Leupold & Stevens, Inc. Announces New Chairman, Board Members
OutdoorHub 02.28.12
Leupold & Stevens, Inc. announces the appointment of Jim Clark to chair its board of directors, as well as the appointments of Dr. Don R. Kania and Dennis Spindler as its newest board members. All three appointments are effective immediately.
Clark was appointed board chair following the retirement of Don Gobel, who served on the Leupold & Stevens board for 16 years, the last four as chairman. During Gobel’s tenure, gross sales more than doubled and the Leupold product line became considerably more diverse, while many new markets, particularly international and military/tactical, were opened and expanded.
Clark has more than 20 years of diverse industry experience in leadership roles for small and large corporations with a strong brand focus in the outdoor recreation market. He has a strong sales and marketing background, and is adept at building brands and developing effective growth strategies. Clark has been involved in numerous outdoor groups and organizations, and he has served on the Leupold & Stevens Board of Directors since 2007.
Dr. Kania has been appointed to the Leupold & Stevens board to fill the position vacated by Clark’s appointment. Dr. Kania is the president and chief executive officer of FEI Company, a Hillsboro, Ore.-based industry leader in the manufacture of electron and ion beam microscopes, as well as other instruments that are employed in nanoscale applications across many industries. He has held this position since 2006 and is widely respected for his wealth of business and technological expertise.
Spindler comes to Leupold after retiring from a distinguished career at Big Rock Sports, where he was the senior vice president of purchasing and merchandising. Spindler provided key merchandising and purchasing leadership in his time at Big Rock, and during his tenure company sales more than doubled. He is widely known throughout the sports optics and fishing industries for his knowledge and background in the distribution channel.
“The appointments of Jim, Don and Dennis add depth and experience to our board and provide the company with focused direction as we continue to innovate and grow in our industry,” commented Calvin Johnston, president and CEO of Leupold & Stevens. “We are looking forward to the strategic and leadership contributions each of them will provide in our dynamic and adaptive marketplace.”
Leupold & Stevens, Inc., the preeminent American-owned optics company, employs hundreds of people in its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility near Beaverton, Ore. Family owned and operated, Leupold offers products that are sold worldwide to hunters, competitive shooters, American military warfighters, law enforcement personnel and wildlife observers. The product line includes rifle, handgun and spotting scopes; binoculars; rangefinders; trail cameras; mounting systems; and optical tools and accessories.
