BlackHawk Expands, Rebrands

BlackHawk has been making bold moves. In five years it has grown from 75 employees to over 250, and has acquired numerous companies, from MOD Knives in 2003 to Knoxx Industries in October 2007. In addition, BlackHawk has purchased a factory in Bozeman, Montana, and opened a new facility in Boise, Idaho. The increased capacity has allowed the company to bring more of its manufacturing into the U.S.

BlackHawk’s guiding philosophy is to provide the best possible gear for a mission, whether it’s overseas in hostile territory or stalking elk in high altitudes.

Vice president of marketing Tom White said of the Bozeman expansion, “Most public companies never would have allowed us to make the kind of investment that needed. Now it’s so successful that if it were a separate company, we probably couldn’t afford to buy it.”

Brian Schroeder, BlackHawk’s general manager, stresses that the company’s employees are a large part of its success. “I’d put my crew up against any factory team I’ve ever ran. This is as good a group of people as I’ve ever worked with.”

Part of their motivation, says Schroeder, is the company’s piecework pay system, which rewards quality, speed and process innovation. “These people aren’t working for me,” says Schroeder. “They’re working for themselves, and that motivates them. They’re all entrepreneurs.”

Additionally, BlackHawk has quietly been phasing out its separate branding for its various gear lines. Gone are the HydraStorm and HellStorm labels. Instead, that equipment is emblazoned with BlackHawk branding, increasing visibility and market presence. It’s a move akin to someone cloaked in camo stepping forward from the brush—suddenly all the distinct colors form a recognizable human figure.

That’s BlackHawk’s hope: that people will recognize that this wide variety of products are all made by the same company, and that all the gear is made to work together. —Robert F. Staeger