Outdoor lifestyle company Banded Holdings Inc. of Memphis on Friday named Austin Booth, the outgoing director of the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, as its next CEO.
Banded Holdings is the parent company of outdoor lifestyle brands Banded, Avery Outdoors and Thacha, which offer products ranging from waders and boots to decoys, dog vests and field blinds.
Booth announced in November that he was stepping down as head of the commission effective Jan. 4. Booth, who has led the agency since July 2021, said he was departing to pursue a greater work-life balance in the private sector.
“Joining Banded Holdings is an incredible honor,” Booth said in a news release. “As someone who has always been passionate about the outdoors and hunting traditions, I’m thrilled to lead a company at the forefront of equipping hunters and outdoor enthusiasts.”
As head of the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, Booth oversaw the beginning of the largest lake renovation in its 108-year history, a years-long project to drain Lake Conway for the construction of new water-control structures and rehabilitation of fish habitats.
Booth also oversaw a major overhaul of how the commission manages water in green tree reservoirs in wildlife management areas, a move aimed at long-term preservation of duck habitats.
“Austin is the perfect fit to lead Banded Holdings into the future,” Brandon Adams, chair of Banded Holdings’ board of directors, said in the release. “His leadership acumen, strategic vision, and deep connection to the outdoors align perfectly with our mission to provide the highest-quality products for hunters and adventurers.”
Sign up for Daily E-news
![A Standard Lithium employee at its demonstration plant in El Dorado. [Madison Ogle] ]](https://arkansasbusiness.wppcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2023.7.20_Standard_Lithium-20_opt-150x150.jpg)
