My good friend and industry Leader, Mark Craighead passed away today. Mark owned & operated Crossbreed Holsters with his family and friends. I received the news today from. the family and they asked me to pass on their thanks for the thoughts of the firearms community and their assurance that things would continue as expected at Crossbreed. We have lost a great asset today.watch full Spy film
Mark quickly became a leader in the industry as his incredibly innovative Crossbreed Holster design and company quickly become respected for quality and function. He and I worked together on many projects over the last few years and have had the pleasure of hearing from many of his customers in my courses who greatly appreciate his efforts and his company’s efforts to meet their needs. Mark would often ask me what people were saying about the products and how they held up in class and he was always very proud to hear the great reports. He was also very eager to find ways to better serve his customers, the firearms community and the industry as a whole.
Approximately 3 weeks ago, Mark had a heart attack after a successful outpatient surgical procedure and had a very bad few days. We all believed that he had come through it and was on the road to full recovery. Earlier today, he had another massive heart attack and we lost him.
Outside of work, which he very much enjoyed, Mark was both a dedicated family man and a bit of an adventurer. One of his biggest hobbies was motor sports. He had some very impressive vehicles that he enjoyed driving/riding when time allowed. He even ran his beloved Lingenfelter Cadillac CTS-V in the Cannonball Run last year and had planned to try the Vegas to Reno Desert Race in 2013.
One thing that truly stood out about Mark was his commitment to friends and family. As Crossbreed Holsters grew, he continued to bring more and more of both into the operations to share in his success and in fulfilling his commitment to excellence. I have yet to meet anyone in the industry who had a bad word to speak of him and doubt sincerely that I ever will.
Rest In Peace, Brother.
As many of you know, we, as in NYFirearms.com, as well as myself, personally, have supported NYSRPA (New York State Rifle & Pistol Association) for quite some time now. We’ve held raffles, advertised in their newsletter, and generally sent as many people towards them as we can. We truly believe in their organization.
I personally have trained with, and had the great pleasure to call my friend, Joe DeBergalis. He is currently running for re-election to the NRA Board of Directors. Many of you already know what a great part of the firearms industry Joe is and how much he has done to protect our 2A rights. He works tirelessly on the NRA Board now, is vice president of NYSRPA, Chair of the NRA Education & Training Committee, Chair of the AR15.COM/Rockcastle Shooting Complex ProAM, and part of many other 2A organizations.
We absolutely need more people like Joe working for our rights, and I will be voting for Joe on the NRA Board again, and you should too. If you do not know who Joe is or would like to read more about what he has done or is doing, and want more information on how to vote, visit his website at Joe DeBergalis for NRA Board 2012.
Now if we could only get Joe to write some articles for us on here! 🙂
PUYALLUP, WA: Blade-Tech Industries, a leading manufacturer of tactical and thermoplastic products announces the retirement of its founder, Tim Wegner.
Tim Wegner started Blade-Tech Industries with the idea that there was a need in the market for high quality thermoplastic knife sheathes and holsters. His dream started in his garage hand making each piece. As demand grew, Blade-Tech Industries grew. Today Tim’s vision has developed into one of the best known high quality holster manufacturers in the United States.
In 2005 Tim hired Steve Avila, formally of Boeing, as CEO to take the company and vision to the next level. Tim watched as his son, Bryce Wegner, took over as President of the company and his longtime friend and co-innovator from the first days in Tim’s garage, Tom Crawford, became COO.
With this new administration in place, a foundation was set that allowed Tim to start curtailing some of his executive responsibilities and work with the new team to focus on developing the right product for Blade-Tech’s ever growing customer base.
Tim is one of the pioneers of utilizing thermoplastic to make practical products that can be worn by law enforcement officers, military personnel and civilians alike. His hard work helped forge techniques that are now widely used across the whole holster industry.
Over the years, Tim has designed many of Blade-Tech’s best selling knives. In the early years of the company he oversaw the introduction of some of Blade-Tech’s most popular products and helped to chart a course that aided in leading Blade-Tech into many venues including the world of competitive shooting. Blade-Tech is still one of the most used brands of gear across all of the shooting sports.
With the plethora of holster companies on the market today, Tim helped Blade-Tech secure its reputation of being a consistent provider of durable holsters that have an unsurpassed fit. Reliability is the foundation of Blade-Tech Industries’ success; a success that continues to grow even in the backdrop of a recession.
Though Tim will no longer be working on a day-to-day basis at the Blade-Tech facility, his legacy will continue on through the leadership of his son and the hard work of the whole Blade-Tech team. Blade-Tech’s future will continue on the path of innovation and quality, always honoring Tim’s contribution as its founder.