For 75 years, Hornady has been pushing the boundaries of design to make the most perfect bullet ever manufactured. As Joyce Hornady once said, “Accuracy doesn’t just happen, you have to make it happen.” The company’s 75-year history is a fascinating one that began in a garage to became the largest independently owned maker of bullets, ammunition, and tools in the world.
In 1949, Joyce Hornady sold his sporting goods store and began his bullet business. Bankers thought the idea was far-fetched. But Hornady knew there were thousands of shooters who wanted what he’d wanted: accurate, deadly, dependable bullets they could afford to reload. “Accurate, deadly, dependable” described the bullets so well, it became the new company’s first advertising slogan.
The first year, Hornady only sold $10,000 worth of bullets. It took several years for break-even operations. By 1958, the company had grown to the point of needing more space. So, the Hornady Manufacturing Company moved to its present location, an 8,000-square-foot plant with a 200-yard underground test facility.
Two decades before the American industry knew the importance of total quality control, Hornady Manufacturing was committed to it. Joyce Hornady had a phrase for it: “ten bullets in the same hole.” Operations strived for consistent performance and continuous improvement. In the early 60s, the company undertook its first major change of bullet design. While the bullet catalog now ranged from .22 caliber to .45 caliber, all spire points retained their traditional conical point shape. The ballistics lab supported experimentation that led to the secant ogive spire point shape common to all pointed bullets currently.
In 20 years, Hornady Manufacturing went from a new business start-up to a multi-divisional, multi-million dollar enterprise, respected by the industry, its own community, and a growing customer base throughout the world. Joyce’s youngest son, Steve, and wife, Marval, joined him in the business.
Tragically in January 1981, Joyce Hornady, engineer Edward Heers, Customer Service Manager Jim Garber and their companions died in a plane crash on the way to the SHOT Show in New Orleans. There were doubts if the company could survive the loss of its founder and leader, but Marval did not submit to these beliefs. The family regrouped. Steve Hornady became president and Marval the chairman of the board. Daughter Margaret Hornady David and her husband, Don, left careers at Polaroid to become vice president and chief engineer, respectively. Under Steve and the family’s leadership and support, the business has doubled multiple times over. Steve’s son Jason also rejoined the company in 2006 as director of sales and is currently vice president. The stature of Hornady Manufacturing Company within its industry has never been higher, according to Hornady’s website.
Read all of the details on the company’s 75-year history at hornady.com/corporate/company-history/