In the latest shooting sports industry news:

Longtime employee Shane Meisel has been promoted to Director of Marketing, effective immediately, for Leupold & Stevens.

An Oregon native, Meisel has been with Leupold since 2011. In that time he has served as a Brand Manager, Manager of Trade Marketing and Director of International Sales and Marketing.

“Shane has been a dedicated member of the Leupold family for years, and in that time he’s had the opportunity to work with Product, Sales and Marketing teams respectively,” said Bruce Pettet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “His skillset and commitment to the Leupold brand make him the ideal choice to lead our Marketing efforts going forward.”

Prior to joining Leupold & Stevens in 2011, Meisel worked in various product and brand management positions at JELD-WEN Windows and Doors and The Stanley Works. During his previous tenure in Leupold’s marketing department, he oversaw all trade marketing programs.

“I’ve been a proud member of the Leupold team for eight years, and I have great respect for the company and its legacy,” Meisel said. “I’m excited to lead our incredibly talented Marketing department and build upon the amazing brand energy that is already in place.”

Kimber Rebate for EVO SP Models

Now through September 30, 2019, eligible consumers participating in the new Kimber Rewards promotion will receive a $100 rebate check with the purchase of any EVO SP model Custom Shop, CDP, TLE, Stainless Raptor or Two Tone pistol.

This offer is valid only on the retail purchase by eligible consumers of any new Kimber EVO SP firearm from a valid federal firearms license holder that is purchased between July 1, 2019 and September 30, 2019. After purchasing Kimber’s EVO SP firearm, eligible customers are able to submit their rebate at www.kimberamerica.com/promotions until October 31, 2019.

Once the promotion redemption has been processed, Kimber will mail the rebate in the form of a $100 check.

Magpul Sponsors NSSF Import/Export Conference

Magpul has once again signed on to be the Platinum Sponsor of National Shooting Sports Foundation's annual Import/Export Conference. Magpul is an American manufacturer of firearms parts and accessories, primarily for the modern sporting rifle market.

“Without a doubt, Magpul’s dedication to supporting this event and our members in the business of importing and exporting goods sets the bar,” said Melissa Schilling, NSSF Director, Exhibitions and Conferences. “We extend our many thanks for their continued involvement in this conference.

“Given the potential for future federal regulatory changes, it is more important than ever to attend this conference, obtain the most up to date guidance and take part in practical discussions with other industry partners in order to be fully prepared and ready to take advantage of new markets and opportunities,” said Tricia Heller Director of Compliance, IP & Enforcement for Magpul. “We appreciate the NSSF’s work and leadership in this space and we’re proud to be a part of it.”

A joint presentation of NSSF and the F.A.I.R. Trade Group, the 2019 Import/Export Conference gathers industry professionals to discuss the many compliance issues facing today’s U.S. firearms and accessory makers negotiating the complexities involved in doing business with other countries. The event is the firearm industry’s premier educational event for manufacturers and others in the supply chain doing business internationally or considering such expansion.

The 2019 Import/Export Conference takes place July 30-Aug. 1 in Washington, D.C., with the Trump International Hotel serving as the host hotel. Registration for this event is now open and available to anyone in the firearms industry. NSSF members receive a significant discount on both their primary registration fee and any additional staff attending this event.

Additional sponsorship opportunities for this conference are still available. To learn more, contact Chis Tatulli, NSSF Director, Exhibit and Sponsorship Sales at ctatulli@nssf.org. For more information on the conference, including speakers and legislative issues scheduled for discussion, click here.

Blackwell Named President at Outtech

Outtech, Inc. unanimously approved the promotion of Scott Blackwell from executive vice president to president, effective immediately.

In 2017 Outtech created an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, transferring the ownership of Outtech to the employees of the company. Since that time, Outtech President Jay Scholes has worked closely with board members Ron Rette, John Seliga and Blackwell to help drive strategy and expansion beyond the traditional markets — focusing not only on hunting, but also expanding its presence in fishing and outdoor recreation.

Scholes, co-founder of Outtech and former president, will remain active as Outtech’s Chairman of the Board and CEO.

Blackwell will assume the role of president, where he will leverage his past experiences leading significant outdoor industry brands, to drive the growth of Outtech and our manufacturing partners.

Seliga will assume additional responsibilities of expanded business development as well as continue to provide oversight of brands and internal personnel. Ron Rette will continue overseeing key retailer teams as well as lead the development of additional new key retailer channels.

“Outtech has always taken a team approach to leading this company and that will not change going forward. I am honored to take on this role at Outtech and excited for the opportunity to continue to push Outtech to expand our resources, increase our productivity and create growth for our manufacturing partners,” Blackwell said.

Established in 1989, Outtech Inc. is an 100 percent employee owned company. Outtech is widely considered one of the outdoor industry’s leaders in sales and marketing, maintaining a portfolio of brand leaders across hunt, camp, fish, shooting sports and outdoor lifestyle categories.

Outtech also has added Porter Trimble to its team to work with accounts in South Texas and Louisiana.

Trimble is a Louisiana native, joining Outtech with more than 17 years of experience in the hunting and fishing industry. Previously, he has worked with American Bass Anglers Inc., Farris Brothers and Tim Bailey & Associates. Trimble is also a Veteran, having served in the United States Navy for eight years as a Sonar Supervisor and Weapons Division Training Manager.

HAVA Goes Long-Range in Texas

Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) completed the first of a series of long range disabled veteran shooting weekends at the FTW Ranch near Barksdale, Texas.

Hosted by the ranch that offers housing, meals and a first-class long-range program, the HAVA group consisted of five disabled veterans. Each has significant physical limitations and all are combat veterans with no precision shooting experience. Each veteran was supported one-on-one by an experienced HAVA volunteer.

Day one featured issuance of rifles and some classroom work on safety and various optics platforms before lunch. Afternoon saw the group on the range sighting guns and learning to shoot to 1,000 yards. Day two began with range work to 1,835 yards, shooting moving targets and the opportunity to shoot “charging buffalo” and “running elephant” targets. The last phase was a 20-round course specifically designed by the FTW staff to test the newfound talents of the HAVA veterans.

“Long range shooting is a relatively new program for HAVA,” said Tom Taylor, HAVA Chairman. “We are showing disabled American heroes that there are new outdoor activities to learn, despite their limitations, and that they can excel in these new skills beyond their previous experiences.”

“We were impressed with HAVA’s commitment to excellence during this training weekend and look forward to more classes with them in the future,” said FTW Ranch owner Tim Fallon. “Our facility is all-inclusive and just perfect for disabled veterans, and the HAVA team demonstrated how their program can help these veterans build optimism about their future. There are lots of veterans organizations around – this one is the most professional that we have seen.”

Rise Shooters Capture Multiple Victories

RISE Armament competitive shooting team members have tallied impressive finishes in recent events.

Rick Peeler grabbed a top spot in the Missouri State Steel Challenge Championship on June 15 while competing in Newberg, Mo. Peeler took first place in the Master Class Rimfire Rifle Open Division with a Rise Armament rifle equipped with the RA-535 Advanced-Performance Trigger.

At just 16 years old, Jon Wiedell won Open Division in the Nordic Vortex Tri-Gun Competition, which took place in Forest Lake, Minn. Competing against a stacked field, Wiedell’s finish secured him the Top Junior award and a strong second-place finish overall. Wiedell also performed extremely well at the Zombies in the Heartland event in Grand Island, Neb., where he finished first in the Open Division and first overall. Wiedell is shooting the Rise RA-535 Advanced-Performance Trigger and RA-1010 Low-Mass Bolt Carrier Group.

“It’s always exciting to see the members of Team Rise excel,” said Matt Torres, president of Rise Armament. “Having highly skilled shooters behind quality products is an excellent recipe that we hope to continue to duplicate in the future.”

Team Rise members Dillen Easley, Garrett Grover, and Ryan Reed had excellent shoots in May and June. Easley finished tenth out of 300 shooters at the Zombies in the Heartland match. During the Oklahoma USPSA Section Championship, Reed finished first in the Master Class PCC Division, while Grover, Team RISE captain, was the Oklahoma Limited Division State Champion and High Military.