By Alyssa Sperrazza
Staff Writer
Jay Steagall wears many hats: soldier, businessman, husband, father and now legislator.
As the new legislative session prepares to gavel next month, Steagall is preparing for change in other areas as well, as his business Cloverleaf Precision, LLC prepares for another expansion. Started in his garage in 2008, Steagall began building custom ammunition and custom AR-15s for friends and family, eventually expanding his services to firearm repairs as his circle of customers grew.
Steagall said his wife “forced” him to move his makeshift store out of their family garage, needing its own space as it continued to grow.
“In July of 2012, I moved the shop into our present location on historic Route 66 on the east side of Yukon, OK,” Steagall said. “Firearms sales and service and ammunition manufacturing were the services we originally offered, with training courses on the horizon.
Since our opening, we have worked with outfits like Gene Sears Supply Company in El Reno, assisting them in taking care of their customers’ firearms repair needs. We have also worked with local law enforcement, security companies, and military units with firearms training and qualification.”
Cloverleaf Precision began while Stegall was concurrently serving in the Oklahoma Air National Guard as a pilot and aircraft commander. He’s soon turning in his wings though, planning to retire in the spring after serving more than two decades consisting of nine overseas deployments and service within the Oklahoma Army National Guard, Oklahoma Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserves.
His military retirement will not signal slower days though, continuing to operate his business as well as navigate his role as a freshman legislator. But Steagall said he doesn’t mind the multiple workloads, saying he subscribes to the philosophy that if you find a job you enjoy, you’ll never really work a day in your life.
“Being at the Capitol comes with an obvious challenge when owning a business – how do I balance my time? I spend as much time as I can at the shop, working on gunsmithing projects, putting together course curriculum, as well as the day-to-day business tasks. However, the closer we get to the start of session, the less time I’ll be spending at the shop… Luckily, I have an awesome core of range safety officers, sales associates, and a top-notch operations supervisor – and nearly all of them are either prior military or law enforcement. This core group is all too familiar with the notion of “stepping up” when one of their own goes off to fight another battle. I am very fortunate to have surrounded myself with this particular group in that they are ready to cover for me as I step into this new public service role.”
Steagall is a decorated shooter, winning competitions during his time in the military, participating for 14 years on the Oklahoma National Guard Marksmanship Team, winning state, regional and national-level matches in both rifle and pistol disciplines as a team member, individual or both.
“I’ve also placed on the Governor’s 20 multiple times in both disciplines as well,” Steagall said. “I have a passion for competitive shooting, and enjoy sharing my training and experiences with our customers through the classes we offer at Cloverleaf Precision, LLC.”
The business expanded last spring after an opportunity presented itself to acquire Canadian Rangers. The space offers plenty of room to conduct classes and other courses provided to customers. Steagall also recently announced plans for a second expansion that may begin within the next few months.
“A few months ago, we were given yet another opportunity to further expand our operation with the acquisition of a firearms manufacturing business in Midwest City,” Steagall explained. “This expansion will primarily consist of the manufacturing of custom-built 1911 pistols, one of the most popular pistol designs of the last 100 plus years. We are very excited about this purchase, and plan to move the facility to Yukon this spring.”
Steagall will have a busy 2019 as his business continues to grow alongside his debut into Oklahoma politics. He has been appointed as an assistant floor leader, something he says comes with a lot of responsibility, but when it comes to his business, he said he’s had the same goal from the beginning and the work he’s done will continue even as he serves at the Capitol.
“My goal, when opening the doors of the shop, was to put the “customer service” back in the firearms industry,” Steagall said. “We strive to treat every customer like a lifelong friend, and assist them in meeting their goal(s) in regard to firearms, training, and ammunition needs.”
