On October 21, 2013, the assets of Martin Archery, Inc., which include the Damon Howatt line, were acquired by Diversis Capital LLC from the Martin family. This move is expected to improve the reliability, delivery, and quality of Martin Archery products and services moving forward. With this change in ownership, an experienced and driven management team, led by new CEO Rich Weatherford, has been assembled to bring the once-thriving business back to prominence. The team's goal is to give customers the best products, customer service, delivery, and experience in the market.
Weatherford is an accomplished leader with a track record of working with high-growth companies. Before starting his own practice, Weatherford was hired into the Crane Electronics Group (CEG) as vice president of operations where he integrated and transformed seven domestic and international sites with revenues approaching 300 million dollars. The markets supported in this role included aerospace, defense, and medical devices.
Prior to Crane, Weatherford was at Rexnord where after only 14 months he improved gross margins by 22 percent and was promoted from general manager of the cylindrical bearing business to general manager of the multi-site Rex Bearing Operations business.
In further support of Weatherford and the Martin management team, Diversis will provide access to a vast network of resources in matters including intellectual property, supply chain, and R&D. The Diversis long-term strategic vision is to create a premium quality bow at a reasonable price that can be enjoyed by archery enthusiasts of all levels.
Gail Martin, founder of Martin Archery and archery industry icon who passed away last July at age 89, grew it into a leading bow and accessories manufacturer. It was his dream to see the company continue in Washington State's Walla Walla Valley where it was founded and operated for over half a century. Diversis plans to grow Martin Archery in a way that honors the memory of Gail, and plans to continue drawing on the expertise of the Martin family.
The new Martin Archery plans to introduce its new catalog and showcase its new bow lineup in January 2014 at the 2014 ATA Show in Nashville.
For more information, call (509) 529-2554, or go to www.martinarchery.com.
