On November 28, 2016, the archery industry lost a man that dedicated his entire adult life to the archery industry. Bob Errett, founder and CEO of Parker Bows, passed away peacefully at his home in Virginia. Bob's life story neither begins nor ends with Parker Bows. Bob was a man of integrity, a gentle soul, a loyal friend, a mentor, and a strong leader that lived a full and blessed life. An accomplished outdoorsman, conservationist, and businessman, Bob's life was dedicated to preserving and passing along his passion for the outdoors and more specifically, bowhunting.
Born and raised in the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, Bob grew up hunting and fishing along the banks of the Ohio and Kanawha rivers with family and friends. It was these humble beginnings where his love of the outdoors began to grow into a way of life. After enlisting to serve a tour of duty in Vietnam, Bob returned to Marshall University and completed a degree in Accounting. After a short stint with Ashland Oil Company, Bob and his brother-in-law, Charlie Nease, opened The Outdoorsman's Store in Huntington, West Virginia. The store successfully served the community for several years by providing bowhunters products and services that improved their performance afield. In 1975, Bear Archery came calling, looking for a District Sales Manager for Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Excited about the opportunity to work for an archery icon like Fred Bear, Bob and his wife, Jeannie moved to Staunton, Virginia. For nine years, Bob sold Bear Archery equipment to dealers and major retailers, serviced bows, worked promotional events, and competed in archery shoots throughout the region. At the same time, he and Jeannie started a family and opened their own local outdoor store. In 1984, Bob and Jeannie started Nationwide Archery Inc. after recognizing a need for an archery distributor in the southeast that could ship the best archery equipment within 24 hours. Bob grew Nationwide Archery on the premise of providing the best customer service in the industry. As an Easton Master Distributor, Nationwide Archery became one of the largest distributors and arrow manufacturers in the country. In the early 90's, Bob and his team once again recognized another opportunity in the archery industry, creating an American made compound bow company backed by a warranty and customer service that was second to none. With the help of Guy Rowzie, in 1996, Parker Compound Bows Inc. was born. Parker quickly became a leading manufacturer of high quality compound bows for the everyday bowhunter. And in 2002, the Parker team built upon their legacy by producing their first crossbows.
Whether as a hunter, a retailer, a salesman, a distributor, or a manufacturer Bob insisted that American made quality products at great prices backed by an industry leading warranty and customer service were the keys to being successful. It is on the foundation laid by Bob that Jeannie and her family along with the Parker family will continue to build upon to preserve this unique American heritage of bowhunting.
