FAIRMONT – In his first year as a business owner, John Davey of Davey Defense is finding success with Permit to Carry classes in Fairmont.

His first encounter with teaching in this arena was in 2021 when he needed to find an instructor for his son.

“I had a son turning 21 and I was looking for a permit to carry class to get him into,” Davey said. “One thing led to another, and I ended up becoming an instructor.”

What began as finding a class turned into Davey himself becoming a teacher. In the process, Davey discovered a passion he never thought he’d find.

“I discovered I love teaching,” he said. “I never thought I would say that, but I love passing information on to the next generation. It was an accident, I didn’t know this was what I wanted but I rapidly discovered it was. I had been working before assisting people at ranges, volunteering.”

January 2025 presented an impasse for Davey. The training company he worked for went out of business. Instead of working for someone else or leaving the training business, Davey decided to go into business for himself.

The result? Unquestionable success.

“Aside from the immense amount of work and getting the training submitted for approval, it’s been mind-blowing growth,” Davey said. “Absolutely awesome the amount of people I have reached this year. By the end of this year, I will have exceeded the amount of people I helped in the last four years. I have been eyes wide open to everything, and I’ve done everything to make this business work.”

In line with having his training approved, Davey said his class teaches to the standards of the law.

“The Minnesota Department of Public Safety gives us a list of subjects to cover,” he said. “It’s about knowing when, where and how you can or can’t carry. Firearm safety, can you operate your firearm in a safe and responsible manner?”

The class has two phases: the online course and the in-person course. The online course is the first and covers a lot of the detail-oriented side.

“We talk about the mindset of concealed carry, firearm safety,” Davey said. “We talk about ethics, shooting fundamentals, the anatomy of firearms and ammunition. We cover home defense, use of force, personal property and psychological and emotional effects. The aftermath of a shooting if you need to use force.”

After the candidate demonstrates their understanding online, the in-person portion is more straightforward.

“We go to the range and do the live fire requirement, demonstrating you understand the safe handling of a firearm and you can safely hit your target. If they pass I sign the certificate, and they are open to come back and ask us for assistance and information whenever they need to. We are always here to help.”

With a large amount of demand, Davey said he’s identified a few potential causes behind it.

“Im not sure there’s one particular reason,” he said. “It might be the more volatile political climate. I see a lot of the ladies, they’re interested because they don’t feel safe in public. The firearm levels the playing field.”

Including Davey, who handles instruction for Fairmont, there are eight instructors under Davey Defense. They cover areas like New Ulm, Redwood Falls and Northfield. Davey said he picked up a few instructors who were affected when the business Davey originally worked for closed.

Looking forward, Davey said he wants to continue growing Davey Defense.

“At some point in the future, I want to grow to be all over the state,” he said. “Spread the availability of permit to carry classes.”

Classes are available year-round by request. If one would not be able to buy a gun due to being a prohibited person, such as being a felon or drug user, Davey said they should not take the course. For more information, visit https://daveydefense.com/ or call 507-276-8484.