Michiana Firearms Cultivates Solid Relationships With Customers

Photographer / Jubilee Edgell

Noah Mechling, firearms manager for Michiana Firearms located inside Plymouth True Value hardware store, says he has been cultivating strong relationships with his customers since he started his business.

“Plymouth True Value has been open since 2015, but Michiana Firearms didn’t really form until almost three years later,” Mechling says. “Shortly after the store opened, we installed two-floor display cases and a rifle rack that held six rifles. We started off slow, trying to figure out what Plymouth would bear for a gun shop. The original layout for the store didn’t have a sporting goods department on the print. So we have rearranged and adjusted the store to accommodate Michiana Firearms.”

Michiana Firearms has a wide selection of items that come from multiple sources. You can also contact us at Elevated Gunworks.

“For most of our inventory, we get (firearms) direct from the actual manufacturer,” Mechling says. “About 20 percent comes from firearm distributors, and another five percent comes in from trade-ins. That market is growing fast.”

Mechling has worked hard to make his customers happy.

“We are a small shop, so we strive to have a great relationship with our customers, but we are large enough to be competitive on price and availability,” he says. “We normally get allocated guns as soon as they are released.”

Mechling notes that bringing on Tom Langdon, a certified gunsmith for more than 40 years, has helped the store’s success.

“We now have a full machine shop offering repairs and custom modifications right in the shop – from simple repairs or installing scopes to full trigger improvements,” Mechling says. “In 2020 we’ll be threading barrels and cerakoting.”

Mechling says his customers have been a major factor in the shop’s popularity.

“Our customers are the reason why we can wake up every day and do what we do,” he says. “The firearm industry is so competitive, but we have great customers that help advertise for us. They bring their friends and family in the store, which is the main reason we have been able to grow. With us growing, it’s letting us have more unique offerings in our store.”

The shop offers brands such as Browning, Winchester, Walther, Smith & Wesson, Taurus and many more.

“There is not a greater feeling than when you have customers coming in and knowing you by name,” Mechling adds. “We enjoy hearing them talking about their last hunt, and having success in whatever they are striving for. From local hunts to competitive shooting, we are here to help any way we can.”

Mechling enjoys operating out of Plymouth.

“Plymouth is a great community to be in,” he says. “We feel like we are starting to become a pillar of the community. We love to do fundraising raffles or events to help anyone in the community. In Plymouth, and Marshall County, you still have that sense of community.”

Mechling plans to expand the shop and offer more services in the future.

“We now have an online website, michianafirearms.com, and we now offer Class 3 services with our Silencer Shop kiosk,” he says. “We also are growing our ties with local firearm instructors, like Dan Burch with Hoosier State Training, to build a bridge for our customers. We’re also expanding our consignment sales for collectors, and expanding services in our gunsmithing.”

Visit Michiana Firearms at 1920 North Oak Drive in Plymouth, inside Plymouth True Value. Call 574-540-2268 and go to michianafirearms.com  for more info.

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