MidwayUSA Celebrates 40-Year Anniversary

On June 18, 1977, MidwayUSA opened for business. Forty years later, the success of the company built by the couple that recently received the NRA Publications Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award speaks to an unwavering dedication to not only customers but also the Second Amendment.

Under the name Ely Arms Inc., Larry and Brenda Potterfield opened shop as a gun store in 1977. The company changed its name to Midway Arms Inc. seven years later, and since then, the Potterfields have developed their business into one of the largest retailers of firearm products.

Founder and CEO Larry Potterfield said, “For 40 years now, we’ve been a family-owned company with a strategy to put customers first. Our employees, suppliers, and the way we manage the business have all contributed significantly to the growth of MidwayUSA; but it’s our customers that have been, and will continue to be, the reason for the success and sustainability of the organization.”

Along with running a successful business, the Potterfields have also made significant contributions to the NRA to help protect the Second Amendment. In 1992, they began the NRA Round-Up program, offering customers the option of rounding up the price of their order to the nearest dollar, with the change going to the NRA National Endowment fund to protect Second Amendment rights. So far, the Round-Up program has contributed more than $13.6 million to the NRA-ILA. That same year, the couple helped start Friends of NRA, which has raised more than $740 million for The NRA Foundation. The NRA Foundation supports public firearm-related activities, such as various education programs like the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program, hunter safety courses and shooting sports.

The Potterfields also created the MidwayUSA Foundation in 2007 to which they contributed $16 million in grants. The MidwayUSA Foundation provides financial support to more than 2,500 youth shooting teams.