1 00:00:19,340 --> 00:00:26,200 Just the point as it relates to individual success is paramount. You 2 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:31,340 can't be a CEO of a company unless you've got intense discipline. 3 00:00:31,660 --> 00:00:37,220 I know that my responsibility every day, I've got to wake up thinking about how 4 00:00:37,220 --> 00:00:39,780 I'm going to make this business better. 5 00:00:40,190 --> 00:00:43,670 every day. And I got to go to bed thinking about how I'm going to make 6 00:00:43,670 --> 00:00:47,250 business better every day. And so that focus and that discipline to stay 7 00:00:47,250 --> 00:00:50,530 on one thing. And it doesn't matter what it is. You know, you can look at 8 00:00:50,530 --> 00:00:52,290 anybody who's accomplished, 9 00:00:52,990 --> 00:00:54,970 you know, regardless of the goal. 10 00:00:55,190 --> 00:00:58,350 It's, you know, they don't let anything get in their way. 11 00:00:58,690 --> 00:01:00,390 They don't let anything get in their way. 12 00:01:02,430 --> 00:01:06,350 The American dream to me is just being able to say, you know what, I can do 13 00:01:06,350 --> 00:01:10,850 this. If I really, really put my mind to it, if I really work hard, I can make 14 00:01:10,850 --> 00:01:11,850 this happen. 15 00:01:12,050 --> 00:01:17,330 And I think that's the beauty of where we live. I mean, we're not perfect as a 16 00:01:17,330 --> 00:01:20,070 country, but I'm going to tell you this, there's nowhere else I'd rather be. 17 00:02:11,910 --> 00:02:15,470 Stevens water level recorders have been manufactured by Leupold and Stevens 18 00:02:15,470 --> 00:02:16,670 since 1911. 19 00:02:17,350 --> 00:02:22,010 Elmer Larson, hydrographic department foreman seen here, has helped build them 20 00:02:22,010 --> 00:02:23,190 all since 1917. 21 00:02:24,090 --> 00:02:27,990 They're a remarkable instrument devised to record on paper the level of a liquid 22 00:02:27,990 --> 00:02:28,990 and its fluctuations. 23 00:02:29,770 --> 00:02:34,550 A float is suspended from a pulley by a beaded line or perforated tape, beaded 24 00:02:34,550 --> 00:02:36,630 or punched so that it will not flip. 25 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:41,240 The pulley is connected to a marking pen through a set of gears in a circlet of 26 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:42,240 linked chain. 27 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,840 As the float moves up and down, the marking pen is moved back and forth in 28 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:47,840 direct proportion. 29 00:02:48,140 --> 00:02:52,500 The graphed paper under the stylus point is moved at the same time by a clock 30 00:02:52,500 --> 00:02:57,640 motor set at a constant speed, thus providing a permanent record of the rise 31 00:02:57,640 --> 00:03:01,720 fall of the liquid below, the amount, and the exact time it took place. 32 00:03:02,380 --> 00:03:05,400 This is the Stevens recorder in its simplest terms. 33 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:12,160 So a brief history of Leupold and Stevens is fifth -generation family 34 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:18,260 So we're 116 years old, founded by Fred Leupold, who was an immigrant from 35 00:03:18,260 --> 00:03:23,480 Germany, came here, settled in Portland, started an engineering company, and he 36 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:26,360 ended up with a partner named J .C. Stevens. So that's where you get Leupold 37 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:28,460 Stevens, who was a brilliant inventor. 38 00:03:28,860 --> 00:03:30,900 And they had a successful company. 39 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:34,900 And then, you know, years down the line, Marcus Leupold, who's Fred Leupold's 40 00:03:34,900 --> 00:03:41,200 son, was working at the company, and he was out hunting here in Oregon, 41 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:46,180 Blacktail, and his rifle scope bogged up, which is really easy to do in Oregon 42 00:03:46,180 --> 00:03:49,400 weather, as you can imagine, and he said, I can do it better, and that 43 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:55,780 the whole idea of us really, you know, evolving to being a rifle scope 44 00:03:55,780 --> 00:03:56,780 manufacturing company. 45 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:00,960 And so he did the typical thing you see great entrepreneurs do. He worked 46 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,980 mornings and nights and figured out how to make this scope better than... 47 00:04:05,260 --> 00:04:09,440 anyone else and that was really the beginning of what we do today 48 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:22,400 well 49 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:27,080 this is this is a pretty cool little cut out here of a photocopy but it 50 00:04:28,270 --> 00:04:34,070 It's the oldest Leupold ad that we can find from 1947, highlighting our 51 00:04:34,070 --> 00:04:39,030 planesman rifle scope. The crosshair was made from Black Widow spider web silk, 52 00:04:39,110 --> 00:04:41,970 so it was laid into the reticle holder. 53 00:04:42,230 --> 00:04:46,050 And you can imagine the sub -assembly process with putting the different parts 54 00:04:46,050 --> 00:04:49,710 together. But in one corner of the assembly area, there was a guy with a 55 00:04:49,710 --> 00:04:54,110 terrarium that would simply have a wrangle of different Black Widow 56 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,120 extract the silk and then they would lay that into the reticle holder and that 57 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:00,820 would hold up to recoil because that tensile strength of the Black Widow 58 00:05:00,820 --> 00:05:02,920 spiderweb silk is really strong. 59 00:05:03,220 --> 00:05:07,240 And we've come a long way in technology since having just a simple fixed two and 60 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:09,100 a half power riflescope back then. 61 00:05:09,900 --> 00:05:13,900 When I look through these photos, there's a tremendous sense of pride and 62 00:05:13,900 --> 00:05:18,020 able to look back on what my ancestors and other Leupold and Stevens employees 63 00:05:18,020 --> 00:05:21,860 have been able to accomplish over the years and know that we're building on a 64 00:05:21,860 --> 00:05:28,110 legacy that was proven with great craftsmanship, machining capability, and 65 00:05:28,110 --> 00:05:32,010 all the knowledge from all these products that have lasted over the 66 00:05:32,010 --> 00:05:37,750 be able to highlight and just have the sense of pride that's there when you 67 00:05:37,750 --> 00:05:41,910 some of these scopes are still out in the field and being used on rifles to 68 00:05:41,910 --> 00:05:46,830 day. It doesn't matter if it's 10 years old or 70 years old. It's a Leupold 69 00:05:46,830 --> 00:05:50,590 scope, and it's going to be lasted on your rifles with whatever punishment 70 00:05:50,590 --> 00:05:51,590 it gets put through. 71 00:06:00,100 --> 00:06:03,760 Generally, when we talk about optics, we're just talking about something that 72 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:04,800 enhances a sight picture. 73 00:06:05,340 --> 00:06:09,900 Whether it's a binocular or a rifle scope, what am I trying to look at, and 74 00:06:09,900 --> 00:06:11,840 do I make it so that I can see that better? 75 00:06:12,060 --> 00:06:15,640 Better, clearer, make it look closer, larger. 76 00:06:16,380 --> 00:06:19,940 So in terms of optics, that's what I think of when someone says, what are 77 00:06:19,940 --> 00:06:20,940 optics? 78 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:27,980 Yeah, so at a basic level, a rifle scope work, you've got an objective lens 79 00:06:27,980 --> 00:06:28,959 up in the front. 80 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:32,060 And then you've got the main tube, which is this part that I'm drawing here. 81 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:37,400 In the middle of that main tube, you have kind of your adjustments. And these 82 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:38,940 are the things that we use to sight in. 83 00:06:39,780 --> 00:06:45,920 As you come back, there is a power selector ring here that lets you zoom 84 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:47,280 three power to nine power. 85 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:52,800 And then it comes back to kind of an eyepiece back here. And so you've got 86 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,960 extra piece, an eyepiece. And so the image... 87 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:02,200 The light comes in the front, it goes through the scope in here, and then it 88 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,680 comes back to, you know, your eyeball back here. 89 00:07:06,860 --> 00:07:11,920 You know, probably the most difficult part of the job is taking a highly 90 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:18,700 design and engineering task and making it very simple to 91 00:07:18,700 --> 00:07:19,700 use in the field. 92 00:07:20,660 --> 00:07:25,280 So how do we take all of these things that we've known, we as a company, over 93 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:29,620 the last 115 years plus years and make it very, very simple. 94 00:07:30,060 --> 00:07:35,680 We live this stuff day in, day out, eat, sleep, breathe, optics. 95 00:07:36,460 --> 00:07:40,200 And for the people that want to get away and have that one week in camp or the 96 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:44,860 200 days a year for the professional guide, how do you make that as simple 97 00:07:44,860 --> 00:07:48,280 straightforward as possible? That probably is the most difficult part. 98 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:49,660 It's also the most fun. 99 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:05,280 One thing I'm most proud of is that we made a product, an optic, that 100 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:08,840 allows you to go wherever you want. 101 00:08:15,060 --> 00:08:18,760 I know our product's going to perform in any situation. 102 00:08:19,540 --> 00:08:23,680 And, yeah, we have a gold ring guarantee, and we guarantee our product 103 00:08:23,820 --> 00:08:25,400 okay? But you know what? 104 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,860 I want to make sure that you never have to use that guarantee. 105 00:08:29,300 --> 00:08:33,539 And so we have to make a rugged, clear optic that when you're on the top of the 106 00:08:33,539 --> 00:08:39,320 mountain or you're in Kazakhstan, that no matter where you are, that it's going 107 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:41,539 to work, right? Because FedEx doesn't show up there. 108 00:08:42,340 --> 00:08:48,500 And they just won't. So, okay, you know, this is a different kind of beast than 109 00:08:48,500 --> 00:08:53,460 just, oh, shoot, you know, my iPhone broke. I can get a new one. That's a 110 00:08:53,460 --> 00:08:56,880 different thing because... When you're up there and you're in the middle of 111 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:59,820 nowhere, it has to work. It has to perform. 112 00:09:00,620 --> 00:09:04,480 And I think that's something that we deliver, and I'm really, really proud of 113 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:05,480 that. 114 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:25,700 You know, growing up, I didn't really grow up in an outdoor family, so I 115 00:09:25,700 --> 00:09:29,940 have that experience, but I've always been drawn to the outdoors and nature. 116 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:35,660 It's just a place to go to recharge and to get away from all the craziness of 117 00:09:35,660 --> 00:09:36,680 life. 118 00:09:39,680 --> 00:09:45,460 So connected now as a society, which is good in some aspects, right? But in 119 00:09:45,460 --> 00:09:49,380 others, it just seems like it's a never -ending cycle of... 120 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:54,860 and notifications and messages and things to check and things dinging at 121 00:09:54,860 --> 00:10:00,620 bright lights. So kind of get back to the roots and, you know, it lets you 122 00:10:00,620 --> 00:10:02,920 and not have things think for you. 123 00:10:16,810 --> 00:10:21,190 My job here at Lukehold is to use the products in the field. It's to engage 124 00:10:21,190 --> 00:10:25,070 the consumer, use the products alongside the consumer, to put products through 125 00:10:25,070 --> 00:10:26,070 the wringer. 126 00:10:38,690 --> 00:10:42,770 Long range shooting is a combination of science and art. 127 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:51,940 The marriage of those two things together is really intriguing to me and 128 00:10:51,940 --> 00:10:53,440 draws me to the long range stuff. 129 00:10:55,020 --> 00:11:01,720 So the first thing I'm really going to do is get the Kestrel booted up and make 130 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,640 sure I'm on the right gun. I have different gun profiles in the Kestrel. 131 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:12,020 But take a reading for the environment. So I put it to live and I'm going to 132 00:11:12,020 --> 00:11:13,020 spin it around. 133 00:11:13,290 --> 00:11:17,770 so it can get all the different temperature, barometric pressure, 134 00:11:17,770 --> 00:11:21,690 altitude, all the things that play into your ballistics. 135 00:11:23,390 --> 00:11:28,070 So once it kind of gets an update of the environment, I'm going to lock it back 136 00:11:28,070 --> 00:11:32,150 in, and now I'm going to take a wind reading. So I'm going to go into the 137 00:11:32,290 --> 00:11:38,910 and I'm going to capture my wind. So I feel like my wind's coming from 138 00:11:38,910 --> 00:11:40,190 this way. 139 00:11:41,500 --> 00:11:42,840 I'm going to point that up there. 140 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:47,080 Just take a couple seconds to get a reading. 141 00:11:49,700 --> 00:11:50,760 End my capture. 142 00:11:52,220 --> 00:11:56,940 So it's blowing about 2 miles per hour right now, but I have wind 1 and wind 2. 143 00:11:56,980 --> 00:12:01,840 I'm going to knock wind 2 up to 5 so I have a bracket anywhere from 2 to 5 144 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:02,840 per hour. 145 00:12:04,180 --> 00:12:07,180 And now we're good to go on our Kestrel settings. 146 00:12:08,180 --> 00:12:10,060 Now we've just got to figure out how far we're going to shoot. 147 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:18,580 What I'm doing out here right now is testing the product in the field where 148 00:12:18,580 --> 00:12:19,580 is going to be used. 149 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:24,680 We have all kinds of testing apparatus back at the facility, but nothing 150 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:29,560 replicates having it out here in the wilderness and shooting where our 151 00:12:29,560 --> 00:12:31,200 are going to go shoot and go use the product. 152 00:12:31,620 --> 00:12:36,300 So it's really important that I come out here, I use the product. 153 00:12:36,830 --> 00:12:41,510 And I deliver feedback back to the team about what's working, what's not 154 00:12:41,510 --> 00:12:44,590 working, what we can improve on, those kinds of things. 155 00:12:56,370 --> 00:13:01,730 I think it's just being genuine about the product and the lifestyle, right? 156 00:13:01,770 --> 00:13:02,770 Living the lifestyle. 157 00:13:04,850 --> 00:13:07,950 It's very apparent, I think, when you go up and you talk to the loophole people, 158 00:13:08,070 --> 00:13:13,590 be it me, could be people on the hunting side, whatever it is, they're one of 159 00:13:13,590 --> 00:13:16,010 you. They're a consumer. They're buying all the same other stuff that you're 160 00:13:16,010 --> 00:13:19,410 doing. They're out there scouting all the time or they're shooting matches or, 161 00:13:19,450 --> 00:13:20,870 you know, they go on a hunt all the time. 162 00:13:21,790 --> 00:13:26,210 We love it. And that's just, you can't replicate that passion. 163 00:13:27,070 --> 00:13:32,930 And it's non -negotiable. Like, to be on a loophole team out there. 164 00:13:33,340 --> 00:13:39,200 especially sales and marketing, you have to be passionate about the lifestyle. 165 00:13:44,060 --> 00:13:49,180 One of the things that makes me most proud to lead this company is we give 166 00:13:49,180 --> 00:13:52,160 individuals the opportunity to get outdoors. 167 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:59,300 A lot more folks that are spending time indoors and maybe on the iPhone screen 168 00:13:59,300 --> 00:14:00,500 or something like that. 169 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:06,720 a legit issue that we have less people getting outside. 170 00:14:06,980 --> 00:14:11,120 I think if you look at mental health, people who get outside, I think you can 171 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:16,960 prove, are going to have a clearer, more focused, better outlook on life. I 172 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:18,540 think there's data to prove that. 173 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:23,020 You know, if we can help in any way to get people outside, get them to enjoy 174 00:14:23,020 --> 00:14:26,660 outdoors and get them to go achieve some goals that maybe they thought they 175 00:14:26,660 --> 00:14:31,100 couldn't, then I think we're helping in a small way to solve that. 176 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:56,560 I left the island when I was nine. 177 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:04,300 My father figured it was a good idea to come to the United States for a better 178 00:15:04,300 --> 00:15:05,700 life and education. 179 00:15:06,900 --> 00:15:13,900 So my father left in the early 70s to the United States by himself. 180 00:15:14,300 --> 00:15:20,800 Worked and spent money for the three oldest to come and 181 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:21,800 help him. 182 00:15:22,190 --> 00:15:25,590 work and save money to spend for my mother and myself. 183 00:15:26,130 --> 00:15:27,930 There's a total of eight of us. 184 00:15:30,310 --> 00:15:35,250 I'm very proud of my dad for bringing us here to the United States so we can 185 00:15:35,250 --> 00:15:36,250 have a better life. 186 00:15:41,930 --> 00:15:47,730 Working at Leupold brought me a different perspective of how to help 187 00:15:48,990 --> 00:15:53,420 That's something that I learned is that A lot of people, I had people helping me 188 00:15:53,420 --> 00:15:55,280 when I first came to the United States. 189 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,520 So I try to give that when I work at Leopold. 190 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,340 We have people that come that English is a second language. 191 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:09,020 I understand what it feels like not to fully speak the language. 192 00:16:09,620 --> 00:16:11,520 And I'm very passionate. 193 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:17,420 That is my goal, to help people to be successful. 194 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,000 We're in assembly. 195 00:16:26,740 --> 00:16:29,580 This is the black line, one of the lines that I run. 196 00:16:29,820 --> 00:16:34,220 It's very important that each team member know what they're doing. 197 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:39,040 Understanding the work instruction is a very important thing. 198 00:16:39,540 --> 00:16:45,520 So that's one of the things that we work with the individual person, trying to 199 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:49,680 make sure that they understand what their job is in each station. 200 00:16:54,410 --> 00:16:57,650 They all know each station here. They work each station. 201 00:16:58,070 --> 00:17:04,730 So we're able to move around like every two or four hours, move people around so 202 00:17:04,730 --> 00:17:08,990 they can get a little break from what they've been doing for the first two or 203 00:17:08,990 --> 00:17:10,550 four hours every day. 204 00:17:11,069 --> 00:17:12,470 We have a good team here. 205 00:17:12,790 --> 00:17:14,270 Everybody helps each other. 206 00:17:14,670 --> 00:17:16,170 We don't just sit and wait. 207 00:17:16,410 --> 00:17:21,030 Like she said, everybody's up and about and they help each other out. And that's 208 00:17:21,030 --> 00:17:22,390 why this team is very successful. 209 00:17:23,950 --> 00:17:26,869 It was a risk for me when I became a lead. 210 00:17:27,230 --> 00:17:30,730 At first, I didn't want to become a lead because I know I have a lot of 211 00:17:30,730 --> 00:17:31,970 responsibility at home. 212 00:17:32,630 --> 00:17:38,190 And I didn't know if I can stay focused when I'm here at work, you know, because 213 00:17:38,190 --> 00:17:40,750 I have so much responsibility outside of work. 214 00:17:41,790 --> 00:17:46,670 But my boss pushed me. She believed in me. She said, you can do both. 215 00:17:47,590 --> 00:17:50,870 When you're at work, you focus at work. When you're at home. 216 00:17:51,180 --> 00:17:53,520 You focus at home with your kids and your family. 217 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:58,760 And that's one thing I love about this company is it's family -oriented. 218 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:00,980 Everybody helps each other out. 219 00:18:02,100 --> 00:18:05,940 I love how this product is made in the United States. 220 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:08,020 I have a great passion for that. 221 00:18:08,260 --> 00:18:12,000 I'm very proud of this country, and I'm proud of what I do. 222 00:18:12,540 --> 00:18:14,600 And I come in every day. I'm ready. 223 00:18:15,140 --> 00:18:17,660 Give it all my best with my team. 224 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:22,100 And I have a wonderful team that supports me and stand right behind me 225 00:18:22,100 --> 00:18:23,440 me make it happen. 226 00:18:24,340 --> 00:18:26,820 The American dream, freedom. 227 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:30,400 I have the freedom to choose what I want to be. 228 00:18:31,180 --> 00:18:35,420 I have freedom to do things that I want. 229 00:18:35,820 --> 00:18:39,440 And that's why I love this country, because I have the freedom. 230 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:50,520 To me, coming out of a guide camp and I was going to be an elementary school 231 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:52,740 teacher, I never would have envisioned being here. 232 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:57,060 And this company has allowed that because if you work hard and you want to 233 00:18:57,060 --> 00:19:02,600 part of something bigger, you can be. And to me, that is the American dream, 234 00:19:02,660 --> 00:19:06,800 being able to build a success for yourself and for your family and a 235 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,480 all in an environment that is loving and caring. 236 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:18,020 The American dream, it just means that you have the freedom to kind of make 237 00:19:18,020 --> 00:19:18,939 own destiny. 238 00:19:18,940 --> 00:19:24,040 I'm first generation, born in the U .S. of my family, trying to have a better 239 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:26,840 life and build that American dream. 240 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:32,940 It really makes me proud to be American and embrace that freedom. 241 00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:37,720 The reason that we make all of our rifle scopes here 242 00:19:39,290 --> 00:19:43,570 I don't know what else to say except it's in our DNA. It's just in the core 243 00:19:43,570 --> 00:19:47,810 this company, of the craftsmen that work here, of what we're about, of this 244 00:19:47,810 --> 00:19:50,090 American heritage, the family heritage that we have. 245 00:19:50,470 --> 00:19:52,370 There isn't another option. 246 00:19:52,770 --> 00:19:56,750 We have folks here that actually can take the product and go out every single 247 00:19:56,750 --> 00:20:03,050 day and either shoot at our range or go out and hunt. I mean, it's just a 248 00:20:03,050 --> 00:20:06,630 different thing when you have people who love and care about the product making 249 00:20:06,630 --> 00:20:11,780 it. And so I tell our team all the time, it is not about being the biggest, it's 250 00:20:11,780 --> 00:20:12,780 about being the best. 251 00:20:12,820 --> 00:20:14,900 If we do that, we're going to do just fine.