Tom Hurt Email & Phone Number

Proven business leader known for building iconic consumer brands and achieving record growth in revenue and EBITDA. Repeated success attaining top market share positions. Respected for business acumen and negotiating expertise, maximizing profit and growth for investors. A transformational, tactical, and dynamic decision-maker who relies on B.I. and review of relevant perspectives while guided by integrity and values. Collaborative, works to build strong board relationships through communication. Experienced operator with knowledge of supply chain, sales, brand, and emphasizing product innovation.Expertise• Experience in private and strategic business models, yielding exceptional returns• Visionary goal setting• Proven negotiator• Talent assessor• Skilled assessment of M&A and integration of companies• Experienced in sales, marketing, brand development, and general management• Board and governance leadership• Committee participationKey Accomplishments• Successfully introduced an Australian Automotive category leader into the North American Market. Total P&L responsibility from creation to development. Established all aspects of day-to-day business operations, developed revenue channels at major customers, Direct to customers including all new product development.• Solved a potentially crippling procurement disruption during the initial Covid crisis within the Aerospace Category. Sourced alternative supply chain alternatives to meet immediate leading to a 30% reduction in raw material costs.• Accepted responsibility as Executive Executor of a complex multi-million-dollar estate, holding full responsibility (while in Probate) for all assets. Within one year, undertook refurbishing existing assets and investments delivering a 25% gain for beneficiaries.• Numerous due diligence projects for P.E. firms searching for opportunity within the Outdoor and Recreational categories, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods, and platform acquisition.

Plano, Illinois, Us

Privately held, through Toronto-based Teachers’ Private Capital, Plano Synergy is the resulting ~$0.5B company from the merger of iconic Plano Molding fishing brands and entrepreneurial Synergy Outdoors hunting products brands. It is a leader in tackle boxes, ice fishing, hunting attractants, game cameras, range finders and cross bows in mass and specialty retailers and employs people in the USA and China, relying on a mix of owned manufacturing in the US and outsourced production in China. As President and CEO, lead vision, strategy and engaged organization to build premiere market-share leading sporting goods company. Guide new company through integration, while optimizing resources and maximizing investor value. As member of Board of Directors, establish the long-term value expectations and ensure support for objectives. Key Accomplishments:• Successfully led the acquisition of Synergy Outdoors doubling revenue, EBITDA while optimizing headcount• Increased the number of brands from 6 to 13, achieving leading market share positions in every category, including 4 acquisitions.• Integrated / consolidated facilities and headcount resulting in overhead reductions > $10M. • Increased post-merger revenue by > $12M, achieving CAGR >7% .• Mentored new ownership and BOD through industry segment previously unfamiliar.• Working with Teachers’ Private Capital team, developed active Board of Directors’ and enhanced governance, with investors and highly qualified external Directors. Promoted to Vice Chairman as part of succession plan and led search for successor.

Us

Founded in 1952, Plano Molding is most recognizable for its iconic fishing tackle box. The company provides fishermen and other sports enthusiasts with the equipment that enhances and protects their tools, whether they are weekend warriors or professionals. As President and CEO, led the company with a new and expanded vision, acquiring complementary brands, integrating cut and sew businesses, introducing premium storage options, and enhancing alternative storage brands such as Caboodles. Expanded supplier base to China and redefined portions of the business as a design/source prototype drive critical cost- effective success.Key Accomplishments:• Optimized performance in sales, operations, product development and overhead, resulting in organic growth: Increased net sales of ~$50M;  Increased EBITDA by 65%; >$17M and  Reduced SG&A by 20%. • Sponsored implementation of integrated state-of-the-art business intelligence tools enhancing capabilities to manage operations and provide analytics to run business. Including key outcomes:o Realized annualized $6mm reduction in consumption of raw materials.o Reduced by 10%, direct labor as % of sales o Initiated plan to become brand powerhouse through organic and acquisitive growtho Acquired: #1 share leader in Fall products to complement existing Spring retail dominance iconic outdoor category leader with dominant market-share positions. premier cut and sew/molded brand tackle storage business, further strengthening assortment and securing 80% share. o Organic: Focused and rebuilt neglected internal OEM business; increasing revenue 4X  Grew premium segment in Outdoor packs (Tenzing) exponentially• Optimized supplier base including Asia offshoring Established business and engineering office in China• Working with Tinicum Private Capital, establish strong Board of Directors for company. Lead relationship building with first external directors. • Led sale to Teachers’ Private Capital.

Us

Key accomplishments: o Initiated strategy, executed plan and led operations in China; creating highly competitive operations model o Architect overall brand and marketing strategy for growth-focused transformation from family owned to investor led business model o Introduced three-year strategy meetings/plans with retailers—first sporting goods vendor to structure long term customer planning processo Optimized brand power influence  Achieved coveted category captain status at Wal-Mart, regularly exceeding market share and profitability expectationso Led innovation team yielding 100+ new productso Created product life cycle method that added $40M to annual revenueo Introduced new raw material strategy, saving $20M annually in resin savings, while adding environmentally- conscious recycling programo Led greenfield sales into Eastern Europe, South America and Asia, growing base revenue in these regions double-digits in each of first three years.