The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), the association representing shooting sports wholesalers, manufacturers, and their trade partners, announces the winners of their annual Appreciation and Caliber Awards during of their Appreciation Dinner at the NASGW Expo, in Columbus, Ohio.
"It was a great night at the NASGW Appreciation Dinner," said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW President. "It was wonderful to gather together for the first time in two years and we were thrilled to honor some really great companies and their commitment to two-step distribution."
Each year the NASGW Expo brings together wholesalers and manufacturers within the shooting sports industry to get a first look at new products and plan sales for the upcoming year. In 2020, the NASGW Expo was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year is the first NASGW Expo since 2019 as well as the first time since 2019 these annual awards were announced in-person. (nasgwexpo.org).
Winners for the NASGW Appreciation Awards are:
Firearm Manufacturer of the Year
- CZ-USA
- Ruger
- Smith & Wesson
* 3-way tie
Optics Manufacturer of the Year
- Leupold & Stevens, Inc.
Ammunition Manufacturer of the Year
- Winchester Ammunition
Accessory Manufacturer of the Year
- Magpul
Importer of the Year
- PMC Ammunition
Innovator of the Year
- Smith & Wesson
In addition to the Annual Appreciation Awards, the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) in partnership with the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), selected the top products in six categories including: Best New Rifle, Best New Handgun, Best New Shotgun, Best New Ammunition, Best New Optic, and Best New Accessory. An independent panel of 18 industry judges selected the winners in each category as well as a Best Overall New Product. In order to qualify, manufacturers needed to be a NASGW member in good standing, the product must have been publicly released between the end of last year’s NASGW Expo and the beginning of this year’s Expo, and submission of the products was required through the NASGW Expo New Product Showcase, found on the NASGW Expo website.
"In a year with record sales it was great to see manufacturers continue to innovate with new product releases," said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW president. "Congratulations to all of our finalists and winners. It truly is an honor to take home a Caliber Award from the NASGW Expo."
The Caliber Awards offer a unique, unbiased approach to recognizing and honoring new innovative products. The voting panel is comprised of the people who buy and sell these products on a daily basis as well as the media members who review and report on these products in the field.
"What a great group of finalist we had this year," said POMA Executive Director Thomas MacAulay. "Our judges had their work cut out for them with plenty of great new products. It was a challenge to narrow the list down but we did have some products that stood out above the rest."
Being chosen as a finalist is an honor itself. Over 130 submissions were narrowed down by the panel to three finalists in each category. Judges were asked to consider the uniqueness, market need, the value of the product, the ingenuity, and presentation. The finalists for this year’s Caliber Awards are:
Best New Accessory
- Tactaload - FLASH 5
Best New Optic
- Leupold - DeltaPoint Micro
Best New Ammunition
- Federal Ammunition - Punch™ 22LR
Best New Handgun
- Taurus - GX4™
Best New Rifle
- Bergara - BMR Carbon Fiber
Best New Shotgun
- TriStar Arms - Bristol Side by Side
Best New Overall Product
- Taurus - GX4™
About NASGW
The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers is comprised of wholesalers, manufacturers, independent sales reps, media and service providers - both national and international - all of whom are primarily focused on shooting sports equipment and accessories. As a trade association representing the business interests of its members, NASGW’s mission is to bring shooting sports buyers and sellers together. For more information about the NASGW, visit the association’s website at www.nasgw.org.
About POMA
POMA continues to uphold its tradition of promoting excellence in communications at all levels. This includes connecting the companies and organizations whose focus is the outdoor industry with the content creators who can help tell their stories and promote their products.