Newsmakers:
February 2022

NASGW Welcomes Chairman

Chris Means, president of Tactical Gear Distributors, has assumed the role of NASGW chairman for a two-year term. Means has spent two years as a member of the board, helping guide the association through the tumultuous time of the pandemic.

Means stated, “I’m proud to have served so many great businesses in this industry in a variety of roles. This is an amazing industry, and I’m looking forward to this new role as the board chairman at NASGW.”

He started his career in 1987 with Outdoor Sports Headquarters. Before joining Tactical Gear Distributors, Means held roles at Bangers (now Iron Valley Supply Co.), Ellett Brothers, Big Rock Sports and The Mako Group.

Primary Arms Grows Team

Primary Arms announced the recent additions of CFO Matthew Do, Gregory Bruce as central region territory manager for Primary Arms Government and Kirby Evans, territory sales manager for Primary Arms Government.

Do will be a collaborative leader across various business units, leverage Primary Arms’ core advantages and grow the business through constant improvement and new business opportunities.

“Matthew will lead operations, finance and accounting teams and partner with the companies’ multiple divisions in developing growth strategies to maximize profitability across the business,” said Marshall Lerner, founder and CEO of Primary Arms.

With over 20 years’ experience, Do brings a wealth of knowledge in operational turnarounds, start-up, expansion, restructuring, M&As and transitional situations.

Bruce will oversee the Central Texas region as well as 16 other states throughout the central U.S. He is a decorated combat veteran of the USMC and a former sergeant of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Evans will lead connection for L.E. teams operating in 13 states. He will also work with Texas L.E. teams including Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and more.

Evans has more than 17 years of L.E. experience as a Texas Master Peace Officer and seasoned TCOLE instructor. He also founded HDC Concepts, an L.E. training firm that specialized in optimizing and expanding the training market throughout Texas.

SAGE Program Underwriters Names Senior Sales VP

SAGE Program Underwriters welcomed Patrick Shay as its SVP of sales. Shay brings 25 years of experience in sales, marketing and service to the shooting sports and firearms industries to his new role.

Chuck Holdren, SAGE president and CEO, stated, “SAGE is committed to helping the shooting sports industry better understand and control its work comp insurance costs. I’m thrilled to welcome Patrick to help SAGE grow our brand and change the way the industry is treated within the insurance community.”

RISE Armament Names Marketing Manager

Brock Norman joined the RISE Armament team as the company’s online marketing manager.

“We’re excited to welcome Brock to the team. His digital experience and his alignment with our values and mission will no doubt help RISE continue its accelerated growth,” stated Camille Torres, VP of marketing at RISE.

Norman has spent the past 11 years working in the outdoor media world where he has managed web properties, digital marketing, digital sales, graphic design, video production, sponsored content, social media, email marketing and more.

SENTRY Tactical Recruits Sales VP

SENTRY Tactical welcomed Kevin Renwick as the VP of sales to support the growing domestic markets.

“Kevin is a customer-focused leader who values long-term relationships that create growth opportunities for both the customer and manufacturer,” stated Mike Noell, CEO of SENTRY Tactical.

Renwick has over 15 years’ industry sales experience. He has served in roles at Traditions Performance Firearms, Blackhawk, GunVault and most recently The Safariland Group as a director of national accounts in the commercial marketplace.

SilencerCo Appoints Marketing Director

SilencerCo announced the appointment of Rich Wilkins as its new creative marketing director. Wilkins will be responsible for the company’s creative strategic direction.

“I am thrilled to have Rich come on board in this role,” said SilencerCo Director of Marketing, Customer Service and Warranty, Jessica Kallam. “He is a marketing veteran who, throughout his career, has proven himself as someone who can deliver results.”

Wilkins brings over 14 years of marketing experience to the team. Most recently, he held the position of director of marketing at Dead Air Silencers.

ASP Taps Sales Director

Armament Systems and Procedures (ASP) named Stacey Perkins as the new director of sales for the Southeast U.S. region. Perkins will be responsible for L.E. agency and distributor relationships in the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.
ASP VP of Sales, Daryell Harmon, said, “Stacey has everything it takes to succeed in our unique sales model.

Perkins joins ASP after a 30-year career as an FBI special agent and supervisor.

Can-Am Sales Group Selects Sales Manager

Can-Am Sales Group LLC welcomed Max La Gaipa to the sales team as territory sales manager. He will be based in Laval, Quebec, to serve the growing Quebec and Maritimes customer base.

“We’re excited to have Max join our Can-Am team. “[La Gaipa’s] enthusiasm and passion for the outdoors combined with his deep product knowledge are a perfect fit for the needs of our distribution, retail and vendor partners,” stated Can-Am Sales Group President Scott Makway.

La Gaipa brings over 15 years of professional outdoor experience to the Can-Am team, which includes winning the Classic Title on the 2010 Pro Bass Canada Trail.

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