Kwikee Kwiver got its start after R.E. (Bob) Stinson’s invention of the first Kwikee Kwiver back in 1956. The quiver was so popular that Fred Bear Archery became one of Kwikee Kwiver’s first customers.
“Recurve bow shooters never had it so good as they did with the Deluxe Kwiver,” said Leo Grant, vice president of operations. “Then in the mid-’70s came the invention of the first detachable bow quiver, the Kwikee Compound. This was in conjunction with Bob’s business partner, Chester (Chet) Grant, who owned Grand Traverse Plastics.”
“We made the first molded plastic quiver for Bob, and it was so successful that we have been making them ever since,” Grant related “Then Bob passed away in October of 2006, which left us with the opportunity to purchase the company in full. This was completed in 2008, and with that we had to move the company out of Bob’s house, which was specifically tied to the history of the first 50 years of the company.”
“We are certainly known for having the most options when it comes to camo patterns. We have worked hard to match the camo for all major bow manufacturers, which can be hard. They don’t always know what pattern they are going to use until after the new year’s release,” Leo chuckled.
For 2011 Kwikee Kwiver has introduced a new line of accessories that it hopes to follow up with a new quiver. “We warranty every product we make, no matter what caused the failure,” Grant explained “One problem we have continually fought was consumers who used certain paints, or Loc-Tite or other chemicals, that damage the integrity of our products. Even though we had a warning against the use of such products, we always took care of the customer nonetheless.”
To combat this, Kwikee Kwiver has partnered with a chemist to develop a thread compound (not a thread locker) that will not damage the product. “For this to be effective, we have to make it available with each new product we sell, but we also have to make it available for each of the products we had sold in the past, so we are selling it as an autonomous product called VSC,” Grant stated.
There are also some completely new products to consider.
“We developed a new field point for our own internal use for testing and shooting 3-D tournaments,” Grant said. “We really didn’t plan to manufacture and sell them. However, we needed a product to introduce VSC to the public, and packaging a sample pack with the field points seemed to be the perfect way.”
A large part of Kwikee Kwiver’s success can be attributed to quiver’s popular quick-detachment system. Building on this concept, the company has introduced the Treestand Mounting Bracket Kit—a generic name with a multitude of uses. “It’s great for anything from detaching a quiver and hanging it in the tree to mounting the quiver to a garage wall or the roof of a truck topper. The uses are only limited to the consumer’s imagination.”
(231) 267-5685; www.kwikeekwiver.com
