Israel-based Meprolight supplies mil-spec products to the Israeli Defense Force but also makes them available to the U.S. retail market. 

The company works directly with the IDF to develop innovative solutions for modern warfare, when it comes to the commercial side, the company works closely with retailers to customize plans that cater to their specific needs and demographics.  Shooting Sports Retailer spoke with Bill Yerby, general manager at Meprolight, to talk about the company’s history, its future, red-dots, optics in general and the industry as a whole.

Can you talk about the company’s history and its place in the industry today?

Meprolight is an Israeli manufacturer on a mission to design innovative battlefield-tested products supporting the Israeli Defense Force, making them more effective. Improving technologies and increasing performance saves lives. Currently, we manufacture and provide products supporting global militaries, law enforcement agencies and commercial markets to more than 134 countries. The IDF approached Meprolight in 1990 to make sight levelers for mortars to improve fire accuracy. The relationship blossomed, as the IDF needs products manufactured in Israel, so they are not dependent on foreign sources for critical defense equipment. Meprolight has worked with IDF to design sights for the Uzi and the M16. Meprolight technology was used in tanks to refill ammunition and in fighter jets for midair refueling. In addition to handgun sights, many Meprolight products are standard-issue for the Israel military and special forces; units use the Mepro M21, Mepro M5 / PRO V2, Mepro MOR, Mepro GLS grenade launcher, and the Mepro O2 / TRU-VISON, which was developed for and used by the YAMAM Special Forces Anti-Terrorism Unit. 

What sets Meprolight apart?

We work directly with the IDF to develop innovative solutions for modern warfare and sell these mil-spec products into the commercial marketplace. We also keep a very close eye on new technologies that can be incorporated into our existing products to make them even better. We are always looking three to five years down the road to continue to develop innovative products. 

Meprolight pioneered the use of tritium in the pistol and rifle sight market. We were the first company to introduce different color options and the first company to patent the use of phosphorus with tritium for pistol and rifle sights. Our self-illuminated tritium sights are manufactured in Israel and utilize a proprietary manufacturing process that makes our sights 20% brighter than the competition (confirmed in independent laboratory testing). We also pioneered battery-free solutions like the Mepro M21 that has been in service for 20-plus years with the IDF and other militaries around the world. Meprolight will never stop innovating or striving to find ways to be better; our customers deserve it. Meprolight is known to have the clearest and  brightest optics as well as self-illuminated sights on the market today. Our products are built to last and are battlefield tested and proven.

Where does Meprolight see potential for growth? How about non-growth? Is there part of the industry that’s shrinking?

Meprolight is focused on new product innovation to drive growth and market share. Our goal is to provide retailers with industry-leading products, merchandising, training and service programs. We are known for our turn-key merchandising solutions specifically designed to increase sales. We are investing in the retail stores to drive sales by creating in-store branding. Our goal is to UPOD, formally known as Under Promise and Over Deliver, to our valued retail partners. It is our mission to provide the best customer service in the industry.

We are also investing in marketing to drive brand awareness, resulting in customers asking for the product. The market is not shrinking, but growing! Meprolight is investing aggressively in our future. This is the perfect time to invest in the industry to be in the best position when the market rebounds. 

We are focused on reaching new shooters and have expanded both our rifle and pistol product offerings by continuing to develop innovative solutions to get on target quicker. 

What can we expect out of Meprolight in the second half of 2023? What products have you most excited for the future?

Looking ahead, Meprolight has its sights based on continued success and has developed a five-year product roadmap that was specifically created to look three to five years down the road. We have identified industry trends that we plan to build upon. We are producing new ideas that will continue to enhance the end-user’s experience and get shooters on target quicker and more accurately. In the back half of 2023 we will launch the M22 as well as two new magnifiers (MMX3 and MMX4). In 2024, we have more than 20 new products that will be launched at SHOT Show and released systematically throughout 2024. We took time during the market slowdown to invest in Meprolight’s and our retail partners’ long-term growth strategies.

How does Meprolight support its dealers? 

Meprolight offers full 360-Degree Manufacturer and Retail Partnership with all-inclusive Retail Selling Solutions. Meprolight manufactures the best mil-spec product for the price! We offer the biggest bang for the buck. With Meprolight you always get a little bit extra, as we are known for our brightness, clarity, and product durability. “Israel Made. American Tough” is the mantra we live by. The products are made in Israel and are battlefield-tested and proven. Meprolight product applications are designed to ensure a solution in the following product categories: optics, thermals, lasers, and self-illuminated sights for pistols, rifles, and shotguns powered by tritium and fiber-optic technology.

Meprolight specializes in customizing retail assortment plans to cater to your store’s specific needs and demographics. This is a key advantage for all retailers partnering with Meprolight, as we offer prepacks with best sellers and an equal dollar exchange as an insurance policy to help guarantee success. 

We have a customer-first mentality with the goal of providing the best service levels in the industry. We also provide an industry-leading MAP policy protecting retail profit margins. We provide training at the store level and online by partnering with Expert Voice, a training platform, to better support our commercial retail sales staff to maximize sales opportunities and sell-through. 

We designed new store discount programs, including merchandising solutions and extra dating to help retailers get started selling the Meprolight brand. We make selling our optics and self-illuminated sights easy with our turn-key merchandisers and pre-pack assortments that come with planograms offering high margin opportunities and increased product turns. Meprolight offers industry-leading packaging and interactive counter and floor displays where the customer or end user can see, visualize and experience how the sights work and feel. Our point-of-purchase displays are proven to triple retail turns and maximize profits! 

All Meprolight optics come with eye-catching packaging and under-counter optic risers that include QR codes showing videos of how the optics displayed in your case act as a silent salesperson to increase sales.

To support our retailers, we designed a turn-key spinning countertop merchandiser that comes with green facsimile pistols to demonstrate how our sights work. This results in exponential increases in product turns and sales. Meprolight’s 360-Degree Retail Plan makes all the difference when it comes to maximizing sales and profits.

New Meprolight partners can call our customer service team at 717-985-4488 or send an email to sales@meprolight.us.

Do you have any advice for retailers about selling optics and Meprolight products specifically? 

When comparing optics, it is important to provide visual comparisons, literally showing customers the difference in the quality of the objective lens and the quality of the optic. The best result, when possible, is to let the customer compare the optic at the counter and then walk them outside, allowing them to see and experience the difference of a high-quality mil-spec optic. This will create the opportunity for you to upsell based on the customer seeing the product’s performance for themselves. 

 

What’s your personal favorite Meprolight product, and why? 

The all-new Mepro M22, Meprolight’s battery-free optic, designed to operate in all lighting conditions and to withstand heavy recoil as well as nasty weather conditions. It’s built incorporating the same features as our top-selling Mepro M21, which was specifically designed to meet the demands of the IDF. The Mepro M22 is a battery-free solution utilizing fiber optics in daytime and tritium at night and in low-light conditions, offering 24/7/365 protection. 

The Mepro M22 comes with a sleek ergonomic design that is lighter on the gun and, from a retail perspective, takes up less rail space.

 

Is there anything else you’d like retailers to know about Meprolight and its products? 

At Meprolight, we have unmatched quality control, and our defective ratio is less than 1% on electro-optics. We pride ourselves in that the same products being used by the IDF soldiers to defend our brothers, sisters and family members are made available to American shooters. In Israel, every citizen serves in the IDF. 

We take quality control very seriously — an optic is a life. For us, it is personal, because when an optic fails, we could very easily lose one of our own.

Every optic produced goes through intense quality control measures, and our optics must pass through multiple zeroing stations and gun simulators to ensure the optic holds zero before it is sent into the field. Our products exceed mil-spec standards and are known for their durability. If your life depends on it, you need Meprolight!