The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), the association representing shooting sports wholesalers, manufacturers, and their trade partners, announced the winners of their annual Appreciation and Caliber Awards during their Appreciation Dinner at the NASGW Expo, in Kansas City, MO.
“What a fun night in Kansas City at the Annual Appreciation Dinner,” said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW President. “We had a few surprises in our award winners and a lot of excitement about big things happening at NASGW.”
Each year the NASGW Expo brings together wholesalers and manufacturers within the shooting sports industry to get a first look at new products and plan sales for the upcoming year. (nasgwexpo.org)
Winners for the NASGW Appreciation Awards are:
Firearm Manufacturer of the Year
- Springfield Armory
Optics Manufacturer of the Year
- Holosun Technologies
- Leupold & Stevens, Inc.
- SIG SAUER
* 3-way tie
Ammunition Manufacturer of the Year
- PMC Ammunition
Accessory Manufacturer of the Year
- Franklin Armory
Importer of the Year
- Zastava Arms
Innovator of the Year
- Springfield Armor
In addition to the Annual Appreciation Awards, the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) in partnership with the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), selected the top products in six categories including: Best New Rifle, Best New Handgun, Best New Shotgun, Best New Ammunition, Best New Optic, and Best New Accessory. An independent panel of 18 industry judges selected the winners in each category as well as a Best Overall New Product. In order to qualify, manufacturers needed to be a NASGW member in good standing, the product must have been publicly released between the end of last year’s NASGW Expo and the beginning of this year’s Expo, and submission of the products was required through the NASGW Expo New Product Showcase, found on the NASGW Expo website.
“We had a tremendous amount of product submissions this year,” said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW president. “Congratulations to all of our finalists and winners. It truly is an honor to take home a Caliber Award from the NASGW Expo.”
The Caliber Awards offer a unique, unbiased approach to recognizing and honoring new innovative products. The voting panel is comprised of the people who buy and sell these products on a daily basis as well as the media members who review and report on these products in the field.
“Our voters evaluated a lot of great products in 2022 and our winners were the best of the best” said POMA Executive Director Thomas MacAulay. “It’s always fun to see the excitement from our winners when they accept their awards.”
Being chosen as a finalist is an honor in itself. Over 170 submissions were narrowed down by the panel to three finalists in each category. Judges were asked to consider the uniqueness, market need, value of the product, ingenuity, and presentation. The finalists for this year’s Caliber Awards are:
Best New Accessory
- American Outdoor Brands – Caldwell Claymore Target Thrower
Best New Optic
- Holosun Technologies – EPS Carry (Enclosed Pistol Optic Carry)
Best New Ammunition
- Hornady Manufacturing – Hornady Outfitter® Ammunition
Best New Handgun
- SIG SAUER – P365-XMACRO
Best New Rifle
- Christensen Arms – Ridgeline FFT
Best New Shotgun
- Mossberg – 940 Pro Turkey Optic-Ready Autoloading Shotguns
Best New Overall Product
- SIG SAUER – P365-XMACRO
About NASGW
The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers is comprised of wholesalers, manufacturers, independent sales reps, media, and service providers – both national and international – all of whom are primarily focused on shooting sports equipment and accessories. As a trade association representing the business interests of its members, NASGW’s mission is to bring shooting sports buyers and sellers together. For more information about the NASGW, visit the association’s website at www.nasgw.org.
About POMA
POMA continues to uphold its tradition of promoting excellence in communications at all levels. This includes connecting the companies and organizations whose focus is the outdoor industry with the content creators who can help tell their stories and promote their products.
