Sierra, Barnes Appoint New CEO
Sierra Bullets and Barnes Bullets announce the appointment of Jim Bruno as CEO, effective July 8, 2024. Jim has been in the outdoor industry for 30 plus years, starting out working at his father’s retail shop in New Jersey. Most recently, Jim has held the position of President at Bushnell (a Vista Outdoor brand segment). Prior to Bushnell, Jim held roles of increasing responsibility throughout his career, culminating with leading and managing Sales, Sales Operations and Customer Service for the Vista Outdoor Hunt/Shoot brands, including Federal, CCI, Speer, Remington and Hevi-Shot.
When asked about the opportunity, Jim replied “Both brands, Sierra and Barnes, have an amazing brand recognition in our industry of being the highest quality, premium products that serve the competitive shooting, hunting and defense markets. I’m honored to be chosen to lead these two amazing brands, people and products.”
Andrew Sparks, VP of Marketing, praised the hiring, “While Jim brings a wealth of experience and knowledge about the ammunition and component market, we are excited for his strength in leadership and strategy. Jim receives high praise and recommendations by many industry peers and competitors and we look forward to him leading our businesses.”
American Outdoor Brands Promotes Kersker to VP of Sales
American Outdoor Brands (AOB), an industry leading provider of products and accessories for rugged outdoor enthusiasts, announced that Pete Kersker has been promoted to Vice President of Sales - Outdoor Sports. In this newly created position, Kersker will lead domestic sales of the company’s outdoor sports product categories: personal protection, hunting, shooting, fishing, camping and cutlery products.
“Pete joined AOB nearly a decade ago as a sales manager in cutlery, and since that time he has expanded his scope and responsibility in our sales organization.” said Brent Vulgamott, Chief Operating Officer for American Outdoor Brands. “Pete has established strong relationships with our customers and has meaningfully contributed to both the establishment and the execution of our sales strategies. We’re proud to announce this promotion which recognizes his contributions, and which underscores the importance that the outdoor sports product categories play in our long-term growth strategy.”
Kersker joined AOB in 2016, as a Sales Manager, and was later promoted to Director of Sales. Most recently, he served as Senior Director of Sales, a role in which he oversaw sales for multiple product categories across the company’s portfolio of brands. Kersker earned his BS degree at Keene State College in New Hampshire.
AOUT is a provider of outdoor products and accessories, including hunting, fishing, camping, shooting, outdoor cooking, and personal security and defense products, for rugged outdoor enthusiasts. The Company produces products under brands including BOG; BUBBA; Caldwell; Crimson Trace; Frankford Arsenal; Grilla Grills; Hooyman; Imperial; LaserLyte; Lockdown; MEAT!; Old Timer; Schrade; Tipton; Uncle Henry; ust; and Wheeler. For more information about all the brands and products from American Outdoor Brands, Inc., visit www.aob.com.
Gridiron Capital Agrees to Sell GSM Outdoors
Investment company Gridiron Capital recently signed a definitive agreement to sell its controlling interest in GSM Outdoors — Good Sportsman Marketing Outdoors — to Platinum Equity, a global private equity firm.
Headquartered in Irving, Texas, GSM Outdoors is an industry-leading branded outdoor enthusiast company with a diverse and growing portfolio of more than 50 rugged outdoor brands. GSM provides a comprehensive range of consumable accessories, gear, and subscription services, along with an exceptional service model, making it a one-stop-shop for both consumers and retail partners. GSM sells through a diverse mix of channels, including online retailers, sporting goods stores, mass merchants, outdoorsman retailers, farm and fleet stores, and dealers and distributors across the United States and Canada.
“In 2020, Gridiron Capital partnered with Eddie Castro and the GSM management team to build an industry-leading outdoor enthusiast platform,” said Gridiron Managing Partner, Kevin Jackson. “Over the course of our partnership, GSM has grown significantly through strategic expansions into fishing and other rugged outdoor categories, while dramatically scaling the cellular and app subscription business, completing 18 acquisitions of iconic brands, and driving consistent organic growth through new product development. The GSM team’s passion for serving their customers and winning in the marketplace is contagious, and we are incredibly proud to have been GSM's partner during this exciting time. We are confident that GSM is positioned for even greater success going forward.”
GSM CEO Eddie Castro and the entire management team will continue to lead GSM post-transaction. Castro said, “Since the first day, Gridiron has been a great partner in helping us accelerate our M&A engine and expand GSM into new subscription and outdoor categories. The Gridiron investment team and Centers of Excellence have truly been value-added partners through this exceptional growth phase for GSM.”
The acquisition is expected to close in Q3 2024.
