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Leupold Optics history
Leupold Optics company history timeline
The company, started in 1907, is family owned and has been run by five generations of the family.
By 1914, the demand for the new water level recorder had increased considerably.
1938: The company introduces the Telemark, invented by J.C. Stevens.
Volpel had died in 1940, and the company now became Leupold and Stevens Instruments Company, reflecting both the new management and the direction in which the company was heading.
By 1942, the company had outgrown its production space and moved to larger quarters.
In 1942, the company name was changed to its present form, Leupold & Stevens.
1947: The company introduces the Plainsman.
The continued success of Stevens water recorders and the emerging popularity of the Leupold riflescope led to incorporation of the company in 1949.
By 1960, Leupold scopes were on their way to establishing themselves as the premier scopes on the market.
The firm also continued to advance its water flow meters, and, in 1961, introduced a new line that measured sewage flow.
1969: The company buys Nosler Bullets Inc.
In the mid 1980's, the water monitoring industry was in transformation from mechanical to electronic systems.
Running on the continuing success of Stevens mechanical business model, Stevens did not respond quickly to meet the changes in customers' expectation and new product demands until the late 1980's.
According to Werner K. Wildauer, who had become president in 1983, the company would continue to hunt for acquisitions, but only in optics and closely related industries.
1984: Leupold & Stevens opens a new division to head up acquisitions; the company acquires Fabmark Inc.
Throughout the remainder of the next two decades, the demand for Leupold & Stevens' hydrographic and sporting products accelerated. It purchased Fabmark Inc., a Hillsboro, Oregon, manufacturer of highly refined sheet metal for the electronics industry with customers such as Tektronix and Hewlett-Packard in 1984.
1985: The company acquires Biamp Systems Inc.
1986: The company sells Biamp Systems Inc.
By mid-1987, demand for hunting and shooting products had resumed, and the company had expanded its offerings to more than 100 scope products, including non-firearm telescopes.
Then, in the early 1990's, Stevens introduced new electronic instruments and set into action a plan to regain their position as the market leader.
Worried that the purchase of sporting firearms might be curtailed by legislation, hunters and shooters put $14.5 billion into guns and ammunition in 1994.
By 1996, the company had sales of $100 million.
The company was among the earliest supporters of the Heritage Foundation, pledging 1 percent of its total sales to this organization, founded, in 1999, upon the belief that companies that make their profits from the shooting sports industries should work to preserve hunting and shooting rights.
In 2008, Leupold & Stevens purchased Redfield Optics along with its brand name and all intellectual property rights.
In late 2010, a Portland Business Journal article gave the company's annual revenue as approximately $160 million, citing Reference.com for the estimate.
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Leupold Optics competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bushnell | 1948 | $64.0M | 1,005 | 1 |
| Remington Arms | 1816 | $950.0M | 3,500 | 5 |
| Springfield Armory | 1974 | $63.9M | 103 | - |
| Leatherman | 1983 | $97.0M | 525 | 2 |
| Trijicon | 1981 | $57.0M | 200 | - |
| Knight's Armament | 1982 | $45.0M | 350 | 32 |
| Hornady | 1949 | $58.9M | 201 | - |
| MidwayUSA | 1977 | $19.1M | 750 | 5 |
| Browning | 1878 | $61.2M | 20 | 6 |
| Kato Engineering | - | $120.5M | 90 | - |
Leupold Optics history FAQs
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Leupold Optics may also be known as or be related to Leupold, Leupold & Stevens, Leupold & Stevens Inc, Leupold & Stevens Inc., Leupold & Stevens, Inc. and Leupold Optics.