Newsmakers - September 2025

NSSF Appoints Board Member

Brandon Maddox, founder and CEO of Silencer Central and BANISH Suppressors, was recently appointed to the NSSF Board of Governors.

“Brandon brings deep knowledge of the regulatory landscape and a passion for protecting the rights of sportsmen and women,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF president and CEO. “His entrepreneurial leadership and commitment to our industry’s growth will be valuable assets to the board of governors.”

Maddox founded Silencer Central in 2005 and is also the founder of the South Dakota Firearms Industry Association.

Springfield Armory Welcomes Pro Shooter & Brand Ambassador

Springfield Armory announced world champion shooter, author and military veteran Julie Golob has joined the company as a brand ambassador and professional shooter. Alongside Springfield Armory’s legendary pro shooter, Rob Leatham, Golob will employ her proven skills as a professional shooter and content creator in addition to helping guide new product development for the company in this new role.

Steve Kramer, Springfield Armory VP of marketing, shared, “With [Golob’s] wealth of knowledge, voluminous skill and extensive experience in the shooting industry, she will bring an invaluable and unique perspective to the company’s efforts to continuously innovate and grow.”

Golob shares her passion for firearm safety, shooting sports, conservation and hunting as an instructor, consultant, speaker, ambassador and creator. As a published author of a primer on shooting sports and a children’s book on firearm safety, Golob has also written numerous articles for prominent firearms publications. 

Over the course of her career, she has earned more than 170 championship titles and top scores in international, national and regional marksmanship competitions across seven different shooting disciplines. She is also the first and only 7 Division USPSA Ladies National Champion.

Christensen Arms Appoints President

Matt Fleming was recently appointed president of Christensen Arms. Since joining the company, Fleming has immersed himself in the company’s operations, working closely with the team at its Gunnison, Utah, facility and focusing on product development, dealer support and brand alignment.

 “Matt’s leadership, industry knowledge and deep respect for the customer experience make him the right person to help lead the company into its next phase of growth and innovation,” said Vic Keller, chairman of Christensen Arms. 

Fleming brings more than two decades of leadership experience in the shooting sports industry to the role, most recently serving as president and CEO of MidwayUSA.

Kimber Mfg. Promotes COO

Kimber Mfg. promoted Scott Moore to the position of chief operations officer from his former position as VP of operations.

Dennis Dougherty, board advisor for Kimber, stated, “Scott’s promotion is exciting for Kimber. We look forward to his lean engineering expertise crafting a sharp new edge to our manufacturing as Kimber enters the fall season and beyond.”

Moore served seven years as the VP of operations for Kimber before accepting a role at E-One. While with Kimber, he was instrumental in the company’s transition from Yonkers, N.Y. to Troy, Ala. His prior experience stems from roles at John Deere, Case New Holland and Whirlpool manufacturing.

He served with the 5th Infantry Division following his graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Zanders Taps Business Developer

In his new business development role at Zanders, Caleb Barnett will work with key management staff members focusing on driving strategic growth opportunities, strengthening key partnerships and expanding the company’s reach into emerging markets across the U.S.

Danny Siegler, president and COO at Zanders, shared, “[Barnett will] play a key role in accelerating our growth initiatives and delivering greater value to our dealer network.”

Prior to joining Zanders, Barnett oversaw marketing, key accounts and ballistics testing for Underwood Ammunition. 

Ocufii Makes Key Appointments

To support its growth in the firearms industry abroad, Ocufii announced the appointment of Moises Fernandez as head of Latin American sales and hired Murray Road Agency for marketing services, where CEO Tim Brandt will act as chief marketing and communications officer for the organization.

Fernandez has over 17 years of experience driving innovation in the M2M (Machine-to-Machine), IoT (Internet of Things) and Location-Based Services (LBS) industries.

Ocufii CEO William Sandoval said, “Ocufii and niche-industry business partners will benefit from [Fernandez’s] forward-thinking mindset and strong foundation in both embedded systems and wireless communication protocols.”

Brandt’s role for Ocufii is to bring industry knowledge, experience and know-how to the most underserved area in firearms sales, marketing and manufacturing — technology. 

“Tim’s experience, knowledge and relationships has already opened so many doors for us,” said Sandoval. “… his navigation of the sales channels and the support of scaling operations dovetails into our team’s skillsets in an exciting manner.”

Darby Adds Acct. Coord.

Kaleb Brown has joined Darby Communications as an account coordinator to support marketing strategy and client services across the agency’s Hunt/Fish portfolio.

A graduate of Lander University, Brown brings hands-on experience from the outdoor and firearms retail marketing space combined with a lifelong passion for hunting, fishing and the outdoors.

Katadyn Group Appoints CEO

Karl A. Baumann was recently named CEO of Katadyn Group. Since assuming the role, he has traveled extensively across Europe, North America and Asia, meeting with customers, and engaging with employees across Katadyn Group’s offices and manufacturing sites.

A statement released by the Katadyn Group board of directors included, “His leadership capabilities, global perspective and innovation-driven approach make him well suited to guide Katadyn Group into its next chapter.”

Baumann most recently served as CEO of Ferrum Process Systems Group. Prior to that, he led Desinga Axess Industry Holding, Regent Beleuchtungstechnick as well as Enswico AG and spent more than 15 years with Holcim Group, where he held several senior management positions in international roles and served as a member of the European Executive Committee.

Azimuth Technology Grows Team

Azimuth Technology welcomed Dustin Emholtz to its business development team where he will play a key role in advancing strategic initiatives, overseeing critical customer accounts and driving growth across new and existing product lines.

Tommy Thacker, Azimuth COO, stated, “[Emholtz’s] experience, leadership and tactical insight are exactly what we need as we continue to scale our business and pursue new opportunities across commercial, government and new markets.”

A U.S. Army veteran, Emholtz has over 20 years of industry experience from key roles at DPMS, LUTH-AR, Element Arms, APF & Dimensional Experts Manufacturing.

Second Amendment Foundation Hires Legal Research Education Director

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) hired Kostas Moros as the director of legal research and education. He is responsible for producing original research and policy positions for publication, coordinating and preparing amicus briefs and handling or assisting litigation as needed. He will also help identify educational opportunities for the organization and see those through to completion.

SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut shared, “We’re excited to have Kostas join the team as a full-time employee and look forward to watching SAF’s research and education programs grow under his leadership.”

Moros brings 10 years of experience to the SAF team with six years directly litigating Second Amendment cases in California. He is a member of several federal circuit courts, as well as the Supreme Court Bar and has authored numerous amicus briefs, a law review article and dozens of articles on gun policy.

SK Guns Names Operations Director

As the director of operations for SK Guns, Kirk Stanton will oversee daily operations and develop strategies to improve functionality and productivity. He is responsible for setting expectations across all departments to foster a cohesive and agile workflow.

Simon Khiabani, owner and founder of SK Guns, shared, “The experience [Stanton] brings to the table is exactly what we need as we continue to grow and expand our team and our capabilities.”

Stanton’s career began with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, where he spent 10 years in service. He then became the owner/operator of Woody’s Gunworks Firearms Refinishing. Most recently, he served as the GM of Top Gun Supply in St. Augustine, Fla.

PROOF Research Names Account Manager

In his new role as the eastern U.S. account manager for PROOF Research, Dave Medige will focus on expanding PROOF’s footprint across the Eastern U.S. and delivering world-class support to dealers and end users alike.

“[Medige’s] strong industry background and commitment to customer relationships make him a great fit for PROOF as we continue to grow and support our partners across the region,” commented Brandon Hulzebosch, director of sales at PROOF Research.

Medige brings more than three decades of experience to the role from sales leadership positions at SDS Imports, Kimber Mfg. and FN America. 

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