Preview – Zeroed In – Paul Buffoni

Photography by Henry Z. De Kuyper

Always Faithful
For Paul Buffoni, President of Bravo Company USA, Running a Business Means More Than Merely Turning a Profit. It Means Producing the Latest in Weapons Technologies For the Public and the Defense Market, and Enlisting the Industry’s Top Experts to Develop the Most Reliable Products Possible For Those Who Defend Our Nation’s Biggest Asset — Freedom.

Resolve. The one facet of the human spirit that dictates our strength, desire, and ultimately our destiny. While it cannot be taught, bought, or coached, its value is immeasurable when we’re put up against impossible odds. It makes us unbreakable in the face of defeat. Resolve is something Paul Buffoni knows all about.

“After Sept. 11, I felt a calling to participate as much as I could in bettering the country and I thought that creating this company seemed like a great venue in which to do so,” says Buffoni, a former U.S. Marine reservist and now president of Bravo Company USA. Creating BCM was Paul’s destiny, and the small-arms manufacturer gave up a lucrative pharmaceutical sales rep position to follow his dream of establishing a company that would ultimately strengthen the fabric of our country. Paul’s sincerity for his mission in life is as authentic as the numerous letters he has received from men and women in the military, law enforcement agencies, and civilian capacities expressing their gratitude for BCM’s product reliability in getting them out of harm’s way.

“Reading their words is very powerful to all of us, and I often get a lump in my throat before I can even get through them,” Paul says. This sense of moral obligation has been the key to Bravo Company’s unprecedented growth and the catalyst for the company’s longevity.

RECOIL Magazine: What made you choose Bravo Company USA as your company name? Is there anything behind it?

Paul Buffoni: The first company I was in for the U.S. Marine Corps was Bravo Company, back in 1986. Also, my last name is Buffoni, which is B as in Bravo in the NATO military alphabet. And the word generally means “good.” It was a perfect fit for me, but unfortunately, I was only able to serve the Marine Corps for three years in the reserve, which was much shorter than I had hoped. I still gained so much from that experience, and it was life changing for me.

What gave you the confidence to create your business?

PB: What motivated me was my love and passion for the industry. I figured if I could make a living in this industry and work twice as hard, it would still be as enjoyable as working half the time somewhere else. Our industry is so important; I enjoy doing what I’m doing. It’s not about making my company the biggest one on the marketplace.

What did your military service do for you in terms of deciding to launch Bravo Company USA?

PB: I credit the Marine Corps for helping me in just about everything I’ve ever done in my life — no joke. I was 17 and impressionable when I enlisted, and the lessons I learned made a major impact on my life. They give you a sense of character and values, which I have taken with me and applied in countless scenarios. Probably one of the biggest things I applied to this venture is the mental strength it takes to persevere in establishing a business. I had to have the confidence within myself that I could overcome any obstacles that might pop up as I was building the business. I’m very thankful for my service, and I couldn’t have done a lot of this without my Marine values.

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