LYONS FALLS — Otis Technology, a Lewis County–based manufacturer of gun-cleaning kits, has started 2014 with a new CEO and several new products that it says help promise growth. On Jan. 1, Leonard Puzzuoli stepped into the role as CEO, replacing company founder Doreen Garrett as part of a plan crafted five years ago to […]
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On Jan. 1, Leonard Puzzuoli stepped into the role as CEO, replacing company founder Doreen Garrett as part of a plan crafted five years ago to put a new person in place to handle the day-to-day operations
The move, says Garrett, frees her to move into a role on the company’s advisory board, where she can put her nearly three decades of experience to use guiding Otis Technology without being bogged down with the day-to-day tasks of a CEO. “I feel like it’s the best of both worlds,” Garrett says.
It’s a healthy move for the business, says Puzzuoli, who served as CFO at Otis Technology (www.otistec.com) since 2009. The advisory board, which has nearly a century of combined experience, works hand-in-hand with the management staff. “That’s a winning combination,” he quips.
Garrett founded the company in 1985 on her parents’ kitchen table and says she is so proud of the worldwide brand the company has developed. In particular, she is proud that Otis Technology was able to stay and grow in upstate New York. Opening the company’s 25,000-square-foot research and development center in Phoenix in 2010 is one of many highlights from her tenure as CEO.
“We’re very automated, and that allows us to use people where we need people,” Garrett says. The company operates a 43,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Lyons Falls that is completely automated and uses a robotic delivery system. Otis employs about 120 people.
Otis customers include the U.S. armed forces, foreign military, the FBI and CIA, U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Postal Service, and a number of retail establishments that serve the commercial sector. Those retailers include Gander Mountain, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Cabela’s, and Walmart.
Puzzuoli declined to share the company’s revenue figures, but says commercial revenue, in particular, is up considerably. “We expect growth this year in all our segments,” he says.
Helping drive that growth are several new products the company introduced at the SHOT Show held Jan. 14-17 in Las Vegas.
The company’s Ripcord one-pass cleaning tool launched in August 2013, but was just officially introduced at the SHOT Show and is really taking off, Garrett says. “We’ve been making lots of Ripcords,” she notes. The Ripcord features a nylon flexible rod with a Nomex fiber coating that provides heat resistance, making it a popular choice for defense customers who can’t always wait for a weapon to cool before cleaning it, she says. The tool is also a popular choice on the commercial side with those who shoot at firing ranges.
The company’s other major new product for this year is the B.O.N.E. Tool that tackles the difficult-to-clean bolt face.
“We have so many different new products in our pipeline,” Garrett says. “There’s no lack of innovation here.”
Puzzuoli says his task as CEO is to now work to develop new channels and new markets for those products. At the same time, he says, the company needs to continue to work on developing new products that meet the need of its varied customer base.
Another goal, he says, is to continue to develop the company’s workforce (Otis employs about 120 people). “They are our most important asset,” he says.
Puzzuoli will work closely with Garrett over the next year as she continues to play an active role at the office. “It’s a recipe for success,” he says, “And we’re going to continue that.”
Garrett expects to retire from full-time work next January in conjunction with her 30th anniversary at the business. At that time, she plans to devote a bit more time to her charitable endeavors.
Garrett created her first product, the “Whole Kit and Caboodle” field clearing and cleaning kit, after an unexpected fall in the mud during a hunting trip with her father when she was just 16 years old. The company, headquartered at 6987 Laura St. in Lyons Falls, now carries a range of gun cleaning kits and products for the hunting and sporting, military, and law enforcement markets.
The company sponsors twin biathletes Tracy and Lanny Barnes. Lanny Barnes will compete in the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Other executive changes
Besides the CEO appointment at the start of 2014, Otis Technology also promoted Harold Philbrick, who now serves as vice president of operations. He previously served as director of operations.
In his role, Philbrick leads the Otis manufacturing, warehousing, quality assurance, and materials teams, the company said.
He’s been with Otis Technology since July 2009.
Additionally, Otis Technology has appointed James Brooker as vice president of engineering, research and development (R&D).
He leads the R&D team in Otis’ Engineering Center of Excellence in the Oswego County village of Phoenix.
Brooker has worked for Otis Technology since September 2009 and formerly served as director of engineering.
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