SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AMMO, Inc. (POWW), a premier American ammunitions developer, manufacturer and distributor, today announced it has appointed two highly accomplished, senior business executives to its Board of Directors: Russell William “Rusty” Wallace, Jr., and James C. Czirr.
Russell William “Rusty” Wallace, Jr. is a retired NASCAR legend. For over 30 years, Rusty delighted racing fans not only with his hard-nosed and aggressive approach to racing, but also with a personality and charisma that are unmatched in the sport. Currently, he serves as Lead Analyst for MRN Radio — the Voice of NASCAR — where he is heard on more than 700 affiliates nationwide, as well as on SiriusXM Radio. Mr. Wallace is also the principal stakeholder in the Rusty Wallace Automotive Group, a collection of eight automotive dealerships located in eastern Tennessee.
NASCAR is second to the National Football League among professional sports franchises in terms of television viewers and fans in the United States. Internationally, its races are broadcast on television in over 150 countries.
James C. Czirr brings over 40 years’ successful experience as an accomplished entrepreneur and corporate development executive. Currently, he serves as President of Sterling Pacific NW, LLC, a financial advisory firm, sits on the Board of two public companies and advises several others. He has a long track record of successful executive roles and consulting ventures building young companies in the public capital markets.
Commenting on the Company’s two new Board appointments, AMMO CEO, Fred W. Wagenhals said, “Rusty is a NASCAR Hall of Famer who brings important, deep industry relationships and insight into the true American sportsman and sportswoman consumer marketplace – our primary target audience.
“Jim has an exceptionally distinguished and prolific career in corporate finance and capital markets, working with developmental stage companies to build them into listed, highly successful public companies.
“I am delighted for both gentlemen to join me on the AMMO Board,” Mr. Wagenhals concluded. “I am confident both will provide strong value added guidance as we grow AMMO into a premier, major player in the global ammunition business.”
Russell William “Rusty” Wallace, Jr. Biography
Russell William “Rusty” Wallace, Jr. is a retired American racing driver. For over 30 years, racing legend Rusty Wallace has delighted racing fans not only with his hard-nosed and aggressive approach to racing, but also with a personality and charisma that are unmatched in the sport.
Mr. Wallace was 1989 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, 1984 Rookie of the Year and 55-time Cup Series race winner. He will go into history as one of NASCAR’s finest drivers. For 16 straight seasons, Mr. Wallace won at least one race in NASCAR’s Cup Series, marking the third-longest such streak in history. At the time of his retirement in 2005, Wallace’s 55 victories marked the eighth-best all-time total and his nearly 20,000 laps led ranked seventh all-time.
Mr. Wallace’s on-track success was not limited just to NASCAR, however; he is also a former winner of the International Race of Champions (IROC). In 1991, he bested many of the world’s greatest drivers for the series title, becoming the only driver in history to win three of the series’ four events in a single season.
Mr. Wallace’s accomplishments both on and off the track have been widely recognized. He is a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.
As one of the main protagonists during NASCAR’s meteoric commercial rise of the 1990s and 2000s, Wallace is often credited as being one of the catalysts behind the mainstream appeal the sport enjoys today. At the NASCAR awards ceremony in 2005, he was presented the NMPA Myers Brothers Award, given for outstanding lifetime contributions to the sport of stock car racing.
Mr. Wallace’s more recent undertakings have allowed him to continue putting his vast knowledge and charismatic personality to work. In 2006, he was named Lead Auto Racing Analyst for ABC and ESPN, providing analysis for the networks’ 2006 and 2007 broadcasts of the Indianapolis 500. He went on to headline the networks’ return to NASCAR in 2007 and maintained that role through their exit from the sport at the end of the 2014 season. Currently, Wallace serves as Lead Analyst for MRN Radio—the Voice of NASCAR—where he is heard on more than 700 affiliates nationwide, as well as on SiriusXM Radio.
In addition to his racing analysis, Mr. Wallace remains an active competitor as owner of Rusty Wallace Racing, which has fielded entries in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Rusty is also active in other business pursuits. In 2005, he became the first driver in recent history to design a professional racing facility, when he inked the plans for the 7/8-mile Iowa Speedway. The facility opened to rave reviews and currently hosts rounds of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the IRL Indycar Series. Mr. Wallace is also a sought-after public speaker and the principal stakeholder in the Rusty Wallace Automotive Group, a collection of eight automotive dealerships located in eastern Tennessee.
Aside from his business interests, Wallace is also a board member of The NASCAR Foundation—the sport’s foremost charity initiative. In that role, he serves on the Foundation’s development committee, charged with fundraising for the foundation’s mission of helping children live, learn and play.
James C. Czirr Biography
James C. Czirr brings over 40 years’ successful experience as an accomplished entrepreneur and corporate development executive.
Currently, he serves as President of Sterling Pacific NW, LLC, a financial advisory firm, and sits on the Boards of Directors of True Nature Holding (TNTY) and Galectin Therapeutics (GALT).
From 2005 to 2008, he served as CEO of Minerva Biotechnologies Corporation, rescuing it from bankruptcy. Minerva is a developer of nano particle bio-chips and the owner of pivotal stem cell technology that promises to play a key role in the development and implementation of stem cell therapies.
Previously, he co-founded what is now Galectin Therapeutics (GALT) (previously Pro-Pharmaceuticals) in 2000, where he orchestrated its financing and uplisting on the American Stock Exchange. During his tenure in charge of that company’s capital market strategy, the stock rose from an OTC low of $0.50 to over $18. Mr. Czirr became a Series B Director and Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2009, a position that he held until 2016.
Prior, Mr. Czirr was instrumental in the corporate development of Safe Science Inc., a developer of anti-cancer drugs and drug development tools he served from 1995 to 1999 helping that company raise approximately $30 million in capital and advance its science toward commercialization.
Previously, Mr. Czirr consulted with the Software Revolution, a private company that owns proprietary software for converting legacy system software, such as COBOL to Java. He arranged the capital raises, and provided guidance to successfully complete the software tools and become a profitable business. The Software Revolution and its management were recognized by industry experts with some of that industry’s most prestigious awards.
Earlier, he was a consultant and Director of Metalline Mining Company Inc., where he negotiated a joint venture with Penoles, the Mexican mining company that was, at the time, the largest producer of silver in the world. Mr. Czirr organized the capital and market support for Metalline to develop 4.6 billion lbs. of zinc and 91 million ounces of silver resources — enabling it to trade on NYSE Alternext and attract a new, world class management team and subsequently be renamed Silver Bull Mining.
Prior, he was a founding member of and a licensed representative of Richard Christman Lavigne, a brokerage house in Spokane, WA. There, he participated in investment banking syndicates raising money for small cap companies. Previously, he founded and managed Czirr Financial Planning and was one of the early professionals to obtain a CFP designation. He has held licenses for real-estate, securities (Series 7), Life & Health insurance.
He began his career in sales management as an award winning exec with, what was then widely acknowledged as one of the world’s premier sales organization, Procter and Gamble.
Mr. Czirr earned a B.B.A. degree from the University of Michigan were he distinguished himself as the only unanimous All Conference Football Player in the Big Ten Conference, per the Big Ten Coaches selection process.
About AMMO, Inc.
AMMO, Inc. (POWW), with corporate offices headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, and manufacturing facility in Payson, Arizona, designs and manufactures products for law enforcement, military, hunting, sport shooting and self-defense (www.ammo-inc.com). AMMO, Inc. was founded in 2016 with a vision to change, innovate and invigorate the complacent munitions industry. AMMO promotes branded munitions, including the Jesse James line of munitions and accessories; SHIELD Series munitions for Law Enforcement, stealth subsonic munitions, and the OPS (One Precise Shot) the tactical line of defense line of munitions.
Forward Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ from those projected due to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the possibility that some or all of the matters and transactions considered by the Company may not proceed as contemplated, and by all other matters specified in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are made based upon current expectations that are subject to risk and uncertainty. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements in this news release to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such forward-looking information. Assumptions and other information that could cause results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking information can be found in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov), including its recent periodic reports.
Investor/Media Contact Bill Miller, Senior VP Investor Relations Partners Phone: (844) 565-5665 bmiller@irpartnersinc.com