GUY breaks its links with the weapons manufacturer Vista Outdoor

Archival photograph of Stevens LeBlanc
The direction of the GUY argues that pressure from its members forced it to sever its links with the manufacturer of arms and ammunition to Vista Outdoor.

Pierre Couture

Thursday, march 1, 2018 10:22

UPDATE
Thursday, march 1, 2018 10:26

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The co-op Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), which operates the stores of outdoor equipment GUY, has just broken its ties with the manufacturer of arms and ammunition to Vista Outdoor.

“From now on, we suspend any orders placed for the five brands owned by Vista Outdoor and we sell (Bollé, Bushnell, CamelBak, Camp Chef, Jimmy Styks)”, indicates Thursday, the chief executive officer of MEC, David Labistour in an open letter to the members of the cooperative.

According to him, “the current stock will remain on the display until all is sold”.

The management of MEC argues that the pressure of its members was forced to make this decision.

This wave of protest is in direct link with the recent shootings that occurred in a secondary school in Florida that has cost the lives of 17 people.

Vista Outdoor, of Farmington, in the State of Utah, sells multiple brands of backpacks, helmets, glasses, bottles, but also ammunition of several brands, as well as semi-automatic weapons, including mark Savage, one of the largest in the United States.

GUY had some products from this provider, but don’t sell weapons, which does not prevent some of its members claim that it ceases to matter with Vista and find other suppliers that meet the values of the cooperative.

In the charter of the GUY, on his website, one can read, among other things : “We look at further than business decisions, giving immediate results. We have opted for responsible solutions on the social and environmental, which ensure our financial viability and meet the needs of our members.”

Mountain Equipment Co-op stores GUY in several canadian provinces, including five in Quebec.