To say 2019 was a turbulent year in our industry is an understatement. As all of us continued to adjust to the new normal we saw lower than average sales, consolidation in the wholesale world, and continued attacks on the 2nd Amendment around the country. During that time we've also seen turnover on the NASGW Board of directors. To bring you all up to speed, we thought we'd introduce our newest board members including a familiar face who is back from retirement.
Chris Means is a life member of the NRA, is passionate about shooting, hunting and fishing. He has spent an entire career (32 years) in shooting sports distribution, which has given him incredible insight into the wild fluctuations of demand in our industry and how best to take advantage of the peaks while preparing for the inevitable slow down. He also spent 9 years at outdoor retail, fostering an appreciation for and understanding of the needs that brick-and-mortar retailers face every day.
Jeff Pugh joins the NASGW board bringing with him 25 years of Distributer Experience. Currently VP of Sales for Bangers USA he is committed to growing sales and improving efficiencies for Bangers by using his knowledge achieved from working at United Sporting Companies for the past 24 years. His experience at USC (Ellett Brothers) consisted of 9 years as a buyer and 15 years in sales. Prior to working for Ellett Brothers Jeff spent 9 years in retail as a Sporting Goods Dealer.
A past member of the NASGW Board of Directors, Larry Massimo joins us as the Sr. Executive Advisor at Davidson’s. Before retirement, Larry devoted the previous 25 years of his life to our industry. He has been directly responsible for purchasing and selling billions of dollars’ worth of firearms during his career while holding positions of insides sales, sales manager, buyer, Vice President of Sales and Merchandising and Senior VP of Sales and Merchandising. Larry is known for his impeccable integrity, responsibility, and intuitive instincts and we are excited to have him join us once again to help steer the direction of our association.
These gentlemen have stepped up to fill the void of three long time, outgoing contributors to the NASGW Board of Directors, Pete Brownell, Brad Burney, and Kent Williams. We appreciate their time, sacrifice, and leadership that helped NASGW do some really big things over the last few years.