ICYMI: Headlines From
July 25 — July 29, 2022
Kel-Tec Expands Capacity, Announces New Wyoming Plant
Kel-Tec CNC Industries is expanding its production capacity with the acquisition of a 33,000 sq. ft. facility in Rock Springs, Wyo., augmenting its 125,000 sq. ft. industrial space in Cocoa, Fla.
Adrian Kellgren, director of industrial production, shared, “Wyoming has a rich history as part of the American frontier and it’s fitting for our brand, being that we constantly explore the limits of performance and design, to expand out here.”
The new facility will focus on cutting-edge manufacturing technology, next- generation research and development and, of course, production of new firearms.
“This is a milestone for Kel-Tec CNC Industries,” said Derek Kellgren, director of sales and marketing. “While steady expansion isn’t anything new to us, this is our first expansion into another state and we couldn’t be more excited about advancing our innovative designs and production processes in Wyoming.”
While the company’s initial start-up will be small, the facility is designed to grow up to 250+ employees across multiple industrial disciplines.
“In Wyoming, we value our open spaces, recreation and hunting and proudly defend our 2nd Amendment rights,” stated Governor Mark Gordon. “Because of those values and our business-friendly environment, I am pleased to welcome KelTec to Wyoming.”
Rock Springs Mayor Timothy A. Kaumo, echoing added support from Sweetwater County officials and the Wyoming Business Council, said, “The City of Rock Springs is beyond excited and proud to have KelTec firearms locating here.”
For more info: www.keltecweapons.com
Ruger Donates To Walk The Talk America In Support of Suicide Prevention
Sturm, Ruger & Company Inc. has doubled its donation to Walk The Talk America (WTTA), an organization founded in 2018 by Michael Sodini.
Through formal programs, outreach and engagement with the mental health and firearms communities, WTTA aspires to reduce firearm suicides through effective, targeted programs that begin with the perspective of firearm owners.
WTTA offers training to gun owners and retailers as well as mental health professionals. Its Cultural Competence classes seek to educate mental health professionals about the values and beliefs of firearms owners by bringing these professionals to the range for hands-on experience so they are better able to relate to and communicate with members of the firearm-owning community.
“Partnering with industry leaders like Ruger helps expand our reach, making significant steps toward achieving our mission,” stated Sodini. “The financial support and increased marketing Ruger provides will help us spread our message to a wider audience, which will save lives.”
“We are incredibly proud to increase our support of Walk the Talk America,” said Ruger President and CEO Chris Killoy. “It is an honor to contribute to their mission of de-stigmatizing honest conversations about suicide and firearms to help save lives, and we are thankful that such an organization exists.”
Ruger also plans to incorporate information about Walk the Talk America into every firearm product box by January 2023.
For more info: www.ruger.com
Walk The Talk America Now Offering Bilingual Mental Health Awareness Flyer
Walk The Talk America (WTTA), a non-profit organization designed to bridge the gap between the firearms industry and owners and the mental health industry, is pleased to announce its Mental Health Awareness flyer has been translated to Spanish, thanks to Bersa, an Argentinean-founded manufacturer of quality firearms.
WTTA’s Mental Health Awareness flyer will now be double-sided; the front side will be in English and the back will be in Spanish. These flyers are provided to gun manufacturers or firearm store owners to distribute with each sale, helping to inform gun owners of available mental health resources.
Bersa, now operating out of Kennesaw, Ga., with manufacturing both in the U.S. and Argentina, will be including the bilingual flyers in all its firearm boxes.
“We are happy to be able to provide this resource for our customers. As someone who was there at the beginning of WTTA, I’m glad Bersa can continue to contribute and help be part of its evolution,” commented Rafael Del Valle, director of U.S. sales and marketing for Bersa.
“One of our main goals is to educate and inform people that it is okay to talk about mental health, no matter who they are or what language they speak,” said Michael Sodini, WTTA founder. “Conversations can and should happen around firearm ownership, and those conversations shouldn’t be blocked due to language barriers. We hope that by providing this bilingual flyer, we will be able to reach more people within the Latino community.”
For more info: www.walkthetalkamerica.org
NASGW Releases Q2 SCOPE Report
The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) has released the 2nd Quarter SCOPE Report compiling distributor sales and inventory data from January 1st, 2022 through June 30th, 2022.
“The data in our SCOPE platform is becoming more and more valuable to businesses and organizations across our industry,” said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW president. “Our Q2 report is a good high level snapshot of existing trends with some deeper analysis by Tom Hopper, NASGW senior data analyst.”
The 2022 Q2 Report marks the 3rd report published by NASGW. Others include the 2021 Annual Report and the Q1 Report. These reports offer a regular review of current marketing conditions through distributor shipments, a level of insight that has not been previously available to the industry.
“For businesses looking for a better way to understand what’s actually happening in today’s market conditions, the SCOPE Quarterly Reports are a great tool,” Hopper added. “The data we’re using to analyze the market is the largest data sample available across the industry and paints a realistic picture about what’s happening. The insight is invaluable.”
NASGW has published a free, basic version of the report, as well as a full version of the report (available for purchase).
For more info: nasgwscope.org/resources/purchase-quarterly-reports.
Vista Outdoor To Acquire Simms Fishing Products
July 27, Vista Outdoor announced the acquisition of Simms Fishing Products for a purchase price of $192.5 million. The gross purchase price includes a net present value of roughly $20 million in future tax benefits. Simms is a premium fishing brand and leading designer, marketer and manufacturer of waders, outerwear, footwear and technical apparel.
Headquartered in Bozeman, Mont., Simms was founded in 1980 and later acquired in 1993 by K.C. Walsh, its current executive chairman.
“Simms is the perfect fit for our diversified portfolio of leading, iconic outdoor brands,” said Chris Metz, Vista Outdoor CEO. “Simms broadens our core addressable market into the highly attractive fishing category with a premium, innovative brand with significant room for growth.”
Metz continued, “Equally important, Simms is the right cultural fit for Vista Outdoor and our soon-to-be-formed Outdoor Products company.”
Simms CEO Casey Sheahan will continue to lead day-to-day operations of Simms, and Walsh will continue as a strategic advisor and conservation and government affairs advocate. The current Simms management team and existing employee base also will remain in place.
For more info: vistaoutdoor.com, simmsfishing.com.
