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| TightSpot Quivers President, Joe Jacks with his 2013 Montana Antelope. |
TightSpot Quivers was founded in 2009 by Joe Jacks. He doesn’t gloat about having the best quiver on the market, but instead encourages other bowhunters and has built a company from the ground up.
I’ll be the first to admit, I was a skeptic when TightSpot Quivers first hit the bowhunting scene. When a few Montana boys mentioned to me that I needed to check out TightSpot a few years ago and that it was the best quiver out there, I thought I had heard it all. Once I tried one out I was amazed at the construction, adjustability and I became a believer. I have been utilizing a TightSpot quiver for two years now and love it.
SoCal Bowhunter: Hi Joe. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down and answer some questions. I appreciate it and I know my readers will as well. You are the President of the top-rated quiver company in the industry and I can honestly say I don’t know much about you as a person. Would you share with us a little more about yourself and about your archery background?
Joe Jacks: Hi Al. First I want to say thanks a bunch for giving me the opportunity to do the interview and including me on your website.
As for my archery background, I am sure that it is much like many other folks. I was raised spending time in the outdoors and hunting and fishing with friends and family. I started shooting a bow as a very young boy and would shoot anything I could as often as I could. When I was 16 I shot my first deer with a bow and have enjoyed shooting everything from fish to pheasants and anything in between. Even today I find myself shooting and hunting whenever I can, however I focus most on deer, elk, and antelope.
SCB: How did you get involved with starting up TightSpot Quivers? How did you form the company?
JJ: Before TightSpot Quivers I was a Real estate agent here in Montana and when the market started to go south I got out and started TightSpot Quivers. I knew some smart guys in the industry that helped get it up and going and the quiver hit the market in January of 2009.
SCB: What made you want to get into the quiver making business and what challenges did you face?
JJ: As you know Al, before the TightSpot Quiver there was not a quiver out there that fit tight to the bow. Myself and many others have always been frustrated with a quiver that sits far from the bow. As a matter of fact most guys take their quiver off to shoot their bow because it is cumbersome and unbalanced. The TightSpot quiver is designed to sit behind the arrow rest and fit up against the cable guard. This means the quiver is as tight as the riser eliminating that lateral toque that you get with most other quivers.
I have had two major challenges since the beginning. The first challenge was the price of the quiver. In 2009 the MSRP of the TightSpot was $149.95. Even though many dealers will sell it for a bit less, it is still an expensive quiver. As a matter of fact it was the most expensive quiver on the market at the time. I wanted to produce a high quality product that you could depend on and not have to worry about it breaking or not performing. The quiver is constructed with some of the highest quality components including the pure carbon wrapped rods. I could have used a carbon and glass composite however they are heavier and vibrated more so I went with the best I could find. With that said, my biggest challenge was trying to explain to dealers and customers why they should spend $150 on a quiver. Often times I could give them every feature and benefit of the quiver but really the best way for people to understand the TightSpot Quiver was to get one on their bow and try it. Once they did they could appreciate it for what it is and understand the value they are getting. Nowadays, most people do not even bat an eye at the price as there are so many other companies out there with expensive quivers.
The other big challenge was explaining to a dealer or customer that they do not have to take their quiver off to shoot comfortably and accurately. Often times I hear people ask, why would they pay that much money for a quiver that they are going to just take off when they get up in a tree? I completely understand that the TightSpot Quiver is not for everyone. However, knowing that you have the quiver on your bow for a back up shot, or that your arrows will not fall out when crawling through brush, or that you can have the same point of impact with the quiver on as you do with it off are just some of the reasons for hunters to consider a TightSpot Quiver. Today I am amazed at the number of call and emails that I get from guys who have always taken their quiver off when shooting and now they leave it on because of the TightSpot Quiver.
SCB: How long did it take you to develop the first prototypes and do you still have them?
JJ: The TightSpot Quiver was in research and development for over three years before it hit the market. Just like most things we would design a quiver, try it out and make adjustments based on the performance. Even today we are still making minor tweaks here and there to make it the best possible quiver it can be. I still have some of the prototypes however many of the first quivers were taken apart and reused over and over.
SCB: I love the fact that TightSpot Quivers are Made in the U.S.A. How difficult has that been to maintain?
JJ: Al, making the quiver in the U.S.A has been the only option from the beginning. Having access to a machine shop here in Belgrade and contacts around the US to mold our hood and other parts has been great. Sure I could cut some costs by having the quiver made overseas but I like the fact that I can make adjustments to the quiver at a moment’s notice as they are being built. We have complete control over inventory and can increase or decrease quantities with demand. If we get a big order for a certain color, we can typically produce it within 24 to 48 hours as opposed to being back ordered for two months while we wait for the product to arrive from overseas. Not to mention that we are putting people to work here in the USA!
SCB: Now that four years has gone by since you started the company, how does it feel to hear customer testimonials from some of the biggest names in the archery/bowhunting industry?
JJ: Al, it feels pretty dang good. I grew up reading whatever hunting magazines I could and watching hunting videos and shows. To have some of those well known names that I grew up watching and reading about using my product and telling how much they like it feels pretty cool.
SCB: With all of the archery companies out there, how does TightSpot stay relevant and maintain the status as the best quiver in the bowhunting market?
JJ: Al, I am not going to lie, I look to see what other companies come out with every year and even sometimes cringe when they have some of the same features that the TightSpot has. However, in the long run if it makes the archery industry better as a whole then it is a good thing. That is part of the process of archery products evolving and getting better and better each year. At that point all I can do is keep focused on what I am doing and not worry about what the other companies are doing. I am confident in the TightSpot Quiver and will continue to make improvements whenever possible to make it the best. We have grown substantially each year since ’09 and hope to continue that trend with the best made product on the market.
SCB: Do you guys allow yourselves time to get out and hunt?
JJ: That is a funny question. You might think that we do nothing but hunt. However in 2009 I hunted the least amount that I ever had in my life due to the demands of the business. Hunting is huge part of this business. Setting time aside to hunt is very important, not only for the business but because it is what I love to do. Since ’09 I have made certain to set the time aside. When a customer wants to know if the quiver is noisy I can respond and let him know that I harvested a mule deer doe, a whitetail doe, a whitetail buck and a bull elk last Fall and a turkey and Axis doe in the Spring and none of them jumped the string. I think that it speaks volumes that customers know that the quiver is tested each year by myself and a hand full of people who put time in the field and can speak from personal experience.
SCB: What is your favorite animal to bow hunt? What animal(s) are on your bucket list?
JJ: This is a tough question! There are so many choices. I really enjoy hunting antelope in August. I can come into work for 30 minutes, check up on things and then be glassing for antelope by 9:00am. For the most part you can hunt antelope any time of day and when a stock gets blown you find some more and do it all over again. On the other hand in September there is nothing more exhilarating than the crisp cool air as the sun comes up on a mountain side and a rut crazed bull bugling in your face! And of course I can’t leave out spot and stalk mule deer hunting in November. When the Muley bucks are in the rut and chasing does it can be unpredictable what they will do. It can be a fun game of cat and mouse. As for the bucket list, I hope to make it over to Africa someday. If I could get a nice Kudu and great big wart hog I would be super excited.
SCB: TightSpot offers one of the best guarantees in the business. ‘If your (original owner) TightSpot™ Quiver breaks, no matter how, we will repair or replace it at no cost.’
What has been the craziest story anyone has had to share when sending in for a replacement?
JJ: Haha! It seems like we have heard it all. Guys using a thumb release and letting the whole thing go. It will usually come off the string and smash into the carbon rods and arrows in the quiver destroying them all. Or the guy who has left their bow on the roof of the truck and it fell off on the Interstate when going 75 MPH. Talk about road rash! More and more I hear of guys running over them with their 4 wheelers or trucks. Sometimes they call just to let me know that the quiver was the only thing that made it through when they have run over them. If they do break them, no matter how, if they send it in we will repair or replace it at no charge.
SCB: Are there any new products or exciting new things in store for TightSpot you can share with us?
JJ: As of right now we are just finishing up with a few minor tweaks for 2014 and should be able to get you a press release by December 1st.
SCB: Joe, I want to thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with the SoCal Bowhunter readers. We appreciate it and are looking forward to seeing TightSpot Quivers around for a very long time!
JJ: Al, it was a pleasure. Thanks a bunch for all your support and including me on your website. Good luck to you and all the readers this season!
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