Much has been written about the increasing number of women entering the firearms marketplace. Back in March, Fortune magazine proclaimed Guns are barreling back, thanks to women. “According to the National Sporting Goods Association, from 2001 to 2013 there was a 60% rise in women who participate in target shooting. On the hunting side, there was 85% growth.” Still not the majority of the market but a huge market shift nonetheless. What’s not getting ink . . .
is the large number of women rising through the ranks within the firearms industry. The young woman above, for example, is IWI US’s new commercial sales rep, Rebecca McCoy. [Press release below.] ‘Becca joins a growing legion of women execs within what was certainly, and largely remains, a male-dominated industry. It’s a trend towards diversity that’s set to continue, as gunmakers gird themselves to tap into the women’s market. And acknowledge the success that any employee – regardless of their race, color, creed or sexual orientation – can add to their bottom line.
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Harrisburg, Pa. (August 2015) – IWI US, Inc., a subsidiary of Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) Ltd., announces the addition of former law officer, Rebecca McCoy, to the position of commercial sales representative for IWI US. McCoy, a police academy graduate, brings with her eight years as a police officer and firearms instructor, six years with the Pennsylvania State Capitol Police Department (CPD) and was the only female member of the Special Response Team (SRT). She was a part-time officer with Highspire and Steelton Police Departments and formerly part-time armorers’ vendor and instructor with IWI US. McCoy will now assume a full-time role with IWI US where she’ll be managing and growing the commercial sales sector and supporting IWI US’s law enforcement sales and marketing efforts.
“Rebecca joins our ranks with an incredible skill set and a professional knowledge bank of IWI US’s firearms product line,” Michael Kassnar, vice president of sales and marketing for IWI US commented. “She is a fantastic communicator and has the kind of leadership qualities needed to take our sales efforts to the next level. We are very proud to have her with us.”
McCoy’s impressive resume also includes working as a nurse’s aide at Pinnacle Health, Harrisburg Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, a volunteer firefighter at the Franklintown and Community Fire Department, a range safety officer for explosives demonstrations at Tripwire Operations Group teaching Homeland Security classes, writing six firearms training manuals and serving as the CPD’s firearms instructor and weapons expert.
Ms McCoy has accomplished a lot in her life. I congratulate her on her new job and hope it inspires more women to get involved with the firearms industry. If more ladies follow this path, there will be less to join Shannon’s minions
Gun rights are a women’s health issue.
Women have a better chance to stay healthy if they have gun rights? 🙂
Exactly.
If a woman is a victim of a violent assault, yes, because the average male attacker is bigger, stronger, faster, and more violent than the average woman.
Congratulations to Ms. McCoy, now get the X95 you are pictured with above out so I can purchase one or two.
How will feminist media groups spin this one?
Shannon will have a “Hissy fit”
In the spirit of empowering women to make informed independent choices…except when it comes to owning a firearm. they should NEVER own a firearm, of course.
Shannon will have a “Hissy fit”
I imagine that Shannon has a “hissy fit” 8 to 10 times a day, every day except Saturday when she has up to 15, because her husband is off work. In fact, if you were to look up the definition of “hissy fit” in the dictionary, they have a picture of Shannon next to it.
Good. This influx of new blood may lead firearms manufacturers to produce more women-specific guns, tailored to the female anatomy. There are long guns that fit the bill, but not enough handguns.
Hint to manufacturers — if turning a firearm pink is all you have to attract female shooters, you are living in a prior century.
Good one Ralph! I LOL’d!
From my experience: a “girl” color wasn’t a factor in her purchase choice. Black was fine but the grip shape/size was important. The firearms with replaceable back straps are a good step and the new sig sauer grip shape is good too.
They already make products tailored to female anatomy: muzzle brakes for .22LR rifles, and any gun that isn’t black.
A thousand times this. The only thing worse than women having to adjust to frames not made for their frames are the significant men in their lives who are intent on convincing the the adjustment is just their imagination.
Agreed. But personally, I am a bit tired of the Henry Ford approach to gun colour choice, myself.
She seems like a highly accomplished individual, in fields which have nothing to do with managing and expanding a sales network.
Marketing is all about the four P’s: product, price, place, promotion. Action poses in press releases are a tiny part of that, and maybe a little exploitative.
I wish her well and expect she’ll tackle this role with the intense passion and focus she has prior opportunities. Still, there’s more to the job than being a certified tough guy. The sooner she realizes that and prepares for it, the sooner and more likely she’ll achieve success in this role.
There are 5 “P”s in marketing.
Unrelated: Is anyone else bothered by the pic? It doesn’t look like shes looking through the optic. It just looks weird to me.
It’s a stationery picture, like what models do. Not uncommon. Also called a pose. But good for her. Takes guts to go it alone outside government work.
News Flash: Women are growing market segment and rising through the ranks in pretty much everything.
New blood. I look forward to all the things and ideas this woman and others will bring to support freedom.
I took exception to the first line of the article:
“The horror that follows a mass shooting event does not last long in the public memory. ”
That is pure PR, Propaganda BS. The claim that it suppressed gun sales then acknowledge that gun sales went up should show the fallacy of that statement. Then to give Obama “credit” for sales increases ignores that a lot of people purchased guns for self defense that recognized that if you were a victim of a mass shooting you were on your own and that the best defense was a gun.
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