Addison Sovine and Kyle Bateman of Action Target, Inc. both received the Utah area Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award on Thursday, June 7, 2012, at a ceremony held in Salt Lake City. They were selected from among several applicants for the significant impact they have had on the surrounding business community.
“Receiving this award means a lot to me personally and to Action Target as a company,” Sovine said. “I feel honored that we’re in the company of so many other great businessmen.”
Sovine and Bateman were among 13 winners chosen from the Utah region which also includes Wyoming and half of Idaho. As regional winners, they will have the opportunity to attend the Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Springs, Calif., this November where the national Entrepreneur of the Year will be announced.
Sovine and Bateman founded Action Target in 1986 based on local law enforcement’s need for better training equipment. Basements and garages became the first fabrication shops for Action Target, Inc. as the two friends pioneered new target systems for firearms training.
“It was a ton of work, more work than we thought it was going to be,” Sovine said, “but seeing the company grow the way it has and winning this award makes it all worth it.”
Action Target is now the largest manufacturer of shooting range products in the nation and has installed training facilities for the FBI Academy, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Federal Air Marshal Training Academy, the Orlando Police Department, FBI Fort Dix, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Fort Benning, and hundreds of other law enforcement and military ranges in the U.S. and throughout the world.
The Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Program honors entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence in innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. The Entrepreneur of the Year Award, now in its 26th year, includes more than 140 cities in 50 countries and is considered the most prestigious entrepreneurial award in the world.
About Action Target, Inc.
Action Target, Inc. is a privately owned business headquartered in Provo, Utah. As a world leader in shooting range technology with more than 4,000 products and 40 patents for the systems it designs and manufacturers, Action Target has installed thousands of shooting ranges across the United States and in 25 other countries around the world. Action Target also designs systems and conducts firearms training for law enforcement and various military divisions. For more information on Action Target, visit www.actiontarget.com. To learn more about Action Target products or to purchase items online, visit www.actiontarget.com/store/.