In his new role, Nichols continues to report to Smith & Wesson president and chief executive officer Michael F. Golden and will oversee all operations of Smith & Wesson Corp. Nichols was previously vice president of sales.
"During the past 14 months, Leland has worked closely with me in running the day-to-day operations of the company," said Golden. "He has played a significant role in helping the company achieve success, and his contributions on the senior management team, along with his leadership in the development and execution of our new sales and marketing strategy, have helped us diversify our company while delivering growth and profitability. Leland's new role as COO will allow us to continue to focus on delivering results in our core business, while we expand our presence as a global provider of products and services for safety, security, protection and sport."
Before joining Smith & Wesson Corp. in January 2005, Nichols most recently served as executive vice president for a division of Kohler Company in Wisconsin. Prior to that, he held significant management positions at The Stanley Works, including president of the Hardware Division. Prior to The Stanley Works, Nichols held several senior management roles throughout a 14-year career at Black & Decker Corporation including VP and general manager of Northern Asia. His experience includes sales, marketing, product management and general management, both in the United States and Asia. While at Black and Decker, Nichols was very involved in the successful launch of the DeWalt brand of professional power tools.