FULTON - Oneida Labs, a compoundbow manufacturer based in Fulton, has been auctioned off to Michigan bowhunter Claude Pollington. Pollington, a long-time bowhunter with close ties to Oneida Labs, bought the company's assets for an undisclosed amount.

BSB Bank and Trust had foreclosed on Roger Loomis, former president of Oneida Eagle. Loomis, who purchased the company four years ago, says that financial pressures led to the business's demise. "We took on a lot of debt after we bought the company," says Loomis, "and with those cash problems, we just couldn't compete in the market."

Oneida Labs manufactures the Black Eagle and Pro compound bows, bows that are well-known in the bowhunting world.

Pollington is a long-time bowhunter and archery-product manufacturer. He has been deeply involved with Oneida Eagle bows, in product development and sales, for more than 16 years. He is the nation's largest Oneida Eagle dealer and was instrumental in helping design the famous Oneida Black Eagle, the company's bestselling bow. Pollington also owns the Buck Pole Archery and Deer Ranch in Marion, Mich. The 1,500-acre ranch is an enclosed white-tail deer preserve where bowhunters can go on guided hunts for trophy bucks.

According to information on Oneida's recently updated Web site, www.oneidaeaglebows.com, the new corporate office for Oneida Labs is now in Marion, Mich. Pollington adds that while it's still too early to tell what will happen to the Fulton facility, "it will remain open at this time. We'll see how things work out in the future."

The Fulton facility will employ 8-10 people when it reopens in January, adds Pollington.

Loomis says that he is contemplating starting a new compound-bow company in Fulton but adds that he's still not sure what he's going to do.