Meet James Adcox | Firearms Purveyor

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Adcox and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, how has your work-life balance changed over time?

I am still working on this one, but it’s getting better. During the first year of the shop my niece was having her birthday on a Saturday. I remember vividly thinking ok if I close from noon to four then I can be open two hours before and after her party. It was at that moment that I realized what was the point of owning the business if I could not take the time to spend it with my family. Now I don’t hesitate to close the shop to do family events.

I still need to work on the balance. I still don’t take vacations. It is a terrible habit. I never really did. Before my wife and I moved back to Texas to be closer to my family all our travels involved visiting our families. We travel to see her side of the family, not as often as I would like to. I am working to take her on a big trip lord knows I owe her several.

The longer I do this balance is coming more naturally. Balance is a topic that my wife and I discuss regularly. She definitely keeps me grounded. Balance is a major component to happiness. I see it changing in the workplace. More people are looking for jobs that are work from home, flex hours etc.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

5013 Tactical is a local gun shop. Our goal is to supply responsible citizens with the equipment they need to protect themselves and the ones they care about. We carry a wide variety of firearms, ammunition, and accessories. We are always branching out and bringing in new and exciting products while not wavering on the quality of those products. We curate products that I would not hesitate to hand to someone I cared about. I strive to put the right products in my customers’ hands. I care that you are satisfied with your purchase and the increase in capability that what you are buying with bring to your kit. I never want a customer to walk out of my shop feeling like I sold them on something. I want them to feel like they got what they are looking for, for a fair price and that I took care of them to the best of my ability.

Business-wise the path has taken me all over the country. My first “adult” job started while I was still finishing college, I was with Winsupply they are a national wholesaler of plumbing, hvac, waterworks and electrical supplies. When we were little my Dad took a job that took us to the PNW from West Texas. I was working in Portland and when I graduated, I was talking to the COO, and he asked me what I wanted to do within the organization. I had been up front when I came on board that I had wanted to run one of the local companies as a President. So, my next step from where I was training was to a completely different industry. I went to Southern California to one of the Waterworks stores. After a short stint there I applied for a President position in Grand Junction, Colorado. My wife and I were in GJ for about 8 years. While I was there my interest and passion for firearms steadily grew. I met Daniel, my business partner and best friend there.

After being away from home for so long we made the decision to move back to Texas to be closer to my family. I took a position as a Regional Sales Manager with SUPCO I had fourteen states and Canada for a sales territory. Between the travel and the desire to do my own thing again the seed of starting the shop was growing. When COVID hit I was grounded from traveling to customers. I went from traveling half time to 100% work from home. In early 2021 when the conversation of getting back on the road started to happen, I realized I did not want to be a road warrior again. Daniel has been pushing me for years to get into the industry and we had talked about opening a second location ever since we moved to Texas. So, with my resolve firm we made a deal and started the second location here in Rockwall Texas. It has been a wild ride and I haven’t looked back since.

Nothing in being a small business is easy. I joke about that I got to where I have a private bathroom in my office now, but at the end of the day I am the one responsible that it is clean. There are a lot of perks to being your own boss and people talk about it all the time. The part that gets left out is that when you are doing something for yourself you are responsible for 100% of the outcomes. You will work longer, harder, and sometimes for less money. However, the rewards can out weight any of the cons. You must have the discipline, fortitude, and vision to get to where you want to be. It will not be easy, but it will be fulfilling if you are doing something that you care about and are passionate about.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Being just 20 minutes from Downtown Dallas we have a massive amount of things to do in the area. Locally we would start by hitting spots in the Harbor district here in Rockwall. Lots of great locally owned restaurants from the Rodeo Goat, Pablo’s Place and Giovanni’s. Other spots in town are Well’s Cattle company, Standard service, and Onassis. There is a lot of live music in Rockwall from Southern Junction, to the square downtown Rockwall as well as the Harbor. Of course, when you come to visit us, we are going to get some trigger time in and get some quality range therapy. One of my favorite ranges to shoot at is Texas Gun Ranch.

The other things we would do is check out some of the awesome museum’s JFK, Perot and Crow to name a few. We would also have to see what concerts are taking place since there are dozens of concert venues in the area.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

This is a tough one. I am very fortunate in that I have a very supportive family. My Wife, my parents and brother and friends were all behind me 100% of the way. They have all contributed in their own ways to pushing me to be the best version of myself I can be.

To narrow it down to one, it would have to be my wife, Lilian. She has been with me through the thick and thin. She has put up with me through all the stress and moving her around the country multiple times in pursuit of opportunity. She is my biggest cheerleader, closest confidante and not afraid to tell me the hard things. If I had one piece of advice is to find that person can be those things for you. Your partner in life can be the difference in being in the dirt or the stars.

Website: 5013tactical.com

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Image Credits
Lilian Adcox