Innovators and Influencers
SHOT Business honors ten leaders in the shooting sports industry.
Profiles compiled by Slaton L. White
Aaron Davidson
An engineer and automobile enthusiast, Aaron Davidson, CEO of Gunwerks, began applying his talents to firearms 20 years ago. After earning a patent for a ballistic turret in 2006, he built a rifle. Then he founded a company.
“Gunwerks emerged to help shooters hit at very long range,” he says. “A narrow focus works for us. The industry is crowded with companies bent on filling every niche. We wanted to excel in one.”
He notes that long-range enthusiasts buy actions, barrels, stocks, and scopes, then spend more to test handloads in the resulting rifles. They switch out parts to print tighter groups. It’s a costly, time-consuming journey.
Davidson believes Gunwerks has developed a better approach. “We build and market shooting systems,” he says. “Our rifles have top-shelf components. Our range-compensating Revic scopes make the most of them. We’ve done the hard work, even load development. Our systems are ready for a hunt or a long-range match right out of the hard cases we supply with them.”
Gunwwerks builds rifles on its own GLR action, in stainless steel or titanium. The Climbr, Magnus, and Verdict have an NP3-coated, two-lug bolt with twin cocking cams and an extractor that sends empties at a low angle to clear blocky scope turrets. A flush floorplate and an internal magazine make for a clean profile and easy top-loading from low positions. Davidson minds such details, his focus ever on what makes the rifles easier to use and more effective. Vertical integration—by producing all major parts in-house—frees him of many supply-chain delays. “And because those components are of our design, we needn’t compromise the function of one component to pair it with another,” he says. (gunwerks.com)
Justin Sitz
When your house burns to the ground, taking everything you own with it, your first impulse naturally would be to focus on a rebuild. Justin Sitz, founder of Versacarry, forged a different path. He purchased a handgun. Dissatisfied with the available concealed-carry holsters, he began tinkering with several options, eventually coming up with the patented Zerobulk holster. “I instantly knew this holster was revolutionary, so much so that I diverted from rebuilding my house and focused all my time and funding into building Versacarry instead,” he says.
Zerobulk helped jump start his company, and now the Texas-based manufacturer offers of a wide variety of OWB and IWB concealed-carry holsters. Sitz understands that comfort and concealment are high on the list for most concealed-carry users, and he feels Versacarry meets both of those needs through its Comfort Flex Deluxe and Comfort Flex Custom lines.
“We have seen that if a holster isn’t comfortable, people won’t carry it. Our padded hybrid holsters combine a custom-molded polymer front, durable water buffalo leather, and a pillowed foam back. The combination of these materials securely holds the firearm in place for confident draws, but allows for more comfort in all-day wearing.”
Always passionate about design, he is happiest when knee deep in prototypes and patents. “No matter what role I play at the company, I continue to find myself drawn toward R&D,” he says. “I’m still amazed I can build a growing business, employ hard-working Americans, and work in an industry I love.” (versacarry.com)
Rob Gearing
“My DNA is to find elegant solutions to problems,” says Rob Gearing, a straight-talking Brit who founded Spartan Precision Equipment in 2013 and is now managing director. And part of that DNA is finding how to shave bits of weight where you can without sacrificing performance.
In this case, it was the five-ounce detachable Javelin Bipod designed to replace the cumbersome fixed rifle bipod, a bedeviling piece of gear for backcountry hunters who ascend to the sky in search of big game.
The Javelin Bipod began as an art project centered around the nose cone of a decommissioned Concorde SST mounted to an old engine bearing. To cover the bearing, Gearing added a clamshell cover held in place with two tiny rare-earth magnets. He liked what he saw and then wondered whether those super-strong magnets could be the foundation for a more user-friendly bipod.
After a few iterations, the Javelin Bipod was born, a lightweight bipod that can easily be popped on and off a gun without fiddling with attachments. The idea was—and is—that the bipod could be stowed in a pocket or backpack sleeve until needed, then quickly and quietly deployed by engaging its male prong with a female receptacle fixed to the gun. The bond is assured with those rare-earth magnets. The Javelin Bipod remains the company’s most recognized product, accounting for about 80 percent of Spartan Precisions’ sales. (javelinbipod.com)
Phil and Lisa Roux
As the popularity of firearms training continues to grow, shooting ranges across the country are working to meet the demand. One such range dedicated to elevating the shooting experience is Shooter’s World. Led by husband-and-wife team Phil and Lisa Roux, Shooter’s World now has three indoor shooting ranges in Arizona.
The world-class training centers feature climate-controlled ranges, a large retail selection of firearms, ammunition, and gear, and a robust offering of training programs. While it’s easy to focus on the technology or the range amenities, Lisa and Phil Roux credit most of their success to how they treat people. Providing exceptional customer service is the core of everything they do.
“What sets us apart, aside from our three state-of-the-art facilities, is our heavy focus on catering to all types of customers. We have created an inviting atmosphere where we appeal to shooters of all levels and backgrounds. We pride ourselves on having a diverse team who understands the needs of new shooters and respects the courage it takes to try something new and often intimidating,” says Lisa Roux, who serves as Shooter’s World CFO. “We also listen intently to our customers and the feedback they provide.”
In addition to asking customers about their experience at the end of their visit, Shooter’s World conducts email surveys to help gauge how they are performing. They then combine the in-person comments and survey responses to identify any areas that need improvement. Most importantly—they act on that information to make necessary changes.
Shooter’s World takes a similar approach with their staff. Both are committed to employee development. That includes offering promote-from-within opportunities.
“We are passionate about growth,” Lisa Roux says. “This is critical to our retention and helping create true careers for our teammates versus ‘just a job.’” (shootersworld.com)
Jim Chandley
There’s an old saying: when handed a lemon, make lemonade. Which is just what buying group Nation’s Best Sports (NBS) did in the wake of COVID-19. The pandemic, along with supplier shortages, stood the shooting sports industry on its head and forever changed the way many manufacturers and retailers do business. Prior to COVID, the Fort Worth-based purchasing group supported their members largely through annual in-person events. When public gatherings were suspended, the long-time industry leader pivoted and developed a new business model, which has generated growth and enabled NBS to better serve retailers.
For decades, NBS hosted three to four buying events each year. The shows featured a variety of brands and products as well as the largest manufacturers in the shooting sports industry. Then, all of a sudden, the company’s business model was taken away from it.
“We had to figure out how to continue with our business and do things completely different than we've ever done before—and it actually worked out quite well,” says Jim Chandley, president of NBS. “We learned how to do a lot of events away from our traditional timeframes, which turned out to be a huge advantage to us.”
Although NBS has returned to holding in-person events, the structure has dramatically changed. Before 2020, members would devote their time at a show to researching products and writing several months’ worth of orders. It was exhausting, to say the least. Now, NBS events have become more of a social gathering where dealers can enjoy themselves while they build their businesses.
“It used to be that almost everything happened within three to four weeks of the show. Today, we have 12 months of regular events that actually have become much better for us, and much more efficient for the membership,” Chandley says. “It's just turned into a totally different way that we run our business. It actually improved our business and our efficiency.” (nationsbestsports.com)
Brandon Maddox
Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Silencer Central is the largest firearms silencer dealer in America with locations in the 42 states where silencers are lawful. Founded by Brandon Maddox, the company began life in 2005 as South Dakota Silencer, an events-based business. The goal was to reach the underserved hunting and sport shooting market by simplifying the silencer ownership process. It became Dakota Silencer and finally rebranded as Silencer Central in August 2020.
The impetus to start a silencer company came from Maddox’s passion for hunting the grasslands of the Dakotas. He was interested in using suppressed firearms for hunting, and in trying to procure a suppressor realized the process to acquire one was laborious, which, in his mind, explained why so few hunters were purchasing silencers. He made a career pivot, dedicating himself to streamlining and simplifying the process to buy a silencer. He did this mostly by working directly with regulators to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the federal, state, and local compliance requirements.
Maddox has, and continues to be, active in legislative issues impacting his business and his customers. He founded the South Dakota Firearms Industry Association and has testified at numerous state congressional hearings on firearms-related issues. He was recently named to the board of directors of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, where he will contribute his experience, insight, and commitment to preserving the future of the American Sportsman. (silencercentral.com)
Heath Putnam
Bringing industry-leading firearms into the world requires a well-oiled machine made up of designers, engineers, and other professionals deploying some of the most advanced manufacturing techniques and tools available. Development and production at Ruger Firearms are unparalleled, thanks in large part to long-time team members such as chief manufacturing engineer Heath Putnam. With more than 30 years of engineering experience, Putnam plays a key role in creating and refining strategic engineering and manufacturing processes at Ruger.
Ruger Firearms employs lean manufacturing, a method that minimizes waste while maximizing productivity and value for Ruger’s customers. It’s an approach that Putnam has helped implement and hone during his 10 years with the company.
“Lean manufacturing is something I'm really passionate about. It's doing more with less, so we try to provide our customers with as much value as possible,” Putnam explains. “We want to help our folks work more efficiently. We want to use fewer machines, less tooling, and less time to manufacture our firearms.”
As chief manufacturing engineer, Putnam spends a lot of time training and mentoring Ruger’s engineers and operations personnel. In addition to sharing lean manufacturing concepts, he teaches manufacturing and design analysis software, problem solving, cutting-tool technology and selection, and more.
“I'm really passionate about lean. I'm really passionate about engineering in general. It's nice to be able to give some of that knowledge and history back to younger engineers,” Putnam says. “When I was younger, I had some really good mentors, and I think that's another reason why I like to help young engineers. I've grown personally by mentoring newer, younger engineers and, hopefully, they've gained something from me.” (ruger.com)
Derick Cole
As vice president of sales for PARD USA, Cole is responsible for the company’s sales and marketing strategies. He also manages customer relationships as the night-vison and thermal-optic manufacturer widens its footprint in this mushrooming market sector.
For Cole, one of the most important parts of selling thermal- and night-vision products is consumer education. “Interest in the thermal and night vison space has exploded in recent years,” he says. “There are a lot of technical elements that must be considered when comparing brands, models, and features. The challenge has been explaining and simplifying the technical performance elements to make it easy to understand so that end users can make an intelligent decision when purchasing a device.”
He’s also a believer in customer service, an area that he says has been overlooked by many in the industry. “Too many brands have looked past this important part of building consumer trust and retail partnerships,” he says. “Our technical support department is in our corporate office in Reno, Nevada. We have in-house personnel that correspond directly with consumers to help identify and correct any issues that may arise. Our customers will not have to deal with overseas phone trees or sub-standard response times.”
Finally, he’s committed to bringing back profitability to the retailer in this category. “PARD offers margins that are in some cases 10- to 15-percent higher than other brands. This is a game changer. We understand that while many of us are in this industry because we love it, none of us do it for free. It is important to be profitable.” (pard.com)
Sarah Joy Albrecht
As the founder and executive director of Hold My Guns, an innovative 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Albrecht pioneers a transformative path. The organization provides crucial support to firearm owners seeking secure storage during life events such as housing transitions, military deployment, or mental health crises. Partnering with Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) across the nation, Hold My Guns not only safeguards lives and property but also upholds individual rights. Beyond secure storage, the organization equips gun owners with personalized safety plans, facilitating agency during personal challenges.
In addition, Hold My Guns fosters community preparedness by hosting QPR Suicide Prevention training and other enrichment opportunities, which promotes a proactive shift within the firearms community. Complementing her role at Hold My Guns, Albrecht, a certified Range Safety Officer and QPR Suicide Prevention Instructor, extends her impact through consultancy. Her proactive leadership approach strengthens organizations and firearms-related businesses to prevent suicide within their realms, promoting flourishing environments for both employees and customers.
In all of her endeavors, Albrecht has a heart for ensuring that military veterans are connected to their communities and treated with dignity. The daughter of a USMC Vietnam veteran, she has a lifelong love for her country.
Before launching Hold My Guns, Albrecht spent 11 years as a certified doula and childbirth educator. She specialized in nurturing clients through the effects of past trauma to find healing in positive, medically informed birth experiences and confident parenthood. (holdmyguns.org)
Mark Smith
Company CEOs need a skill set that includes the ability to keep a lot of balls in the air at the same time. And, if the company is publicly owned, as is the case with Smith & Wesson, those balls include investors, the SEC and other government regulators, along with, of course, shareholders, Wall Street analysts, dealers, and customers.
Mark Smith, president and CEO of Smith & Wesson, knows this well. A busy man, he is currently overseeing the company’s move to Tennessee as well as the rollout of the new products that are so vital to the company’s ongoing financial health.
If all this isn’t enough on his plate, a little over a year ago Smith had to deal with the U.S. Congress, specifically a hearing by the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee, the sole purpose of which was to vilify the industry. He was unable to attend in person due to a scheduling conflict, but he delivered a robust defense of the industry in a forceful statement that was posted on the company’s Twitter account: “Some have had the audacity to suggest that after they have vilified, undermined and defunded law enforcement for years, supported prosecutors who refuse to hold criminals accountable for their actions, overseen the decay of our country’s mental health infrastructure, and generally promoted a culture of lawlessness, Smith & Wesson and other firearm manufacturers are somehow responsible for the crime wave that has predictably resulted from these destructive policies. But they are the ones to blame for the surge in violence and lawlessness, and they seek to avoid any responsibility for the crisis of violence they have created by attempting to shift the blame to Smith & Wesson, other firearm manufacturers and law-abiding gun owners.
“We will continue to work alongside law enforcement, community leaders and lawmakers who are genuinely interested in creating safe neighborhoods. We will engage those who genuinely seek productive discussions, not a means of scoring political points. We will continue informing law-abiding citizens that they have a Constitutionally-protected right to defend themselves and their families. We will never back down in our defense of the Second Amendment.” (smith-wesson.com)
Editor’s Note: Additional reporting by Shannon Farlow, Andrew McKean, and Wayne van Zwoll