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

Hi Vasily, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
March 2021 – I was shopping for ammunition online and became frustrated with limited options. Due to the pandemic, it caused several ripple effects in the firearm / ammunition industry. Manufacturers were unable to get raw material components and international supply chains were interrupted. They stopped production during the height of the pandemic – which caused shortages. People started panic buying, and the price of ammunition sky-rocketed.

Although manufacturers have ramped up production – the “other” problems that I experienced while shopping online was what I wanted to fix – terrible customer service, slow shipping, and high prices. Something clicked in my head – this was the perfect opportunity to start my own ecommerce business. I strived to do the complete opposite and be my own boss.

April 2021 – I registered the LLC and organized all the basics. When I first started the business, it was really on a whim. There was no formal business plan, no financial projections, nothing I learned in Graduate school was applied. I simply just started and didn’t let fear / doubts get in the way. Then, we made our first online sale on June 24th, 2021. The company started in my garage and grew quickly – through word of mouth and guerilla advertising.

When I first started KIR Ammo, my wife and I worked nonstop – 7 days a week. Monday-Friday at our 9-5 and weekends were dedicated to growing the business. On top of running the ecommerce business, we started doing trade shows. For 6 months, we spent our weekends working (7) gun shows in the DFW area. Soon enough we developed enough cash flow to start advertising on the web and industry-specific search engines. We were finally making more online sales, and eventually stopped doing gun shows.

It has been a challenge, trying to keep up with the high order volume. With so much demand, we needed more inventory. There was almost no more space in my home garage, it was chaotic. I eventually realized that having big commercial trucks driving into our residential neighborhood was not ideal, so we searched for commercial space and found the right landlord in Arlington. We moved into our warehouse early October 2021.

April 2022, 6 months after moving into our first warehouse and running out of space – we secured our second warehouse. My wife and I are now full-time with KIR Ammo. I often hear entrepreneurs talk about working more than 50-65+ hour weeks, they were not exaggerating. It is true, when you have your own business – you put in many hours, rarely getting a day off. I truly believe – we work hard because we love what we do, and when you love what you do… it doesn’t feel like “work”. Everyday, we look forward to going into the office and making a difference in the 2A industry.

 

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?
KIR Ammo is a family- owned business; husband and wife operation located in Arlington, Texas. We are a licensed – Type 08 FFL, national ammunition and firearm distributor. We firmly believe in Constitutional Rights and helping people exercise theirs. Our goal is to provide affordable, quality ammunition to the people who need it most: YOU, the freedom-loving American.

(KIRAMMO.COM) serves the lower 48 states and offers excellent customer service, quick processing time, and same-day shipping. Our loyal returning customers appreciate our fast response time via phone or email, low – competitive pricing, promo offers, and attention to detail. We carefully and discretely pack all orders – preventing damage during transit.

We provide a service that allows our customers to protect and defend themselves under the Second Amendment. In addition, hunting and shooting sports are a lifestyle. This is a generational pastime passed down from grandfather/mother to father/mother and to their children. We are blessed to be able to be a part of people’s lives in that respect – our customers are able to use our products to put food on the table – many in parts where grocery stores are not quickly accessible and those impacted by inflation. We now have gun shops, police departments, private security, competition shooters, wild-life service, state land management dept, and people from all walks of life purchasing from us.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
For every celebratory occasion, my favorite fine-dining restaurant would be Al Biernat’s (Oaklawn location). They consistently deliver exceptional customer service and tasty high-quality food. The restaurant manager, Landon, is very welcoming and professional – please tell him KIR Ammo sent you! It is a good and bad thing that I live a little far from Al Biernat’s – I would spend too much money by constantly dining there.

My wife was born in Dallas and raised on the west coast. Naturally- she is a Dallas Cowboys fan. I’ve been to a few home games and took the stadium tour – I highly recommend someone visiting DFW to stop by the AT&T Stadium (even those who are not football / Cowboys fans). We had an amazing tour guide, he took his time explaining the team history and stadium details – I could not stop staring at the JumboTron.

I’ve brought a few out of town guests to the Arlington Sportsman’s Club. I have a membership there, I believe you can get day/guest passes. It is a great place to practice target shooting and hobby shooting – skeet and trap. The range officers here are very helpful and friendly. At other gun ranges, some officers can be intimidating or watch you like a hawk.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
KIR Ammo would not be possible without my wife – my #1 supporter and cheerleader. My dad, mother in law, and sister in law have been a tremendous help in the warehouse – especially since we don’t have actual employees at the moment. My best friend, Adam, has given me good advice and is always there to let me vent. Alkali Designs, and all my amazing supplier reps – especially, Jesse Rotner. Most importantly, American Express 🙂

Website: kirammo.com

Instagram: @kirammotexas

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KIRammoTexas

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