A new year brings about changes at NASGW. After a 2-year term, plus an additional year due to COVID, Laurie Lipsey Aronson is handing her duties as the Chair of the NASGW Board of Directors to Chris Means, President of Tactical Gear Distributors. Chris has spent two years as a member of the Board, helping guide the association through the tumultuous times of the pandemic. He is no stranger to the Shooting Sports Industry, getting his start in 1987 with Outdoor Sports Headquarters, the biggest distributor in the nation at that time.

Sue Cupero, Smith & Wesson's VP of Sales & Marketing, was honored last week during the NASGW Appreciation Dinner with the Chairman's Award, chosen by NASGW Chairwoman Laurie Aronson of Lipsey's. Each year the Chairperson of the NASGW Board of Directors has the opportunity to recognize an individual in the Shooting Sports Industry for decades of service, significant impact, or commitment to working distributors. Recent past recipients include Steve Sanetti of NSSF and Bob Coyle of TALO Distributors.

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.

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) in partnership with the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), have chosen the top three 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, comprised of NASGW members and POMA members, selected the finalists in each category. In order to qualify, manufacturers needed to be a NASGW member in good standing and the product must have been publicly released between November 2020 and prior to this year’s Expo. "Despite the cancelation of last year's NASGW Expo, the Caliber Awards have continued to grow in notoriety across the shooting sports industry," said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW president. "This year we have another lineup of outstanding finalists for each of our six categories and we can't wait to announce the winners at the Expo in Columbus, Ohio."

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) and their wholesale members have nominated this year's Appreciation Award finalists. Each year, NASGW Awards the top optics, accessory, ammunition, and firearms manufacturers and the leading importer and innovator who best demonstrate a commitment to the two-step distribution process and provide outstanding value and service. Wholesaler members evaluate manufacturers' performance on four key criteria; distribution policy, marketing, sales, and promotion; logistics and operations; and NASGW and industry support. This comprehensive assessment of manufacturer performance is designed to provide a more balanced appraisal that truly recognizes the best of the best, according to NASGW distributor members.

ANKENY, IA (August 30, 2021) – The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), the association representing shooting sports wholesalers, manufacturers, and their trade partners, is pleased to announce that Winchester Ammunition will be sponsoring speaker Chris Stirewalt at the NASGW Expo Appreciation Dinner on October 26th in Columbus, Ohio.

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), the association representing shooting sports wholesalers, manufacturers and their trade partners, is pleased to announce that Armscor will be sponsoring an NASGW Expo Happy Hour on Thursday, October 28th in Columbus, Ohio.

Birmingham, Alabama: Bangers L.P., a leading distributor of shooting sports products and outdoor recreational sporting goods, announced today that it is rebranding as Iron Valley™ Supply Co. This new name reflects the company’s nearly 100-year heritage as a wholesale distributor in the Iron Valley region of Alabama.

Orion Wholesale is pleased to announce a new headquarters facility in the Greater Louisville area just across the Ohio River in southern Indiana. The 130,000 square foot distribution facility and corporate offices are set to open in the fall. The expansion will enable Orion Wholesale to serve its dealer base and vendors well beyond 2021. The new construction will add sales offices, conference rooms, product training rooms and state-of-the-art warehousing that will add the ability to streamline inventory, shipping and receiving processes.