Orchid Advisors has canceled its 2020 Firearms Industry Compliance Conference.

“It is with sincere regret that we must cancel the event," said CEO Jon Rydberg. "Like you, we’ve been monitoring the current health crisis and at the advisement of Mayor Carlos Gimenez of Miami-Dade County, we have no choice. The Firearms Industry Compliance Conference will return in May 2021 with its originally planned agenda. Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by the virus.”

For additional questions, please contact Michelle Ingram at mingram@orchidadvisors.com.

Celerant Turns Client Conference Into Virtual Event

Celerant Technology will turn its annual client conference into a virtual event.

Celerant’s 2020 client conference, originally slated to take place April 26-28 in San Antonio at Hotel Contessa, will now be made available to clients virtually, through an online event. The conference will be held as an online virtual event during the same week as the originally planned physical conference.

“The decision to cancel our physical event wasn’t easy; the safety and well-being of our employees, clients and partners is our main concern,” stated Ian Goldman, President and CEO of Celerant Technology. “While we will miss the face-to-face interaction this year, we are confident that by hosting our event virtually, clients will still benefit from our training and break-out sessions, and learn about new partner integrations, as well the new features within our latest software versions.”

Celerant is currently coordinating efforts for this change in plans, and will send out additional details to clients as they become available.

Howa Gen 2 Flag Chassis Short Barrel Rifle Now Shipping

Legacy Sports International’s new Howa Gen 2 Flag Chassis Short Barrel is shipping.

The rifles are now available in a short barrel version in .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor. Many of today’s shooters prefer the compactness of a short barrel for a variety of reasons, while still adhering to excellent ballistics down range. 

For more information about the the LSI product line call (775) 828-0555 or visit: www.legacysports.com

Clarus Acquires S.K.B Corporation

Clarus has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately held S.K.B. Corporation, a leading manufacturer of protective cases, for $85 million in cash and 1,153,846 shares of Clarus common stock.

SKB will continue to operate independently as a wholly owned subsidiary of Clarus. Headquartered in Orange, California, and founded in 1977 by Steve Kottman and Dave Sanderson, SKB is an industry leader in the design and manufacture of molded polymer transport cases engineered to provide superior protection for a diverse range of equipment. SKB’s products, known as “SKB Cases,” are utilized across industries, including consumer, sports, electronics, healthcare, music, photography and industrials.

In 2019, SKB generated $53 million in sales and more than $9.5 million of Adjusted EBITDA.

“We regularly evaluate potential acquisitions to add to and complement our portfolio, and SKB is a perfect match," said John Walbrecht, President of Clarus. "We believe that the acquisition of SKB presents a compelling opportunity to extend our brand formula over a broader base and advance our strategy of growing both organically and through accretive, value-enhancing transactions."

The transaction is expected to close in April 2020, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Following the closing of the transaction, the SKB management team will continue to run the business from SKB’s headquarters.

Cupero New Smith & Wesson VP-Sales

Sue Cupero has been promoted to the role of Vice President, Sales, of Smith & Wesson, and will be responsible for the management of all commercial and professional firearms sales channels for Smith & Wesson, M&P, Thompson/Center, and Gemtech brands.

She will report to Lane Tobiassen, President of the Firearms division of American Outdoor Brands Corporation.

Cupero joined Smith & Wesson in 1979 in an accounting capacity. Within a short period of time she had established successful relationships with the organization’s external customers and internal sales force. As a result, she was promoted numerous times within the sales and marketing organization, most recently as Senior Director of Sales.

“With over 40 years of experience in our industry and in our company, Sue has helped influence and position the Smith & Wesson brand for continued success, domestically and globally," said Mark Smith, American Outdoor Brands co-CEO. "She has been an instrumental leader in our sales organization while earning a high degree of respect from not only our customers, but across our entire industry. Her deep knowledge of our company, our products, and our multiple sales channels, positions her exceptionally well to lead our sales team into the future.”

Chattanooga Shooting Supplies Adds 1791 Gunleather

Chattanooga Shooting Supplies has added 1791 Gunleather brand holsters to its line.

"The Ultra Custom Concealment Holster is the first re-moldable holster that forms a perfect fit for a variety of firearms. With Memory-Lok technology, this holster allows for multiple customized fits with kydex-like retention. “1791’s revolutionary holster will be a leader in our industry,” said Ron Staffieri, President/CEO of Chattanooga Shooting Supplies. “This is a game-changer in the holster industry and will allow our dealers to operate their business more effectively and efficiently.”

Chattanooga Shooting Supplies was founded in 1977 by two families and has grown into a business stocking more than 50,000 skus of shooting- and hunting-related products to service the independent dealer.

NSSF Postpones Congressional Fly-In

The NSSF has postponed the Congressional Fly-In and will reschedule for later this year.

The Fly-In plays a vital role in the industry’s ability to impact priority legislation and regulation. However, with the coronavirus situation and the decision of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate Sergeants-at-Arms to temporarily close the Capitol and Congressional office buildings to the public, a spring Fly-In would be ineffective.

NSSF will inform all attendees of a new date.

Legal Heat Partners With Blue August

Blue August, a creative marketing and public relations firm specializing in the outdoors industry, announces a new relationship with Legal Heat.

"We are honored to have the opportunity to work with Legal Heat," says Josh Sykes of Blue August. "They are committed to educating citizens on concealed carry through both in person and online training courses and CCW permit classes, as well as publishing reliable information to help people comply with the 20,000 plus firearms laws in the U.S."

Blue August will assist Legal Heat in public and media relations through brand awareness, event promotion and industry presence. Blue August will draft and distribute press releases and other company news, and will serve as a mediator between the company and media representatives. They will also be assisting in content creation to ensure that all promotional platforms work together seamlessly.

Hill Joins Safari Club as Business Development Manager

Lauren Hill has joined Safari Club International as its new Business Development Manager for SCI national.
  
Hill, of Poway, California, will be responsible for new business development, including corporate sponsors and strategic partnerships.
 
Hill has been involved with SCI on the national level. She previously served as Chapter Services Specialist and as a board member with the San Diego SCI Chapter. Hill previously worked with the Better Business Bureau, International Sports Council, Major League Baseball and the NFL, in multiple aspects of sales and marketing, branding, organizing and creating revenue.   
 
As an outdoor enthusiast Hill has pursed hunting, fishing and other conservation efforts through ReelCamo Girl, her online global community of sportswomen she founded in 2015.

Steinel Ammunition Revives Carcano Round

Steinel Ammunition has revived another milsurp round, the 6.5x52mm Carcano. 

The 6.5x52mm Carcano cartridge has been around since 1891, and was only phased out of military service in the 1970s. Carcano rifles were strong actions, and most used gain-twist rifling to extend barrel life and improve accuracy. Heavy for the caliber projectiles, it retained useful energy levels despite the round nose form. The original lead core bullets had poor terminal performance, so later designs filled the bullet nose with less dense aluminum to promote tumbling on impact. Nearly 3 million Carcano rifles were built, and many of them sold in the U.S. as surplus. 

Unfortunately, until recently the ammunition supply did not keep up with demand. Corrosive World War II vintage or older surplus ammunition is unavailable, and what can be found should not be shot due to the uncertainties surrounding the storage conditions.

Fortunately, an excellent target load is now available from Steinel Ammunition. The new cartridges use soft point expanding bullets that provide excellent terminal effect and accuracy while promoting reliable feeding. Loaded to 1,770 fps (from 17.5in barrels), this load offers a significantly lighter recoil than the original, while retaining good terminal performance at distances reasonable with iron sights. At short range, the bullet expands to about 0.516-inch with 39-inch penetration of synthetic gel, sufficient for a double-shoulder shot on a deer. This ammunition is non-corrosive and made to much higher quality and more consistent specifications than either military surplus or other commercial loadings.

Snatchko New VP of Sales at Plano Synergy

Joe Snatchko has been promoted to  Vice President of Sales — Outdoors for Plano Synergy.

Snatchko joined Plano Synergy as Senior Director of Brand - Archery over a year ago. In his new role, Joe will help drive sales for all brands by delivering the best combination of quality and value. Joe will lead this effort through many of Plano Synergy's key US accounts.

"We're very excited to have Joe as our new VP of Sales. His wide-ranging experience in sales and leadership will help position and propel our brands to even greater success," says Ryan Busbice, President. "Joe continues to be a valuable asset for Plano Synergy, and I look forward to him continuing that success in his new role."

Before joining the Plano Synergy team, Snatchko worked at Outtech Sales Agency. He served as General Manager and VP of Sales for seven years, driving key account sales, POS analytics, associate training initiatives, and sales go-to-market strategies. Before his tenure at Outtech, Snatchko worked for Dick's Sporting Goods as Merchant in Fitness and Hunting Buying Departments, and eCommerce Merchandising Manager for Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor equipment.