Hodgdon Buys RCBS

[jasper2408]

Saw this on another forum so thought I would post it here.

Hodgdon Powder Company Acquires RCBS Reloading

PR Contact: Aaron Oelger
pr@hodgdon.com
6430 Vista Drive
Shawnee, KS 66218
Phone: (913) 362-9455
Fax: (913) 362-1307

Press Release

May 2, 2024

Hodgdon Powder Company is pleased to announce the acquisition of RCBS Reloading from Revelyst, a segment of Vista Outdoor (NYSE: VSTO). This acquisition is effective May 2, 2024, with Hodgdon prepared to immediately continue shipping RCBS products to wholesale and retail customers.

“This acquisition of RCBS, the leading brand in metallic reloading tools, is a perfect complement to our portfolio of smokeless powder brands for our handloading customers,” said Steve Kehrwald, president and CEO of Hodgdon Powder Company. With our world-class ballistics labs, we look forward to providing even more load data to our new RCBS customers.”

Hodgdon is thrilled to add the RCBS facility in Oroville, CA to our company-owned facilities in Shawnee, KS, Herington, KS and Miles City, MT. The addition of the RCBS team will more than double the headcount at the Hodgdon Powder Company and greatly expands the company’s manufacturing capabilities.

“For years, our friends have referred to the Hodgdon family and company as ‘The Gunpowder People’ and this acquisition further demonstrates our dedication to the handloader,” said J.B. Hodgdon, co-owner with his late brother Bob, of the Hodgdon Powder Company. “Our dad Bruce partnered with Fred Huntington from RCBS to conduct Reloading Roadshow events in the 1950s and 1960s. I believe they both are looking down today, proud to have our two great brands together in 2024.”

“For more than 80 years, RCBS has demonstrated their manufacturing, innovation and operational excellence,” Said Eric Nyman, Co-CEO of Vista Outdoor and CEO of Revelyst. “We are thrilled for RCBS and their new ownership with Hodgdon Powder. This transaction joins two iconic brands, and it ensures that RCBS is positioned for success in the next chapter of its history.”

[lazyengineer]

Yea, they are talking about this over at that AR forum . com Here's my own take:

I actively avoid anything Hodgdon now - just like I avoided anything VISTA. Now that the VISTA leadership team is leading Hodgdon after the family leader died late last decade, they are doing VISTA things. Mostly it's just priced out of my appeal and not available - more than any big rage-fest or anything. Nor am I aware of any quality issues nor implying there are any (VISTA wrecked the quality of the gun companies they owned, but I'm not aware of any Hodgdon issues). But I just despise that group - and am not happy with what they are doing with Hodgdon. This latest example, of using substantial capital to buy up more reloading related providers, rather than investing that capital in a way to try and satisfy market demand and recover prices - says all you need to know on where the new VISTA leadership is going.

For me, I'll be focusing on VV and Shooters world going forward more; and for equipment, will continue to focus on Hornady - who I hold in high regard. Though again not a boycott or rage or call-to-anything; just my own bias'. That, and it's really just a market reaction since those suppliers have good products at notably better prices; so that's where I'm going to go.

[CJW]

Thoughtful and well written Lazy.

[grayfox]

??I must be missing something about hodgdon... I see from the vista website that Vsto owns alliant, speer, federal and remington and cci, but hodgdon is a separate company. Vista sold RCBS to Hodgdon so isuch a sale wouldn't make sense to me if they were running both companies to begin with. Hodgdon is run by Bruce's son, not by any Vista leaders... so not sure of the remarks about Hodgdon "being run by Vista leadership"?
Not that I have any stake in Hodgdon, but have never used any vv powders, and my shelf right now is good with the powders I do use.
Not a fan of Vista either by the way, I agree that they ruined the remington and whatever other gun companies they had.

if there were some SW powders around I'd be interested in them maybe, only that as of now I don't have a particular need of them.

[lazyengineer]

VISTA does not own Hodgdon

However. Hodgdon leadership for the last half decade, is former VISTA executive leadership.

Who are running it exactly like they ran VISTA.

Observe how they are rapidly consolidating almost all competition, and using capital to acquire more holdings, rather than investments to satisfy underserved market demand.

[grayfox]

O. Well reckon I didn't know that. Guess we'll have to see how it all shakes out.
Business-wise under Biden-stealing-nomics, might be hard to develop a new facility or such, so growing by buying might be their only avenue.
But I don't know for sure, and don't have any particular love for 'em, or dislike, either one.
Would be nice if some new blood like the SW powders would come along.
Maybe even develop a civilian variety of the fury -- doesn't need to be 80 ksi however and doesn't have to have bimetallic or whatever "brass" ...
But now I'm just an oldie who rambles on, so I'll let this all go.
Thanks for the info.

[jasper2408]

Found this out about the CEO of Hodgdon on LinkedIn. He has a lot more Experience but I just posted the pertinent stuff. His last employer before Hodgdon looks to be Vista Outdoor, Inc.




Edit: To be fair and give both sides here I could not find any other upper echelon company officer that was previously associated with Vista Outdoor, Inc. There might be some but I could not find any in my searches.