Owner Joe Daigle (far left) operates the business with friends Elaine Rachac and Saul Uribe.[/caption]

Fueled by a promise he made to his wife before she died in 2013, Joe Daigle turned his sketches of a future business on spare paper and napkins into a reality when he opened Shooting Sports & Training Centers of Texas in Tomball in April 2014.

“Very rarely are you able to participate or be part of something that’s truly somebody’s dream,” said Saul Uribe, Daigle’s longtime friend and employee. “This is the realization of his dream, and it’s an honor for me to come here and be part of this.”

Prior to opening his own business, Daigle worked as a street deputy for the Harris County sheriff’s department for more than 40 years before retiring in 2013. In addition to his police work, Daigle began traveling and teaching concealed handgun license classes in his spare time in 1995.

“I’ve taught this [class] on pontoon boats before, at pool parties, in people’s homes, in their garages, in their kitchens, and I’d have to go look for a gun range,” Daigle said. “I believe in the course—I really do. I believe you should have the means of protection with you at all times.”

Daigle offers a variety of gun courses for customers, such as concealed handgun licensing, beginner and tactical shooting as well as gun cleaning. He also sells several types of handguns and rifles on-site, including high-quality brands, such as Colt’s Manufacturing Company and Remington Arms Company, beginning at $500 and up.

The business also offers yearlong shooting range memberships at $499 for an individual and $600 for a family of four.

Daigle’s friend and employee Elaine Rachac said she met Daigle after enrolling in his concealed handgun license class. Daigle’s law enforcement experience, emphasis on safety and his playful yet serious nature as an instructor set him apart from others in the area, she said.

“I never knew anything about pistols and concealed handguns, but when I took the class, it really made me realize how important it is,” Rachac said. “A lot of women you talk to say, ‘I couldn’t shoot anybody,’ and I’m thinking if [someone] were to endanger your children or your grandchildren, you wouldn’t hesitate. But you need to be trained.”

Daigle, who has lived on the 2-acre property for nearly 40 years where he built the business, said he values two things above anything else for his customers—safety and quality service.

“We try to maintain a family atmosphere,” Daigle said. “One man brings his 8-year-old daughter here. She shoots a little .22 [caliber] Crickett rifle, and she does really well with it. The place is clean, and we keep it that way. People tend to like that.”