| |
| |
| About
GameGuard |
 |
 |
|
|
|
Hiding
out: Owner of Game Guard, Craig Smith, poses
with his camo-covered truck outside his office
in Carrolton. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone
Star Outdoor News. |
Game
Guard keeps you covered |
|
| By
Mary Helen Aguirre |
Craig
Smith has made it his business to help Texas
hunters master the art of concealment. What
began as a challenge to develop a camouflage
pattern that mimics the Texas terrain has
resulted in a fast-growing business offering
outdoorsmen gear ranging from shirts and
caps to coolers and travel bags.
|
|
Smith,
founder of the Carrollton-based company
he named Game Guard, says that in early
2002 he was getting ready to go hunting
when he glanced at his camo shirt, which
was a mix of vibrant greens. Smith remembers
remarking to his friend Jim Corbet of Dallas:
“You know, this stuff just does not
match where we hunt.” Corbet
asked, “Why don’t you do something
about it?” That day, Smith embarked
on his quest to build the better pattern
that now graces his gear. His first step
was to photograph the objects he wanted
represented in his camouflage pattern. “Then
I just started laying it all out,”
says Smith, who sketched his ideas on 18-by-22-inch
sheets of paper. |
|
He
worked diligently to emulate a true Texas
terrain with its subtle tans, taupes and
browns while weaving in the muted greens
of plants such as cactus, yucca and cedar.
“It was critical to get the colors
right,” says Smith, who has no formal
art training.
Once he’d drawn a pattern in which
the colors were “dead on,” he
put his 20-year background in corporate
apparel into play. Smith created samples
of shirts and caps featuring the fresh camouflage
and hit some hunting shows. “The reaction
was unbelievable,” says Smith, who
also started making calls on outfitters
and hunting ranches during that test phase. |
|
Since
its inception in December of 2002, Game
Guard has expanded its product line beyond
its best-selling hunting shirt and caps
to include such items as game bags, duffel
bags, coolers, rifle bags and more. The
company has introduced apparel made from
microfiber and performance fabrics that
wick moisture from the body. And, Smith
has added a leather line. |
|
One
enthusiastic customer is Cory Laurance of
McKinney. Laurance spotted the distinctive
pattern on one of Game Guard caps and liked
what he saw.
“It has everything that Texas offers,”
he said, adding that GameGuard camouflage
does a good job of marrying the colors found
at his favorite hunting grounds in South,
Central and East Texas. So far, Laurence
has bought shirts, pants, caps and coolers.
“It just blends in,” he said
of the pattern, which practically allows
him to hide in plain sight. “I’ve
shot some big deer with that.” |
|
Such
brand loyalty from hunters has earned GameGuard
a spot in more than 100 retail stores throughout
Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
“I was told I’d never make it,
but I’m competing just fine,”
said Smith about his company’s rapid
growth in an industry dominated by a couple
of major players.
In July, Game Guard will debut a complete
ladies’ line that includes shirts
and pants tailored to better fit a woman’s
frame, as well as lingerie. Smith has also
designed and copyrighted a 3-D pattern that
will be launched in the near future. |
|
Smith’s
core customer is the small retail businessman
for whom he can customize gear through logos
and other embellishments. It’s his
willingness to cater to his customer, coupled
with an excellent product, which is fueling
his company’s growth, Smith said.
|
|
—
Aguirre has almost two decades of experience
editing and writing for newspapers that
include the Atlanta Journal- Constitution.
She is a freelance writer in Connecticut. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
GAMEGUARD
- DESIGNED BY HUNTERS FOR HUNTERS |
|
|
|
|
|
