Police1’s Spotlight articles introduce the products and services of a valued sponsor in their own words. This article focuses on Action Target, a company based in Utah that has spent nearly four decades developing innovative range technology and realistic training solutions for the law enforcement community. Gavin Sullivan, content marketing specialist, provides background on the company.
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Where did your company name originate from?
Most companies in the industry in 1986 had “target” in their name, so incorporating the same word was a natural fit. “Action” was chosen to represent the dynamic nature of the original product line. And, conveniently, since websites were not yet a thing, a company name that started with “A” meant it would appear first in printed industry listings. True story.
What was the inspiration behind starting your company?
Action Target was founded by Addison Sovine and Kyle Bateman, longtime business partners who saw an opportunity when the Provo Police Department approached them about building a target system for their range. The Sovine family owned an auto body shop, so metalworking was already in their wheelhouse. After several prototypes, they developed a system the department trusted, and the company began to grow from there.
What is your signature product and how does it work?
Action Target’s two signature products for law enforcement are SmartRange AXIS with SmartRange AXIS Connect and the Fixed Lateral 360 Turning Targets.
SmartRange AXIS is the intelligent core of a modern range. As an Internet of Things (IoT) platform, it unifies target retrievers, shooting stalls, ventilation, lighting, HVAC and safety controls into one centralized, tablet-based interface. SmartRange AXIS Connect extends that control further. Through Flex Integrations, operators can connect third-party equipment like door sensors, occupancy sensors, emergency stop buttons, strobe lighting and more, with up to 24 configurable input and output connections per bay. Building Management System (BMS) integration via BACnet connectivity allows range equipment to be monitored and managed from a facility-wide building controller, with real-time visibility, proactive service alerts and usage tracking built in.
The Fixed Lateral 360 Turning Target is purpose-built for tactical decision-making training. Targets rotate 90, 180 or 360 degrees instantly using a quiet electric motor. Officers cannot anticipate presentations, which preserves the realism required for shoot/no-shoot training. Instructors can reposition targets along a fixed rail without tools, creating custom groupings and varied scenarios in seconds. The exposed downrigger and deflector are constructed from AR500 steel to withstand live-fire impact.
Why do you believe your products are essential to the police community?
Law enforcement requires equipment that enables safe, dynamic training, the kind that prepares officers for real-world encounters, not just static qualifications.
Action Target’s range products are designed with safety as the foundation. From there, the focus is functionality: giving trainers the ability to control target exposure, positioning, threat level and lighting to build scenarios that mirror the complexity of actual encounters. Officers can train on advancing targets, lateral movers and stationary threat/no-threat presentations, all within a controlled indoor environment.
That combination of safety and training realism is what makes specialized range equipment essential. When a range is equipped to replicate real conditions, trainers can put officers in situations that build genuine readiness. That preparation has consequences that extend well beyond the range.
What has been the biggest challenge your company has faced?
Coordinating consistent, high-quality support across a global customer base has been one of Action Target’s biggest challenges. Serving agencies and facilities across dozens of countries means navigating different regulatory environments, infrastructure conditions and operational requirements, often simultaneously. Ensuring that every customer receives the same standard of service, whether it is a small department in rural Utah or a large training complex overseas, is something Action Target takes seriously. Maintaining that standard across every project, in every location, is as much a part of the work as the products themselves.
What makes your company unique?
Action Target is the most integrated range solutions provider in the industry. The company supports facilities from initial concept through the life of the range, covering design, build, installation, maintenance, metals recycling, rubber berm trap cleaning, technical support and more. For range supplies and targets, customers can order directly through shop.actiontarget.com.
That depth of offering means customers are not piecing together solutions from multiple vendors for the range itself. For the facility around it, Action Target’s range specialists help coordinate with trusted professionals to ensure the broader project meets the necessary standards. One relationship, one point of accountability, from the first conversation to the final shot.
What do your customers like best about you and your products?
Our turnkey model stands out most. From the first site visit through installation and ongoing support, customers work with a single partner who understands every component of their range. Action Target’s cross-trained service technicians can address target systems, ventilation and general range maintenance in a single visit, saving range officers and facility managers the time and friction of managing multiple vendors.
What is the most rewarding part of serving the first responder/local government community?
Providing first responders with equipment that enables lifesaving training is the most rewarding part of this work. From threat assessment and real-world scenario training to clearing rooms in a multi-story shoot house, Action Target’s equipment gives trainers the tools to prepare officers for what matters most: returning home at the end of every shift.
Do you support any charitable organizations within public safety/community? Tell us more.
For 34 years, Action Target has hosted the Law Enforcement Training Camp (LETC), an annual four-day event that brings top-tier instructors and law enforcement professionals together to develop and sharpen lifesaving skills.
LETC is also a space to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. The event holds the annual Cory Wride Memorial Match Shoot to recognize Sergeant Cory Wride of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, who was killed in the line of duty on January 30, 2014. This gives attendees an opportunity to participate in an event that honors service, sacrifice and brotherhood within the law enforcement community.
Two annual scholarships extend that commitment further. In partnership with the Utah Valley University Police Academy, Action Target established the Joseph Shinners Scholarship, which funds one fully sponsored LETC registration each year in memory of Master Police Officer Joseph Shinners of the Provo Police Department, killed in the line of duty in January 2019. The Bill Hooser Scholarship, offered in partnership with the Utah County Fraternal Order of Police, honors Sergeant Bill Hooser of Santaquin, Utah, who gave his life in the line of duty in May 2024.
Is there any fun fact or trivia that you’d like to share with our users about you or your company?
2026 marks Action Target’s 40th anniversary. What started as two people building target prototypes in a garage has grown into a team of more than 200 employees. That work now equips law enforcement agencies, military installations and commercial ranges around the world. Even after 40 years, Action Target still calls Provo home.
What’s next for your company? Any upcoming new projects or initiatives?
Action Target continues to expand SmartRange AXIS into a full facility management ecosystem. Over the past six years, the platform has grown well beyond range control, with SmartRange AXIS Connect pushing that evolution further by bridging the gap between the range and the broader facility it operates within. That dedication to innovation drives the development of ranges that operate as efficiently as possible, reducing manual oversight, extending equipment life and keeping training uninterrupted.
