MADISON HEIGHTS, Va. (WDBJ) - A Madison Heights, Virginia archery company will be showcased in the 2024 Paris Olympics as athletes strive for gold using the equipment it manufactures.
S&S Machinery Incorporated was created in 1985 by Vice President Ben Summers’s parents, initially taking on jobs around the area, but overtime expanded into the world of archery, becoming home to T.R.U. Ball®/AXCEL® Archery, one of the world’s leading archery manufacturers.
“Around here in the local area we’re known for being the best machinist in the area, so high-quality machining. With sights you must be the highest precision products out there, so we’re very well known for that. Our main competitor is in Shibuya, Japan,” said Summers.
The company has grown into a family business with over 100 employees creating sights, stabilizers, finger tabs, releases and scope apertures.
“We hire a lot of local people. Some people it’s their first job out of high school. A lot of times we’ll take people who have a good work ethic and teach them how to be machinist,” said Summers.
Since 2012, T.R.U Ball/ Axel Archery has sponsored dozens of Olympians and Olympic hopefuls around the world with over a million dollars each year and World Archery, the governing body that organizes the Olympic event.
“We had 5 athletes at that London Olympics and all five of them won medals, so it was great. From there, Rio, we had probably 50-60% of the men and women. This time we’re doing extremely well. We’ll have 60% of the men and 50% of the women using our equipment in the Olympics in Paris,” said Summers.
The entire process of creating products from start to finish is done at the company, from designs to CNC machining and laser engraving.
“Once we center it all and we find each individual element, we’ll actually create programs that sequentially goes through on an x, y and z axis and hits that specific graphic design exactly where we want it on the product,” said T.R.U. Ball/AXCEL Archery Assembly Supervisor John Sharp Jr.
From there, employees assemble and ship out the finished product to customers and stores like Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shop. The precision of the equipment athletes use is crucial to their performance, especially in the Olympics, where the target is 70 meters away.
“That’s a long way and there’s a lot of things that can affect an arrow from the archers’ bow to the target. So not only do those adjustments have to be made for those athletes to hit the center of the bullseye; they have to trust that any type of adjustments that they have to make on their sight is actually going to result in the arrow hitting where they need it to hit,” said professional archery athlete Brandon Reyes.
“It’s our desire to grow archery all over the world and also improve the community here. We don’t just make products to make money; we do it to make things better,” said Summers.
Summers and his team are in Paris to watch the 2024 Olympic Archery competition. They continue to travel to countless countries recruiting and supporting athletes.
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