Newsmakers: February
2021 Issue

Written By Shooting Staff

2021

R. GIRARD

Taylor’s & Company Appoints VP of Sales

Taylor’s & Company Firearms announced the appointment of Rob Girard as VP of sales. Girard will oversee and develop direct distribution and expand the sales force and manufacturer representatives’ territories to those enthusiasts who appreciate living the modern western lifestyle.

“As Taylor’s & Company Firearms navigates the current conditions of the industry, we are eager to welcome Rob to our team [who brings] years of experience and passion for firearms,” said Tammy Loy, Taylor’s CEO. “We look forward to Rob introducing new items to the market, improving Taylor’s dealer experience and adding new tools to improve the customer experience.”

Girard is a seasoned 30-year sales-oriented executive with a record of sales and marketing accomplishments that includes Fortune 100 companies and manufacturers in the shooting, hunting and industries.

B. Sumner

G. chambers

N. Evans

Chattanooga Shooting Supplies Announces Changes

Chattanooga Shooting Supplies (CSSI) made several organizational changes to support the company’s growth.

Bill Sumner was promoted from director of sales to VP, GM of the Wholesale division, a new position reporting to the CEO.
Category director positions have been added to the Merchandising group. Greg Chambers continues to buy his current categories, oversee most of the Optics business and new business development.

Nick Evans manages additional categories and the supervision of Daniel Talley and Nicholas Betancourt, who were promoted to buyers.

Ben Dailey, director of inventory management, is now tasked with pricing and special projects.

Additionally, three managers were promoted to director positions: Jeff Autry to director of logistics; Andy Lee to director of information technology/services; and Lauren McBee to director of human resources.

“These moves are being made to support the strong growth we have experienced in the past 18 months. They also serve our mission to be more merchandise- and customer-centric and support an expanded sales team,” said CSSI President/CEO Ron Staffieri.

T. NORRIS

SENTRY Products Group Hires Manager

Tom Norris, photographer, designer and Navy veteran has signed on as SENTRY Products Group marketing manager. He will develop and initiate marketing strategies to increase brand recognition within the law enforcement, military and outdoor communities. He is responsible for growing the overall brand image through SENTRY Products Group sales collateral, advertising, social media, videos and more.

SENTRY President Terry Naughton shared, “Tom brings with him an exceptional level of graphic design and communications skills that will bring our marketing efforts to new levels.”

Norris has extensive experience developing marketing and branding concepts for catalogs, consumable packaging, photography for brand and lifestyle and developing branding campaigns.

E. BECKWITH

Dead Air Silencers Signs President

Dead Air Silencers announced Ernie Beckwith joined the team as its new president. Eric Rogers formerly held the position and is now the CEO.

Rogers stated, “Dead Air has grown from a start-up just six short years ago, to the number-one market leader in our industry. We are thrilled to bring Ernie into the fold and view his addition as an essential step toward consolidating and growing our business.”

Beckwith brings a wealth of experience within the firearms industry to his new role. He was with FN America for nine years where he most recently served as the director of retail sales.

D. FRANKLIN

C. KLOK

Riton Optics Announces Changes

Riton Optics announced Dave Franklin was promoted to director of operations, and Chris Klok was selected as the new content creator.

Franklin will focus on managing customer service and oversee quality-control operations. Previously, he served as the quality control manager.

Riton COO Carrie Speth said, “[Franklin’s] hard work and dedication, paired with his knowledge and passion for the outdoors, made him the absolute best person to lead our growing operations team.”

Klok’s focus is on creating compelling visual and audio content for the Riton Optics marketing team using current and artful methods.

Calley Carpenter, Riton’s director of marketing said, “Chris is an absolute energetic force in the workplace. His positivity, work ethic and creativity will help drive the brand to new heights.”

Klok joins Riton Optics with over 10 years of experience in the photo/video world and two years with the Arizona Department of Corrections.

R. LAGRANGE

1791 Gunleather Taps Customer Success Rep

Rebecca Bouchard LaGrange was welcomed as a customer success representative for 1791 Gunleather. She joins the team with over 10 years’ customer service experience from around the globe in a wide range of industries.

“We are excited about our ongoing growth and we’re thrilled to welcome Rebecca to the team at 1791 Gunleather,” said Alex Toussieh, 1791 COO. “She has an impressive resume and great experience with customer service. She is an excellent fit for the team.”

C. BEAUDREAU

Smith & Wesson Names Media Manager

Corey Beaudreau was promoted to the role of media relations manager from his previous position as inventory control manager. He’s responsible for developing key media and industry relationships to promote and amplify the company’s brand messaging and marketing efforts for the S&W, Thompson/Center and Gemtech brands.

S&W Sr. Marketing Manager Matt Spafford shared, “Corey’s vast knowledge and passion for the industry will significantly benefit our media relationships and help to develop new, exciting pathways to showcase our brands and products.”

Beaudreau, an active IDPA steel challenge and 3-Gun competitive shooter, joined the company in 2012 and frequently supports the marketing team through attendance at field events and trade shows. He also worked in the aerospace manufacturing industry and was an officer in the U.S. Air Force.

Warne PROMOTES Director

Warne recently promoted Victor Ianciuc to director of operations. Ianciuc joined Warne three years ago as director of engineering where he streamlined the company’s NPI process, adapted robotic systems to Warne’s CNC machines and worked closely with operations and management teams to increase productivity throughout the facility.

Christensen Arms Creates New Positions

In order to accommodate the demand for firearm products, Christensen Arms expanded its executive and production teams.
Additions to the Finance department include Stan Baumgartner, CFO; Tyler Whitlock, director or finance; and JaRelle Bailey, controller. The Sales department welcomed Brad Lines, Dustin Minter, Paul Shumate and William Wilson as sales account managers. The Marketing department welcomed Tim Dillon, VP of product development; Meredith McCaskill, VP of digital/e-commerce; Zach Keller, brand and content strategist; and Emily Brown, sales and marketing coordinator.

Manufacturing Engineer Bradly Maxwell joined the Engineering department, and Production added Jed Worthington as a buyer. The Human Resources department added Connor Henline as human resources manager, and Kaelob Miller as payroll and benefits administrator. Brent Bowler joined the Outsourced Manufacturing department as its new director.

Stryk Group USA Adds New Hires

Seeing continued growth in the business consulting space, Stryk Group USA welcomed six new employees to its growing company. Samuel Ayres is a brand services manager; Jim Drager was named director of operations; Johnathan “Johnny” Goodwin joined as director of digital marketing services; Joseph Timbo fills the role of national sales manager; and Sarah Zeno is the director of business systems services.

Dickinson Arms Grows Team

To help meet growing demand for its shotgun line across the U.S., Dickinson Arms added Jennifer Turner as compliance officer, and Marc Flores as the assistant warehouse manager/customer service specialist.

Turner is responsible for ensuring compliance with a broad range of evolving federal and state regulations as well involvement with international/import aspects of the business.

Flores will assist in managing Dickinson’s warehouse to ensure products get to authorized dealers in a timely and efficient manner. He will also support the customer service department by providing assistance and technical support to shooting enthusiasts’ inquiries.

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Newsmakers: February 2021 Issue