Jim Wehrs graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelors of Science degree in Manufacturing Management and Product Development. He also has his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota.
After graduation from college Jim worked for a large machine tool builder as an engineer designing large computer controlled production equipment. His work required him to travel abroad in Europe and Asia to work with customers who required unique and specialized production equipment. Jim's engineering background in metals; heat treating and mechanical devises would serve him well when later in his career he began work in the knife industry.
He worked as Vice President of operations for Strippit, a division of Houdaille Industries, a national manufacturer of computer controlled machine tools where he was part of a four man team that tuned around the eighty-five million dollar company and made it profitable through innovative redesign of their main product lines and streamlining of their manufacturing processes.
He left Houdaille to accept a position with Gerber Legendary Blades, a division of Fiskars Inc. where he was assigned to turn around the profitability of Gerber Legendary Blades, a company Fiskars had recently acquired. 
Jim jumped at the opportunity and over the next eleven years took Gerber from a non-profitable company to a thriving organization with an above average return. During this time the company flourished as Jim opened new markets for Gerber by supporting the development of the Multi-Tool business that quickly turned into a significant portion of the company's gross sales and helped level the seasonality of the knife business. During Jim's tenure at Gerber many breakthrough products were developed in additions to the Multi-Tools such as the Gator folding knifes, the Applegate Fairbairn combat knives and E-Z-Out tactical series of pocket knives.
Jim's success at Gerber prompted Fiskars to ask Jim to join the corporate team and assume the role of Director of Mergers and Acquisitions. In this new role Jim was instrumental in acquiring several new divisions in Europe for the corporation. While Jim felt challenged in his new role he could not deny he had developed a love of high quality knives and the knife industry during his time with Gerber. Jim had always nursed a dream of starting his own company and in 2001 left Fiskars and founded Lone Wolf Knives, his new company close to his old neighborhood in Portland Oregon.
Lone Wolf Knives is now a dream turned to reality for Jim so expect some of the most exciting knives you have ever seen from his company in the years to come. Jim enjoys working with many of the custom knife makers within the industry and with their help will be introducing some very exciting knives from Lone Wolf Knives. Lone Wolf Knives is "Standing Proud".
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Executive
Profiles
(Wolves at work)
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