Developing a Global Vision

Smith and Wesson has flagship companies in over 20 countries throughout the world.  Smith and Wesson started off with two gunsmiths making revolvers for the town locals, and now has expanded into an international powerhouse.  When Smith and Wesson began to expand, it began by obtainging contracts by local law enforcement agencies to make specific types of pistols for law enforcement officials to use.  From local law enforcement, to state officials, Smith and Wesson has provided weapons contracts to government and state agencies for the last one hundred years.  Now with the establishment of international flagship companies, Smith and Wesson has been able to develop firearms for consumers around the globe.  Police agencies in Spain prefer the use of the S&W .647 snubnose revolver for easy carry and concealment; Croation military prefers the stopping power of the M&P15-22 Rifle, recent winner of the Academy of Excellence Rifle of the Year award.  (http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product4_750001_750051_765013_-1_757797_757797_757797_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y)  Their global vision is to bring the quality of Smith and Wesson products throughout the world, spreading American inginuity and durability to countries throughout the globe.

The Marketing Environment

Smith and Wesson has kept its sales in the same/similar markets for the last one hundred years.  Law enforcement, Personal saftey buffs, gun enthusiasts, military contracts, and gun collectors alike.  When one looks at a gun, traditionally, it gives thoughts of violence, testosterone, "manliness", American pride, etc.  But for the last decade, now women can look at guns and think...."cute"?  With women moving up in the tax brackets ever year, doing more dangerous jobs, enjoying sports that traditionally were dominated by men, how did Smith and Wesson decide to dive into this market?  Smith and Wesson began to appeal to a fresh female client with a female friendly line of pistols, introducing the S&W 637 6 round revolver.  With a 1 7/8" barrel, it allows for easy placement of the pistol in a clutch or a handbag.  The type of ammunition used is .38 rounds, which allow for quite a punch, but with a low recoil, allowing for easier shooting for females.  And to add icing on these fashionably deadly cake, the gun comes with a hot pink pistol grip, so the ladies can express their femeneity as they pull that trigger! 

Ethics and Social Responsibility

Smith and Wesson has always prided itself with its strong sense of American code of morals and ethics.  Smith and Wesson uses its strong Old-Time American roots as a testament to an old fashioned set of moral principles. 
Back in 2000, in an effort to adress legal concerns about unethical business practices, Smith and Wesson asked over 3,000 of its registered gun dealers to sign an agreement that they will abide by the American Code of Ethics designed to prevent illegal gun sales.  In that agreement, dealers also promised to only sell S&W firearms with saftey locks installed, obey all local and federal gun laws, and has sworn to cease all business with any firearm dealers who do not follow this agreement. 
S&W has always followed these American Codes of morals and ethics, but recently decided to remind dealers of this agreement due to the constant litigation those in the firearm industry deal with year after year.

The Nature of Strategic Planning

Dassault Systemes (Euronext Paris); is a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, around two years ago announced that it would be forming a partner ship with Smith & Wesson, a leading force in the firearm idustry, has decided to utilize ENOVIA PLM to improve the efficiency of its product design and development process, allowing employees across the globe to collaborate on designs and easily share the most up-to-date product information. Smith & Wesson will utilize ENOVIA to create a centralized database allowing for easier use of interalized knowledge between flagship companies within Smith and Wesson, and allowing for a more "modern" look to keep up with the evolving markets.  Not everyone likes the idea of having a wild-west style pistol keeping their home secured, ENOVIA has started helping S&W develop more modern looking weapons for the home such as the HMR Varminter (http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product4_750001_750051_785509_-1_757896_757896_757896_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y)
THESE AINT YOUR GRAND DADDY'S PISTOLS

 A S&W spokesperson stated; “With ENOVIA, we are able to automate critical business processes, communicate more efficiently both internally and externally, aggregate parts and product quality data in one place and capture what we call our ‘tribal knowledge’ to build best practices,” said Bob Shumsky, PLM systems administrator, Smith & Wesson. “The most obvious benefit of this implementation has been faster cycles in design and production—drawing approval times have been decreased by 75 percent and ECO approval time reduced 57 percent – both significant metrics. Overall, we have improved our real-time visibility into engineering changes and the flexibility to make them, versus what we formerly had with paper-based processes.

Smith & Wesson selected ENOVIA PLM to help it meet two key goals – increase its production capacity and meet changing market demands,” said Michel Tellier, chief executive officer, ENOVIA, Dassault Systèmes.“ENOVIA PLM is the ideal platform for driving greater interaction among Smith & Wesson’s highly skilled employees and for the simultaneous integration of its tangible design and product information, which ultimately helps it maintain its position as a market leader.”

NEW YORK STATE GUN LAWS

http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/NYSL.pdf

NRA / ILA

Firearms Laws for

A

synopsis of state laws on purchase,

possession and carrying of firearms

.

Compiled by:

NRA-Institute for Legislative Action

11250 Waples Mill Road

Fairfax, Virginia 22030

(800) 392-8683

www.nraila.org

N

ew York

(As of February 2008)

QUICK REFERENCE CHART

Rifles and

Shotguns Handguns

Permit to Purchase No* Yes

Registration of Firearms No* Yes

Licensing of Owners No* Yes

Permit to Carry No* Yes

* Except in New York City

STATE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION

None. However, Article 2, Section 4 of the New York

Civil Rights Law provides: “A well regulated militia being

necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the

people to keep and bear arms cannot be infringed.”

PURCHASE

No permit is required for the purchase of a rifle or

shotgun (except in New York City).

A license to carry or posses a pistol or revolver is

required to purchase a handgun. (See HANDGUNSPOSSESSION

and CARRY) Elsewhere than the City of

New York, a person licensed to carry or possess a pistol or

revolver may apply at any time to the licensing officer in

the county of their residence for amendment of his or her

license to include one or more such handguns or to cancel

a handgun held under the license.

No person, firm or corporation engaged in the retail

business of selling rifles, shotguns or handguns, shall sell,

deliver or transfer any such gun to another person unless

the transferee is provided with a gun locking device and a

label on safe storage.

Any business selling firearms must post a sign where the

firearms are displayed or sold stating in bold print: “The

use of a locking device or safety lock is only one aspect of

responsible firearm storage. For increased safety firearms

should be stored unloaded and locked in a location that is

both separate from their ammunition and inaccessible to

children and any other unauthorized person.”

Any manufacturer that ships, transports or delivers

a handgun to any person in this state shall include in

the container a separate sealed container that encloses: a

shell casing of a bullet or projectile discharged from such

handgun, and any additional information that identifies

such handgun. A gunsmith or dealer in firearms licensed

in this state shall, within ten days of delivering to any

person a handgun received by such gunsmith or dealer,

forward to the division of state police, along with the

original transaction report, the sealed container enclosing

the shell casing from such handgun received from the

manufacturer.

Upon receipt of the sealed container, the division

of state police shall cause to be entered in an automated

electronic data-bank pertinent data and other ballistic

information relevant to identification of the shell casing

and to the handgun from which it was discharged.

All firearm exhibitors must conduct a national instant

criminal background check prior to all firearm sales or

transfers, including sales or transfers of rifles or shotguns

at a gun show.

It is lawful for NY residents to purchase or obtain

rifles or shotguns in a contiguous state and to receive and

transport said rifle and shotguns into the state, provided

the person is otherwise eligible to possess a rifle or shotgun

under NY law.

POSSESSION—RIFLES AND SHOTGUNS

There is no state license requirement for the possession

of a rifle or shotgun, so long as the rifle has barrel(s) at

least 16 inches in length and the shotgun has barrel(s) at

least 18 inches in length.

It is unlawful for any person convicted of a felony,

other serious offense, or who been certified as not suitable

to possess a rifle or shotgun (mentally incompetent) to

possess a firearm.

Generally, it is unlawful for anyone under the age

of 16 to possess any firearm; however, a rifle or shotgun

may be possessed by a person between 12 and 16 who

is engaged in target shooting on a range supervised by a

military officer, certified instructor, or a parent, guardian

or a person over the age of eighteen designated in writing

by such parent or guardian provided the adult has a hunter

safety certificate.

It is unlawful to possess 20 or more firearms as defined

under NY law outside one’s home or business.

POSSESSION—HANDGUNS

A license is needed to possess a handgun in one’s

home or place of business. Application is made to the

licensing officer of the city or county where the applicant

resides, is principally employed, or where his principal

place of business as a merchant or storekeeper is located.

An alien may obtain a pistol license if he or she meets

these requirements. The determination whether to

grant the license is completely within the discretion of

the licensing officer. However, the licensing officer must

state specifically and concisely in writing the reasons for

a denial. A denial can only be overturned in court if the

denial is shown to be arbitrary and capricious.

Westchester County may require the applicant to

successfully complete a firearms safety course and test

in addition to meeting the other requirements. Other

counties also require a safety course for license issuance.

A license may be granted to an applicant who is of

good moral character, who is over 21 years of age, who

has not been convicted of a serious offense, who states

if and when he has ever been treated for mental illness,

who is not subject to a protective court order and to

whom no good cause exists for the denial of the license.

The age requirement shall not apply to persons honorably

discharged from the military. (Persons between age 18 and

21 may possess a handgun at an indoor or outdoor pistol

range located in or on premises owned or occupied by a

duly incorporated organization organized for conservation

purposes or to foster proficiency in small arms. A person

between the ages of 18 and 21 may also possess a handgun

at a target pistol shooting competition under the auspices

of or approved by the NRA and while under immediate

supervision).

An investigation will be conducted regarding all

statements required in the application. This includes

taking the fingerprints and physical descriptive data of the

applicant. One copy of the fingerprints will be forwarded

to the FBI for a search of the applicant’s criminal records.

The failure or refusal of the FBI to make the fingerprint

check shall not constitute the sole basis for refusal to issue

a permit.

The licensing officer may, in his discretion, add

restrictions to the license, limiting the places where the

handgun may be kept or carried. No demonstration of

need to possess is required to obtain an “on premises

only,” license valid for one’s home or place of business.

A demonstration of need must be shown, however, for a

license not restricted to one of those locations.

An “on premises only” license authorizes the possession

of a handgun only at the location written on the license.

It does not authorize the holder to take such handgun to

any other place. (It should be noted further that an “on

premises only” license technically does not authorize the

holder even to transport the handgun from its place of

purchase to the location stated on the license.)

Applications for licenses must be acted upon within 6

months after presentment. If there is a delay, there must

be written notice to the applicant stating the reasons.

Such delay may be excused for good cause only.

If issued, a license is valid until revoked, except in

New York City where a license shall expire not more than

3 years after the date of issuance, and in Nassau, Suffolk

and Westchester Counties where a license shall expire not

more than 5 years after the date of issuance.

A license fee is fixed by the board of supervisors in

each county, with a $10.00 limit prescribed by state

law. The Division of Criminal Justice Services sets the

fingerprinting fee. The fee for each amendment to the

license is $3.00 ($5.00 in Suffolk County). In New York

City and Nassau County, the City Council and Board

of Supervisors, respectively, set the license fees without

regard to the state law limitation.

Each handgun possessed must be listed on the license

by make, model, caliber and serial number. The only

exception is possession of a properly licensed handgun by

another licensee or license applicant at a target range.

The name and address submitted by an applicant to

obtain the license becomes a matter of public record.

A licensee who moves his residence to another licensing

jurisdiction within the state shall provide notification of

the change in writing within ten days after such change

occurs, and a record of such change shall be inscribed by

such licensee on the reverse side of his license. Failure to

notify of the change of residence may result in an inability

to obtain amendments, and possible revocation of the

license.

Mission Statement

Smith & Wesson is one of the world's most recognizable brands and for good reason. Since we have opened our doors, we have focused on designing and manufacturing innovative products and solutions that are unparalleled in the field of personal safety and protection. Almost every major law enforcement and military agency in the world has used Smith & Wesson products and to this day, most police departments in the United States depend on our firearms and accessories. As a company, Smith & Wesson continues to flourish and grow. We are committed to strengthening our core safety and security business and we are prospering through synergistic alliances with our best-of-breed experts in their fields. The sane innovative, forward thinking spirit that drove Smith & Wesson in the beginning still inspires us today and we look to a future of continued leadership, quality and craftsmanship in products and services that enhance public safety, security and protection all over the world.

Smith & Wesson knives are engineered and manufactured according to this same company philosophy which is your assurance of complete satisfaction as the end user of their quality products.

S

Company History and Mission Statement

Smith & Wesson History

Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson came from old New England families. Horace learned the firearms trade while working at the National Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. Daniel’s experience came from apprenticing with his brother Edwin Wesson, the leading maker of target rifles and pistols in the 1840s.

The two men formed their first partnership in 1852 in Norwich, Connecticut, with the aim of marketing a lever action repeating pistol that could use a fully self-contained cartridge. This first pistol venture was not a financial success, and by 1854 the company was having financial difficulties.
Faced with their financial difficulties, they were forced to sell their company to a shirt manufacturer by the name of Oliver Winchester. In 1866, using the original lever action design created by Smith & Wesson, Winchester’s company emerged as the famous Winchester Repeating Arms Co.
In 1856 Smith & Wesson formed their second partnership to produce a small revolver designed to fire the Rimfire cartridge they patented in August of 1854. This revolver was the first successful fully self-contained cartridge revolver available in the world. Smith & Wesson secured patents for the revolver to prevent other manufacturers from producing a cartridge revolver - giving the young company a very lucrative business.
The partners realized that when their patents expired they would need a new design to maintain their market superiority. The new design was completed in 1869 and the company began marketing it in 1870. The Model 3 American, as it became known in the United States, was the first large caliber cartridge revolver and established Smith & Wesson as a world leader in handgun manufacturing. The two most important customers for the new revolver were the United States Cavalry, which purchased 1,000 units for use on the Western Frontier, and the Russian Imperial Government.