GTW
NEWS
STYRKA LINKS WITH
OUTDOOR MARKETING GROUP
Styrka has announced that it has signed the
Outdoor Marketing Group, of Denton, North
Carolina, to represent Styrka optics in 10
southeastern American states.
“Th e Outdoor Marketing Group is actually an
integration of two manufacturer rep groups that
have been doing continuous business for over 40
years in the southeast,” said Brad Gross, Styrka’s
national sales manager. “Th ey are a dynamic group,
very active and they really have the industry’s pulse.
We’re expecting a very profi table relationship for
both parties.”
“We’re excited to show off Styrka’s line of
high-quality yet aff ordable optics throughout our
United Sporting Companies
purchases the name, distribution
and IT assets of AcuSport Corp.
12 www.guntradeworld.com
territory,” said Steve Harris, president of Outdoor
Marketing Group. “Our staff of representatives
help shooting sports retailers grow through in-store
promotions, training and business planning. We
also attend all the larger industry shows, in and out
of the southeast.”
Outdoor Marketing Group’s dedicated
team of reps cover Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Th e company represents many other popular
manufacturers in the shooting sports industry
including Cimarron Firearms, Maglite and
Weatherby.
Meopta USA
Sport Optics
hires Covey
Sales &
Marketing
Meopta USA Sport Optics has
hired Covey Sales & Marketing as
its sales agency for the Midwest.
Th is latest addition to the Meopta
sales force continues to strengthen
the company’s presence in the U.S.
market.
“Covey is a talented sales group,
dedicated to promoting their
clients’ products, and Meopta is
an excellent fi t with their current
portfolio,” said Randy Garrison,
Director of Meopta USA Sport
Optics. “We look forward to
working closely with this energetic
team to continue to increase brand
awareness and grow sales.”
Covey Sales & Marketing
is a group of independent
manufacturer’s representatives
dedicated to providing sales and
marketing services for premium
brands in the shooting, hunting
and outdoor industry.
“Covey Sales & Marketing is
pleased to be selected by Meopta
as their sales and marketing
agency in the Midwest US,”
said Ken Johnson, principal
partner. “We look forward to
working together to deliver
Meopta’s European-quality, highperformance
optical products to
retailers and consumers in our
territory.”
About
The Meopta Group is a US
family owned, global company
with facilities in the United
States and Europe. Founded in
1933 in Czechoslovakia (now
the Czech Republic), Meopta
is a leading manufacturer and
partner to many of the world’s
finest optical brands.
Meopta conceives, develops
and manufactures precision
optical and electro/optical
systems for semiconductor,
medical, aerospace and military
industries as well as for
consumer markets.
United Sporting Companies
(USC) has declared its
acquisition, through its
wholly-owned subsidiary
Ellett Brothers, LLC, of the
name and certain other assets
of AcuSport Corporation
through the US Bankruptcy
Court.
USC is a leading nationwide
distributor of hunting, outdoor
and marine products. Th e
company operates through two
subsidiaries, Ellett Brothers
and Jerry’s Sport Center
which were founded in 1933
and 1949, respectively. It
acquired and will operate the
former AcuSport distribution
centre and related systems
in Bellefontaine, Ohio and
will assume the leases for the
satellite distribution centre in
Salt Lake City, Utah and its
Waite Park, Minnesota sales
offi ce. USC also hired over 100
former AcuSport employees.
As this was an asset
purchase, USC did not assume
any of the existing debts to
creditors or vendors. Th ose
debts remain with the estate.
“United Sporting
Companies is pleased to have
completed the acquisition
of the state-of-the-art
distribution and IT assets
of AcuSport. Further, we
are delighted that we were
able to retain and provide
employment to over 100 of
AcuSport’s former employees,”
said Brad Johnson, CEO of
United Sporting Companies.
“We believe this purchase
synergistically combines the
best of AcuSport and United
Sporting Companies to create
the industry’s leading shooting
sports distribution company.”
USC anticipates resuming
shipments from the Utah
distribution facility in July and
the Ohio facility by fall 2018.
Providing the industry’s
largest product selection
of over 85,000 SKUs in
combination with the support
of the most knowledgeable
sales force in the country, USC
proudly and effi ciently serves
over 30,000 independent
retail customers across all 50
states through sales offi ces and
distribution centers in Chapin,
SC, Newberry, SC, Pittston,
PA, Downingtown, PA,
Dayton, OH, Spring Hill, KS,
Dallas, TX, Sacramento, CA,
Bellefontaine, OH, Salt Lake
City, UT and Waite Park,MN.
McDermott Will & Emery
acted as legal counsel, and
Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc.
served as fi nancial advisor, to
United Sporting Companies
and Bryan Cave Leighton
Paisner LLP and Allen
Kuehnle Stovall & Neuman
LLP are serving as legal
counsel, Huron Consulting
Group LLP is serving as
fi nancial advisor, and Huron
Transaction Advisory LLP is
serving as investment banker,
to AcuSport Corporation.
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