This October marks the 84th Anniversary for Vance Outdoors. In 1938, Richard H. Vance opened his general store, Vance's Supermarket. Located in Columbus, the store provided groceries to the local communities. As a side business, Richard sold firearms, archery, and police equipment. Over the years, he passed his love of hunting and shooting onto his son, Richard M. Vance. Together they transformed their general store into a full-time Sporting Goods store in January 1978.
Although Vance's was founded by Richard, his son Rich along with his wife Lana and sons Todd and Doug, have all played a major role in the growth of the Vance empire.
In 2002, Vance's merged their family business with the Hebron, Ohio retailer, Buckeye Outdoors. The merge was officially complete in 2010 when the Vance name grew into Vance Outdoors Inc., replacing Buckeye Outdoors on the building and solidifying the company in the world of firearms.
Buckeye Outdoors, Hebron Ohio. circa 2006
In 2014, the Vance name expanded once again with the opening of their 3rd location in Obetz, Ohio. The 56,000 sq. Ft. store is equipped with a State-of-the-art 24 Lane Shooting Range & Training Center.
The latest store, located in Lebanon, Ohio began operations in late 2020. This is the first store located in a strip mall, with the hopes that more will soon follow.
The Vance's are proud to say that they have evolved their family general store into six large and successful operations: Vance Outdoors Columbus, Vance Outdoors Hebron, Vance Outdoors Obetz, Vance Outdoors Lebanon, Vance's Law Enforcement, and Vance Outdoors Marine.
Our indoor Shooting Range provides superior firearm training and shooting opportunities for our customers. With 24 lanes, we offer shooting for all shooters from novice to seasoned professionals. Check out our safety and training classes taught by industry professionals. You won't be disappointed! We also have a shooting league, Bullseye Pistol Shooting, which is open to all skill levels. Vance Outdoors has all your needs covered when it comes to firearms and safety.
Did you know we have a Law Enforcement Program?! Thanks to Doug Vance, we can offer our dedicated officers exceptional service and pricing. Operating out of the Cleveland Ave. location, our team strives to offer top-of-the-line products to our servicemen and women.
While brothers Todd and Doug are expanding the brick & mortar retail locations of Vance Outdoors, Ryan Vance enters a whole new world with online retailing and the creation of Sportsman's Outdoor Superstore. Here you can buy firearms, ammunition, and accessories in just a few simple steps right from your home! Ryan has dedicated his career to this extension of his family legacy. With roots that trace back to 1938, Sportsman's Outdoor Superstore is one of the longest-lasting gun dealers still active in the United States.
After 83 years of continued growth and expansion, the Vance family transferred 100% of the company to their loyal employees via an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 2021. As an employee here at Vance Outdoors, I can happily say that this came as wonderful news. It is no secret that our company continues to grow daily, and therefore brings new opportunities for us as employees, and for our customers.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Vance family for all their hard work and dedication to this company, and the people that they have invested in, including myself. I can say with confidence that the Vance name will continue to grow and provide excellent service to our customers.