2020 was a confluence of events which drive demand still, almost a year later. An international pandemic, civil unrest, a mistrust of government on both sides of the American divide, a presidential election and our government's attempt to alleviate the effects of the former most of these, all combined into a perfect storm of demand within our industry. We've done and will continue to do all we can to keep up with this demand to ensure that delays are kept to a minimum and our prices are not driven up wildly in an attempt to take advantage of the situation.
That said, we know that because of this our service, something we've been widely known for since our founding, has suffered dramatically; our response times are slower, lead times are longer, some things are getting missed. It's important to stress that this is not representative of some new direction for HTA, but rather represents the current business climate we are attempting to operate in. It won't be like this forever.
We are hoping for things to return to normal again, just like all of you are too. We're looking forward to a time when we can go and do everything we used to do. We eagerly await the time when we are caught up fully on orders and the shelves at your local gun store actually have guns and ammo. Until then, we truly do appreciate your patience, support, and of course, your business. Thank you again and stay safe out there!