Blake Lipham, who joined Bushnell Outdoor Products as chief financial officer last year, is adding the title of president. The company also announced the nomination of a new chairman, Robert L. Caulk. The two new executives effectively take the place of the previous chairman, president and chief executive of Bushnell, Joe Messner, who left a few weeks ago with a significant minority stake in the company. Lipham’s promotion underlines the new owners’ desire to proceed with additional new acquisitions. In its latest move on this front, Bushnell has signed a deal to acquire Ultroptic of Barcelona, which has been distributing its Bollé and Serengeti eyewear lines in Spain. Lucas Rahola, son of Ultroptic’s former owner, will lead Bushnell’s new Spanish subsidiary, with additional resources to maximize the penetration of these two brands in the market. No changes are planned in Bushnell’s existing contracts with the Spanish distributors of other products in the hunting and photo sectors. The company already has subsidiaries in France, Germany, Italy and the U.K.
