Exploring Life & Business with Kelly Foster of ONE-77-SIX FIREARMS & SUPPLY CO

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Foster.

Hi Kelly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was in the food industry for 30 years. Same Company. After 30 years of the same industry, I needed a change, but I worked for a great Company. Didn’t want to start over with an unfamiliar company. At that point I knew I wanted to do my own thing. Having a lifetime of experience shooting and hunting. Having thirty years of experience teaching, coaching and building people skills. That is where the idea of my company started.

One-77-Six Firearms & Supply was created to help people get into the sport the right way. I specialize in working with people who have zero experience with firearms and getting them to a point where they are very comfortable and confident with them. I help people get into the world of hunting who might not have had anyone help them in the past. I started the business in 2021. I got Certified to teach CCW classes and started advertising it in any way I could afford. Got my ffl in the same year. Not only could I help you learn the sport but also help fit you with the right tools.

I did both of these on my property in Vandalia Ohio. Saving up money and obtaining furniture that I would be needing to eventually open my own brick n mortar. It took an idea of what the main goal looked like. Breaking that down to the steps it took to get to that point. Make a plan on making each step happen. Then start. Learn as you, plan changes along the way, new steps added, new plans to complete those steps. At some point I knew I had enough to open up a shop. Found a location. Then whole new steps came about to get it open.

Opened my store in 2023 in Union Ohio. Still working my career of 30 years and my store until it was doing well enough for me to leave my job. Just getting into 2026 and the store is doing ok. New goals are born all the time and steps to achieve them. We will see. I love people and helping them learn new things. I have thoroughly enjoyed every step of making this happen.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some aspects have been smooth, others not so much. Registering a business in Ohio, Sales license, Fed Tax Id number have all been pretty easy. A quick google search can walk you through that process.
Acquiring federal licensing and Certificate of Occupancy were a little more difficult.
You have to learn that hearing the word no from government officials sometimes means you have not turned in the correct form or maybe not filled out correctly.
Nobody cares about your goal as much as you. Stay focused and persistent.

As you know, we’re big fans of ONE-77-SIX FIREARMS & SUPPLY CO. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am an outdoors store where you can get what you need for going fishing, camping, range time, personal protection. I specialize in CCW (Carry Concealed Training) and getting people into hunting. I do not only train in my classes. If you are walking into my shop to get your first firearm, I will spend the time to make sure you feel comfortable with it before you leave.
If its hunting, you want. I will help you acquire the basics needed for hunting. Meet you at a hunting area and show you the ropes. Usually only takes a couple of trips to make you comfortable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://one-77-six.com
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/one77six
• Youtube: @one-77-sixfirearmssupplyco