Taser Appoints Founder of Glock as VP of Sales and Marketing , Taser Intl, 200
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 25, 2001 CONTACT: Phil Smith Chairman TASER International, Inc. (480) 905-2005 TASER® International, Inc. Appoints Founder of Glock, USA as Vice President of Sales and Marketing SCOTTSDALE, AZ., June 25, 2001 –TASER International, Inc. (Nasdaq: TASR), a provider of advanced lesslethal weapons for use in the law enforcement, private security and personal defense markets, announced today that Karl Walter will join the company as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing effective July 1, 2001. Mr. Walter was a co-founder of GLOCK®, Inc., a subsidiary of GLOCK GmbH, an Austrian semi-automatic pistol manufacturer, from 1985 until 1992. As General Manager of the U.S. subsidiary, Mr. Walter was directly responsible for making GLOCK the weapon of choice for police agencies throughout the United States. Under Mr. Walter’s leadership, GLOCK Inc. grew from a startup with zero sales to the market leader. Following his tenure with GLOCK Inc, Karl worked as Director of Law Enforcement sales for Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc a firearms manufacturer. Most recently, Mr. Walter worked as a program manager for AV Technology International, LLC, a supplier of armored vehicles. “I am excited to join TASER International, Inc., as I see a great deal of similarity between TASER’s initial success in penetrating the law enforcement market and the way that the GLOCK handgun was accepted by many of these same agencies,” said Mr. Walter. “I am very happy to lead the sales team that has taken the ADVANCED TASER M26 to such a strong position in just over 18 months and I believe my past experience will help TASER International, Inc. achieve the same type of long-term success enjoyed by GLOCK Inc.,” said Mr. Walter. “We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to be able to add one of the premier sales and marketing executives in the industry,” said Rick Smith, Chief Executive Officer of TASER International, Inc. “The explosive growth of GLOCK Inc., is legendary and has been a near textbook model for penetrating the law enforcement market. We have based our own marketing strategy on the GLOCK, Inc. model and adding one of its key architects as our senior sales and marketing executive should greatly enhance our ability to execute going forward. Karl’s knowledge of the law enforcement market and relationships with influential opinion-leaders is unparalleled. If anyone can take TASER to the dramatic growth levels we seek, its Karl Walter. He’s done it before with a revolutionary product, and we believe our proprietary technology has even greater potential for explosive growth.” About TASER International, Inc. TASER International, Inc. provides advanced less-lethal weapons for use in the law enforcement, private security, and personal defense markets. Its flagship ADVANCED TASER® product uses proprietary technology to incapacitate dangerous, combative, or high-risk subjects that may be impervious to other less-lethal means. This technology reduces injury rates to suspects and officers, thereby lowering liability risk and improving officer safety. The ADVANCED TASER® is currently in testing or deployment at over 800 law enforcement and correctional agencies in the U.S. and Canada. Statements in this press release that are not historical are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements include a high degree of risk and uncertainty, are predictions only and actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include uncertainty as to the Company's ability to manage its growth and successfully implement its business plan. These factors and others are more fully described in the section entitled "Risks Related to Our Business" in the Company's Registration Statement on Form SB-2 (Registration No. 333-55658), as amended, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For further information contact Phil Smith, Chairman of the Board at Phil@TASER.com or call 800-978-2737 ext. 2005. ###