Blake Lipham has been named president of Bushnell Outdoor Products, manufacturers of Serengeti and Bollé eyewear. He will also continue in his role as CFO. Bushnell’s board also named current director Robert L. Caulk to the role of chairman.
The appointments follow the announcement on Sept. 11 that B. Joseph Messner would transition to a senior advisory role from chairman, president and CEO at the time. Messner joined Bushnell in 1999 as president and CEO.
Lipham joined Bushnell in 2007 as CFO and the company said that during his time he has strengthened the administrative functions of the company as well as identified and executed strategic add-on acquisitions, including the recent additions of Simmons Outdoor Corporation and Millett Industries. Prior to joining Bushnell, Lipham spent three years as COO and CFO of Union Corrugating Company and five years as the CFO of Home Depot Installed Products. Previously, he held a number of financial and operational management positions at The Procter & Gamble Company and The Home Depot.
In addition to serving on the Bushnell Board, Caulk was chairman and CEO of United Industries Corporation, a $1 billion private equity-backed consumer products company, from 1999 through 2005. He has also held senior executive positions at Clopay Building Products Company, Johnson Outdoors, and S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Caulk also serves as a director of several corporate and non-profit boards including Polaris Industries, Sligh Furniture Company and the St. Louis Academy of Science.
“I am excited about the opportunity to expand my leadership role at Bushnell, a tremendous company with a strong legacy of historic performance and exceptional potential for global growth,” said Lipham. “In addition to our well-known brands and tremendous portfolio of consumer products for the outdoor enthusiast, we have an outstanding group of employees worldwide who are truly focused on delivering the best possible service and products to our customers and consumers, alike. I am proud to be a part of this organization, and look forward to working with our executive team and MidOcean to lead this company into our next phase of growth.”
“The Bushnell senior management team has demonstrated great leadership throughout this transition and we are very excited to promote from within and expand Blakes management responsibilities,” said Rob Sharp, managing director of MidOcean Partners, which acquired Bushnell in July 2007. “It is also fantastic to have someone of Bobs caliber in the role of Chairman and we look forward to his contributions to the business going forward.”
Bushnell’s brands include Bushnell, Tasco, Serengeti, Bollé, Uncle Mikes Law Enforcement, Stoney Point, Hoppes, Butler Creek, Kolpin, Uncle Mikes, Millett, Simmons and Final Approach brand names.
