From Flipping Hamburgers to Countries Biggest Game Call Company

Over the years, the Primos brand has become synonymous with quality and authenticity, thanks to its founder, Will Primos. Primos is arguably the most respected and trusted name in hunting, bolstered by its TV show and DVD series Primos TRUTH About Hunting. But like most success stories, Will had very humble beginnings, and is an example of The American Dream. “My grandfather moved from Greece to New Orleans and learned the restaurant life. He never went to school, but he was really smart. He learned to cook and had his own restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi. My whole family, including myself, learned the restaurant business.”

FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE OUTDOORS
Eventually, the Primos family bought several hundred acres of land outside of Jackson, Mississippi. That’s where Will fell in love with the outdoors. “My uncles learned to hunt and fish on that land, and I did too. There were lakes, bullfrogs, fishing, squirrel hunting, and rabbit hunting. The small game mainly. I just fell in love with it."

THE FIRST PRIMOS GAME CALLS
Enamored by the outdoors and hunting, Will began making game calls for fun as a teenager. “Back then, I didn’t like what you could buy. I just started making my own. I would use different materials that would respond differently to the sound. I just dissected everything that I could to build different kinds of calls, all the while I was working in the family restaurants.”

CUSTOMERS FIRST
As Will entered business school and remained influenced by his restaurant background, he kept reiterating his game calls with quality being the guiding principle and always putting his customers first. One thing led to another, and Will went to college and was selling turkey calls to friends. One day Will went to a show and took his calls with him, and they sold out within the hour. Even then, Will understood that it's all about the customer. “You owe it to them to treat them like you want to be treated. If you can’t do that, you don’t need to be in business.”

DEDICATION TO TESTING AND QUALITY
Fast forward from Will's salad days, the Primos brand has exploded with innovative products (and not just its calls). How has Primos been able to do this? It’s dedication to quality and constant testing and development with Primos’ R&D team, where Will is still a steady presence. "I’ll have designers come to me and ask me what they need to know on producing a call and I’ll tell them what materials to stay away from. For instance, wood shrinks. Less or more humidity will put pressure on certain parts, and it’ll change the sound of a call. I’ll also go and check sample batches in the office and while on a hunt.”

THE FUTURE OF PRIMOS
Testing is such a priority to Will that he shed a sneak peek on a new internal group at Primos called the Game Call Council to test out the quality of Primos products. “I’m a part of the Game Call Council and everyone has an equal voice. We’re talking about old and new products, what we’re doing right, what we need to change or what are some cool new ideas.” It may be no secret that Vista bought Will’s brand, but rest assured, Will is still a vital part of the Primos business. "My focus is the relationship we have with the customers and being the voice of Primos. I also watch product development and watch that there are no shortcuts being taken and not mincing any words when a shortcut happens. Everything we do is about quality."