Leupold & Stevens, Inc. is an American manufacturer of telescopic sights, red dot sights, binoculars, rangefinders, spotting scopes, and eyewear located in Beaverton, Oregon, United States. The company, started in 1907, is on its fifth generation of family ownership.Leeson, Fred (November 17, 1996). "All in the family". The Oregonian.

History

Leupold & Stevens was founded by the German immigrant Markus Friedrich (Fred) Leupold and his brother-in-law Adam Voelpel in 1907, under the name Leupold & Voelpel. At the time, the company specialized in the repair of survey equipment. In 1911, Leupold & Voelpel was contracted by John Cyprian (J.C.) Stevens to manufacture a water level recorder he had designed and patented. After the initial success of the product, he was made partner in 1914 and the company was renamed Leupold, Voelpel, and Co.Stevens, John Cyprian. The Autobiography of a Civil Engineer, published 1959. Besides the first water level recorder, the company invented several other innovative pieces of equipment, such as the Telemark water recorder which was patented in 1939. This device could transmit water level information via telephone, allowing for remote monitoring of water resources to become feasible.

In 1942, the company name was changed to its present form, Leupold & Stevens. Surveying equipment, rifle scopes, and related products are sold under the "Leupold" name, while water monitoring instrumentation, such as level and flow recorders, are marketed under the "Stevens" brand.

After World War II Leupold & Stevens began making gun scopes after Marcus Leupold failed to hit a deer with his rifle. His scope fogged up and he is reported to have exclaimed "Hell! I could build a better scope than this!" as the deer bounded off. In 1962, Leupold invented the Duplex Reticle, which most riflescopes now use. By 1979, Leupold scopes were generating twice the total revenue of Stevens instruments.Brinckman, Jonathan (March 10, 2006). "Firm no longer out of its depth in digital age: Scott South modernizes Stevens Water Monitoring of Beaverton". The Oregonian.

In 1969, the company acquired a majority interest in the company Nosler Bullets (also a family company), and then sold off their portion in 1988. Other ventures include Biamp Systems (1985–1986), makers of sound equipment, and Fabmark (1984–1990), a sheet metal fabrication division that serviced high technology companies.

By 1996, the company had sales of $100 million. In 1998, the water monitoring portion of Leupold & Stevens was spun off into its own privately held Portland-based business, Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, inc., with Leupold & Stevens also retaining the "Stevens" name as part of their corporate identity. In 2002, Leupold & Stevens won a Wausau Insurance Gold Award for workplace safety at the company's factory. By 2006, the company employed 600 people at its Beaverton facility.Monroe, Bill (February 27, 2006). "Oregon firms get SHOT in arm". The Oregonian. The company is now in its fifth generation of ownership.

In 2008, Leupold & Stevens purchased Redfield Optics along with its brand name and all intellectual property rights.Redfield Story In 2010, the company added almost 100 employees, bringing total employment to almost 700 by November of that year. In late 2010, a Portland Business Journal article gave the company's annual revenue as approximately $160 million, citing Reference.com for the estimate.

A new chief executive, Bruce Pettet, was named in February 2014. The 2014 NRA National Championship equipment survey listed Leupold as the most popular scope manufacturer for both the high power and high power hunter competition.

Products Leupold currently produces telescopic sights, red dot sights, binoculars, rangefinders, spotting scopes, and eyewear products in addition to scope mounts, apparel, and accessories. In 2020, Leupold launched a virtual factory tour.

Riflescopes

VX-6HD VX-5HD VX-3i LRP VX-3i VX-Freedom FX Series (fixed power) Competition Rifleman Mark 8 Mark 6 Mark 5HD D-EVO

Red dot sights

Freedom Red Dot Sight (RDS) Leupold Carbine Optic (LCO) DeltaPoint Pro

Binoculars

BX-5 Santiam HD BX-4 Pro Guide HD BX-T HD BX-2 Alpine BX-1 McKenzie BX-1 Yosemite BX-1 Rogue

Spotting scopes

SX-5 Santiam HD SX-4 Pro Guide HD Gold Ring Mark 4 SX-2 Alpine HD SX-1 Ventana

Rangefinders

RX-2800 RX-1600i RX-1300i RX-FullDraw4 RX-FullDraw3 RX-950

Mounts

Standard (STD) Dual Dovetail (DD) Quick Release (QR) Cross Slot (PRW2/QRW2/LRW) Backcountry Ringmounts Mark 4 Integrated Mounting System (IMS) Rifleman DeltaPoint

Eyewear

Tracer Packout Becnara Katmai Switchback Payload Refuge Cheyenne

Military contracts

The company's riflescopes are used by organizations such as the United States Army, the Secret Service and the Navy SEALs."World-class Oregon". (October 2, 2005). The Oregonian. The United States Navy and the Marine Corps also use their scopes.Woodward, Steve (October 14, 2001). "Military shops in Oregon". The Oregonian.

1988–2014 | M24 1989–present | M107 – Mark 4 LR/T 4.5-14x50mm 2002–present | MK12 Special Purpose Rifle (SPR) – Mark 4 MR/T 2.5-8x36mm TS-30 A2 2004–present | MK14 Enhanced Battle Rifle – Mark 4 LR/T 3.5-10x40mm 2008–2019 | M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System – Mark 4 LR/T 3.5-10x40mm 2010–present | M151 Scout Sniper Observation Telescopes (SSOT) – Mark 4 12-40X60mm Spotting Scope 2010–present | M2010 – Mark 4 ER/T 6.5-20x50mm M5A2 2011–present | Classified – Mark 8 1.1-8x24mm CQBSS 2011–present | Heavy Day Optic (HDO) – Mark 8 1.1-8x24mm CQBSS 2013–present | Enhanced Combat Optical Sight-Optimized (ECOS-O) – Mark 6 3-18x44mm 2020–present | M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System – Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44 2020–present | MK22 Mod 0 Precision Sniper Rifle – Mark 5HD 5-25x56

See also List of companies based in Oregon

References

External links