2009

Award Recipient

National Institute of Standards and Technology • U.S. Department of Commerce

Baldrige National Quality Program

 Highlights

• Each one of MidwayUSA’s 1,500 documented processes 

supports serving Customers. MidwayUSA’s overall Customer 

satisfaction rating is 93 percent, demonstrating improvement 

over the 2007 and 2008 scores of 91 percent. Overall 

Customer retention is at an all-time high of 98 percent 

for the current year-to-date. Overall Customer loyalty, 

measured as “likelihood to shop again,” is 94 percent. 

• Financial performance results for gross sales, net income 

as a percentage of net sales, earnings distribution, and 

inventory turns exceed MidwayUSA’s number one 

competitor, with MidwayUSA’s sales growth rate near 

25 percent for 2008 compared to 10 percent for the 

competitor. Net income as a percentage of sales grew from 

2.5 percent in 2003 to nearly 10 percent in 2008. 

• Results for indicators of workforce engagement and 

satisfaction in MidwayUSA’s contact center, as well as 

employee satisfaction in its merchandising, marketing, 

and logistics departments, show levels comparable with 

national benchmark-performance ratings of 77 percent and 

80 percent, respectively. The annual aggregated employee 

satisfaction survey score has improved from about 60 

percent favorable in 2002 to 82 percent in 2008. 

• MidwayUSA has a robust approach to determining 

workforce capability and capacity that assesses current 

needs and projects future needs one, two, and three years 

out. A refi ned model is used for workforce planning as 

part of the strategic planning process and links to fi nancial 

planning for current and future periods. The approach is 

also used as part of MidwayUSA’s education, training, and 

development system. 

MidwayUSA

MidwayUSA is a family-owned catalog and Internet 

retailer offering “Just About EverythingSM” for shooters, 

reloaders, gunsmiths, and hunters. MidwayUSA is a world 

leader in its market sector with annual revenues of $185 

million. Ninety percent of the company’s total business is 

with U.S. retail Customers, with dealer and international 

Customers making up the remaining 10 percent.

Based in Columbia, Missouri, MidwayUSA has 243 fulltime and 100 part-time employees. Many in the company’s 

workforce have a deep passion for shooting, hunting, and 

outdoor sports, allowing them to use personal knowledge 

and insight to better serve their Customers. 

MidwayUSA’s strong focus on Customers has yielded 

an equally strong return in fi nancial success. Performance 

results for gross sales, net income as a percentage of net 

sales, earnings distribution, and inventory turns all exceed 

MidwayUSA’s number one competitor, with MidwayUSA’s 

2008 sales growth rate nearly three times higher. 

MidwayUSA’s net income as a percentage of sales grew 

from 2.5 percent in 2003 to nearly 10 percent in 2008. 

Striving to Be the Best

MidwayUSA’s vision is both simple and challenging: 

“To be the best-run business in America for the benefi t of 

our Customers.” The company’s management and employees 

fi rmly believe that they can reach this goal by incorporating 

the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence into all 

aspects of operations. Baldrige Core Values and Concepts—

including visionary leadership, Customer-driven excellence, 

organizational and personal learning, valuing employees and 

partners, managing for innovation, management by fact, 

societal responsibility, and focus on results and creating value—

are an integral part of the MidwayUSA culture. In fact, these 

values and concepts are displayed in 30 locations throughout 

the company as part of MidwayUSA’s mission statement.
The MidwayUSA strategic planning process is a systematic, 

mature, fact-based process that is used to set the company’s 

goals, strategic objectives, and action plans. This approach 

ensures key processes are aligned with company goals, 

Customer requirements, and core competencies. To properly 

execute the strategic plan, senior leaders and department 

managers develop action plans and associated metrics using 

a “plan, organize, staff, execute, and control” model. Leaders 

share measurements and results with departments and 

process owners through departmental reviews and a balanced 

scorecard. Quarterly, monthly, and weekly meetings serve 

as forums to review performance; communicate priorities; 

manage and improve processes; and share data, information, 

and knowledge throughout the company. 

To determine workforce capability and capacity, the 

company has a robust approach to assess current needs and 

to project future requirements one, two, and three years out. 

A refi ned model used for workforce planning as part of the 

strategic planning process is linked to fi nancial planning for 

current and future periods. Additionally, each department 

at MidwayUSA develops and maintains a skills inventory 

matrix that feeds data to the organization’s capability and 

capacity models. This information is regularly monitored so 

MidwayUSA can rapidly respond to short-term changes in 

Customer demand while still planning for long-term needs. 

Improvements in this workforce capability and capacity 

approach have resulted in improved recruitment, hiring, 

and staffi ng. 

Customer Driven, 

Customer Connected

MidwayUSA’s dedication to Customer satisfaction shapes 

and defi nes every one of the company’s 1,500 documented 

processes. One impressive way in which the company 

expresses this dedication is by seeking employees who are 

a strong cultural fi t for the organization—people who are 

passionate and knowledgeable about shooting, hunting 

and outdoor sports, and who bring that love to the job. In 

addition, employees are encouraged to join the National Rifl e 

Association (NRA) and participate in its shooting and hunting 

activities to gain even more insight into Customer needs and 

desires. Not only does this strategy create a workforce in tune 

with its Customers, but it increases employee engagement and 

lowers turnover rates compared to competing organizations. 

MidwayUSA keeps its employees connected to the 

Customer base by tasking all salaried employees (including 

senior leaders) with spending one hour each week on the 

phone taking orders and answering Customer requests. 

Employees are selected for leadership development 

based on their support of the company’s core value of 

“Customer-driven excellence” in addition to other 

performance-based criteria.

Another way MidwayUSA shows its commitment 

to Customer-driven excellence is by operating a highly 

organized complaint-management process that helps the 

company analyze complaint trends and categories, identify 

products with higher-than-expected return rates, and 

respond quickly when there is a problem. Information about 

complaints is distributed to the appropriate departments so 

that Customer feedback can improve processes. 

Through its Web site, MidwayUSA directly solicits 

Customer input on improving operations by regularly 

featuring online surveys, posting Customer reviews of the 

products the company offers, and providing an “I’m Having 

Trouble Finding” option so Customers can suggest additions 

to the product line.

How well does focusing on Customer service work? 

MidwayUSA’s Customer satisfaction rating recently reached 

93 percent, up from 91 percent in 2008. In addition, 

Customer retention is at an all-time high of 98 percent. 

Overall Customer loyalty, measured as “likelihood to shop 

again,” is 94 percent. 

Supporting All Communities

MidwayUSA actively supports its fi ve key communities—

the NRA, the shooting sport industry, key conservation 

groups, the local community, and the state of Missouri—

through its fi nancial support (10 percent of annual profi ts) and 

other means, such as volunteerism, memberships, fundraising 

efforts, endowments, and scholarships. The MidwayUSA 

Foundation was established to provide fi nancial support for 

education and training in the areas of shooting, hunting, 

fi rearms safety, and outdoor skills. 

Another way that MidwayUSA gives back to its 

communities is through its employee code of conduct. From 

entry-level staff to the chief executive offi cer, every member 

of the MidwayUSA family is expected to follow the code on 

and off the job. Standards of conduct include a high level of 

integrity and honesty at all times; respect for stakeholders 

(Customers, employees, vendors, shareholders); strict 

adherence to all laws, regulations, and company policies; 

fairness in all dealings; loyalty to the company and coworkers; 

candor with respect; and teamwork through participation. 

 For more information:

 Deanna Herwald

 VP-Quality Management Systems

 MidwayUSA

 5875 W. Van Horn Tavern Rd.

 Columbia, MO 65203

 Telephone: (573) 445-6363 x2009

 E-mail: qms@midwayusa.com

 Web site: www.midwayusa.com