Mogador, OH. Industry leader TenPoint Crossbows is pleased to formally announce the promotion of Phil Bednar to President and CEO of the company (Hunter’s Manufacturing Co. Inc. dba TenPoint Crossbows) and Steve Bednar to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Phil joined the company in 2008 and most recently served as Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Product Development, while Steve joined the company in 2013. Steve’s most recent role was Executive Vice President of Operations.
In 1994, Rick Bednar and his father, Archery Hall of Famer Bill Bednar, founded TenPoint Crossbows. Since the company’s inception, and even to this day, it has remained family owned and operated. Now, over a quarter of a century later, Rick’s sons, Phil and Steve, mark the third generation to lead the company that builds the safest, highest quality, and most accurate crossbows on the market.
“This is another exciting moment in the extraordinary 28-year history of our company. I am excited to see these two excellent young men move on to the next chapter of their careers,” said Rick Bednar, CEO of TenPoint Crossbows. “Phil and Steve are brothers, best friends and business partners. With their passion for business, our customers, employees and brand will benefit greatly from these promotions.”
After graduating with an MBA from the University of Akron, Phil Bednar joined TenPoint as a marketing assistant. Since then, he has held multiple positions in marketing and sales. Most recently, Phil was Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Product Development. He is the conceptual leader in the commercialization of new products.
“Phil is an incredible thinker and strategist. He knows the numbers, the market and the customers better than anyone,” added Rick.
During his tenure, Phil has been responsible for the growth and success of the crossbow market, perhaps most notably in launching and developing the company’s Wicked Ridge brand in 2010. Created from the ground up under his leadership, the Wicked brand Ridge has grown into a successful independent crossbow brand with crossbows with unmatched technology at their price point.
“I am humbled, excited and humbled by the opportunity to lead TenPoint into the future,” said Phil Bednar, CEO. “From day one, my father established the guiding principles for this company: family-owned, Made in America, and hunter-centric. With an amazing management team and great employees, Steve and I will continue these principles as we move TenPoint forward for years to come.”
Steve Bednar joined the company after graduating from Ashland University in 2013 with a degree in Supply Chain Management. Like Phil, he has held many roles in the operations area of the business, most recently as Executive Vice President of Operations, overseeing the entire production process. Rick said, “Steve is remarkable in his thought processes for operational efficiencies, process flow, manufacturing and logistics.”
Steve, a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, focuses on integrating technology into the production and assembly process to increase crossbow production and reduce errors during the process. As a result, the company has expanded its crossbow production per person by a staggering 20%.
“I couldn’t be more excited to take TenPoint to the next chapter,” said Steve Bednar, chief operating officer. “Phil and I are dedicated to continuing the company’s longstanding legacy of excellence while operating the business with the same values that our father held during his career.”
Rick will continue to be an integral part of the company, serving as CEO and focusing his efforts on engineering. Along with his nephew, Director of Engineering Mike Shaffer, Rick will lead the company’s engineering team, whose sole focus is to work with the product development team to bring the springs of tomorrow to life.
“I have 40 years of inventions sketched out on a notepad that I can finally start commercializing,” Rick added with a laugh.
Although it has been years since Rick and his father founded the company, the special bond between father and son remains at the heart of the business as Phil and Steve lead TenPoint into its next chapter.
For more information, contact Brian Flaherty, Marketing Manager, at [email protected]