600 products in a 100,000 square-foot facility in Flora and a 32,000 square foot facility outside of Brookhaven. The company holds 41 patents and numerous trademarks.

At the end of the day, Primos says, the company’s success comes down to quality, and a belief in what they are doing. “Everyone here is a hunter. If we don’t use a product and don’t believe in it, we can’t market it,” he says. “If it’s not our heart and soul, we aren’t going to do it. We’re going to keep on caring about the products that we manufacture. The bottom line is, we are our own customer. That’s the foundation of the whole company.”