Bleecker Street Publications is expanding its sales operation with the addition of Neal Kaufman and Troy Smith, strengthening the company's ability to connect advertisers with highly engaged audiences across firearms, hunting, shooting, outdoor recreation, overlanding, extreme sports and other enthusiast markets. The move is simple: Bleecker Street Publications is growing, and its sales organization is growing with it.
Kaufman joins Bleecker in a dedicated Retail and B2C Sales role, working directly with manufacturers and brands that sell through retail channels, direct-to-consumer operations or both. Smith joins as a special sales representative for Skillset, with a focus on brands operating in overlanding, extreme sports and other firearm-adjacent categories that align naturally with Skillset's audience and editorial mission.
Together, they expand an already experienced sales organization that includes Scott Buchmayr, Amos Crowley and Scott Cherek, giving Bleecker a deeper bench of specialists capable of developing programs around the way modern brands actually sell.
Kaufman brings a background particularly well suited to Bleecker Street Publications' expanding retail and B2C focus. Originally from New York City, he spent 12 years on Wall Street before moving to northern New York, where he built a career in the automotive industry while raising his family. Coming from a military family with deep connections to law enforcement, firearms and hunting, Kaufman has been around the shooting and outdoor world from an early age. Today, he brings that firsthand understanding of enthusiast consumers together with a business background built around relationships, markets and moving products. At Bleecker, Kaufman will focus on helping manufacturers turn audience attention into meaningful retail and direct-to-consumer opportunities.
"We're not adding people just to make the org chart look bigger. We're adding people because there is more business to win, more brands to serve and more opportunities in front of us than ever before," said Charles Anderson, CEO of Bleecker Street Publications. "Neal brings a unique combination of business experience, market knowledge and a genuine understanding of the consumers our advertisers are trying to reach. That makes him a natural fit for where Bleecker is going."
Troy Smith brings an established relationship with Skillset, having contributed extensively to the publication across topics ranging from preparedness and culture to technology, history, entrepreneurship and the broader lifestyle surrounding the modern enthusiast. His new role expands that relationship into sales, specifically targeting advertisers whose products and audiences intersect with Skillset's increasingly broad editorial footprint. That includes overland, extreme sports, outdoor adventure, tactical products, lifestyle brands and other firearm-adjacent categories.
Skillset has never been interested in being boxed into a single category. Its audience is made up of people who do things. People who train, build, travel, explore, compete, shoot, wrench and generally refuse to sit on the couch. Smith's role is designed to capitalize on that.
"Skillset has an audience that doesn't fit neatly into a traditional advertising box, and that's exactly what makes it valuable," Anderson said. "Troy understands that audience, understands the brands that want to reach it and understands the culture behind it. We're giving him the opportunity to take that understanding and turn it into real partnerships for Skillset."
Kaufman and Smith join Bleecker Street Publications' existing sales representatives, creating a sales organization built around expertise rather than geography alone. Scott Buchmayr brings decades of experience across the shooting, hunting and outdoor trade. Amos Crowley combines a long career in digital advertising with deep experience representing hunting, shooting and outdoor publishers. Scott Cherek adds established experience and relationships within the outdoor and firearms marketplace.
Bleecker's sales strategy increasingly reflects the company itself: diversified, specialized and built for growth. The company reaches audiences across firearms, hunting, tactical, outdoor, fishing, overland, everyday carry and enthusiast lifestyle categories through a growing portfolio of brands and platforms.
"The old media model was about selling space. That's not what we're building," Emily Long, Chair of the Board and Chief Legal Counsel of Bleecker Street Publications said. "We're building a sales organization that understands audiences, understands brands and knows how to put the two together in ways that produce results. Sometimes that's media. Sometimes it's content. Sometimes it's programmatic. Sometimes it's retail or direct-to-consumer. The point is that we have the people and the technology to build the right solution."
Emily added, "I'm looking forward to the industry seeing what we have planned next. Neal and Troy are part of Bleecker's continuing commitment to innovation by investing in the talent, technology, and capabilities necessary to lead by example." This is the Bleecker Street Publications approach; more expertise, more markets and more ways for brands to win. Stay tuned, we are just getting started.
About Bleecker Street Publications
Bleecker Street Publications is a media company specializing in digital content across firearms, survival, tactical gear, and outdoor living. Since acquiring Athlon Outdoors in 2023, GAT Marketing in 2024 and Gun University in 2026 Bleecker Street Publications has expanded its portfolio, producing engaging, expert-driven content for enthusiasts and professionals alike.
Their popular titles include Athlon Untamed, RottenGunReviews.com, Ballistic, Tactical Life, Personal Defense World, Combat Handguns, Gun University and GAT Daily. Covering everything from expert reviews and training guides to industry news and beginner resources.