SOG Specialty Knives & Tools has named Joe Mc Swiney to the position of Chief Executive Officer. The appointment was effective October 19, 2016.
Mc Swiney is an outdoor industry veteran whose career includes a 21-year run with Cascade Designs Inc., a Seattle-based outdoor equipment manufacturer. For the past 10 years, he served as president and CEO of Cascade Designs. He began his career at Cascade Designs Europe in 1995, leading that business as general manager.
Mc Swiney received his undergraduate degree in Engineering from the Cork Institute of Technology in 1986 and returned to the National University of Ireland, Galway, to earn his MBA in 1994.
While at the helm of Cascade Designs, he served as chair of Outdoor Industry of America’s (OIA) Sustainability Working Group and OIA’s Trade Advisory Council. He also served as treasurer of European Outdoor Conservation Association.
“We are fortunate to have somebody with Joe’s extensive experience step into the CEO role. His established track record of growth and innovation will be a tremendous asset to the SOG team,” said Lanse Crane, chairman of the board at SOG.
“Joe’s energy and leadership comes to us at the perfect time,” said Spencer Frazer, SOG’s founder and chief technology officer. “As we’re embarking on a period of growth and expansion, his deep understanding of manufacturing goods across diverse market sectors will serve us well.”
Mc Swiney begins at SOG as the company prepares for a product launch in 2017 that will include an increased focus on domestic manufacturing and collaborative design work on an expanded multi-tool product line.
Taking its name from an elite Special Forces military group from the Vietnam era – the Studies and Observation Group – SOG was founded in 1986 by designer and toolmaker Spencer Frazer.
