Jared Wood – Sellmark Corp.

With its wide array of accessories and equipment, such as thermal and night vision technology, daytime optics, tripods, laser sights, flashlights and ballistic protection products, Sellmark Corp. helps hunters and outdoor enthusiasts make the most of their days spent in tree stands, out in the field or on the shooting range.

To help demonstrate how well Sellmark’s products work, the company also has a 6,800-acre ranch 90 miles south of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, that provides guests “an immersive experience,” as General Counsel Jared Wood says.

Jared Wood | General Counsel | Sellmark Corp.

As Sellmark’s first in-house counsel, Wood has immersed himself in managing day-to-day legal affairs and compliance while also managing the land acquisitions to create Sellmark Ranch. He also manages M&A, having guided two acquisitions that added more products to the company portfolio and helped the company expand into Asia as it opened an office in Bangkok, Thailand.

While Wood is quick to add that his efforts have been possible through extensive collaborations with outside counsel, taking on the all-encompassing legal role while providing business advice and counsel is just what he’d been hunting for in his career.

“Sellmark’s goal is to be the number one developer of outdoor products,” Wood says. “We’re growing our footprint globally and I enjoy helping diversify our overall business, both organically and through acquisitions.”

On the ranch

Headquartered in Mansfield, Texas, a city on the southern edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Sellmark was founded in 2000 and adheres to its motto of “brands that sell.”

While being recognized four times as a top 100 private company in Tarrant County by Fort Worth Business Press as well as a finalist for the Dallas 100 Entrepreneur of the Year award by the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship at the SMU Cox School of Business, Sellmark has also been named four times to online business publication Inc. 5000 America’s Fastest-Growing Companies list.

Wood guided the land acquisitions to create Sellmark Ranch beginning in 2021. That included negotiating purchase prices and agreements, handling tax and regulatory issues, and the required planning to make the properties a ranching operation.

“We were working to parcel multiple tracts of land together, many of which had varied existing uses,” Wood says. “Those included oil and gas, farming, cattle and hunting operations. Some were simply homesteads for the previous owners.”

Sellmark Ranch, which opened in late 2021, includes a five-bedroom main lodge and can accommodate as many as 20 guests. The ranch offers guests hiking trails, guided hunts and fishing. It’s a place to test the company’s products with vendors and suppliers and a working ranch where livestock, including cattle and sheep, are raised.

“It’s a way for Sellmark to leave a legacy,” Wood says. “Our goal is to create a natural and sustainable environment where people can connect with nature and positively impact the land and its inhabitants.”

Wood’s efforts to help Sellmark’s expansion aren’t limited to the Lone Star State. In May, the company opened its Bangkok office, its second overseas location (an office in Sofia, Bulgaria, opened in 2017).

Wood says Sellmark’s Asian expansion had been discussed for several years because it would help communications with the company’s vendors and suppliers while opening it to new markets. While establishing the new office, Wood also worked with outside counsel from Bangkok-based Chandler MHM to navigate the legal and regulatory landscape in establishing a new subsidiary company.

Wood says Chandler’s support was vital in complying with Thai regulations in areas including structure, tax, financing, and labor and employment.

Adding products

When Sellmark adds to its product portfolio through acquisition, Wood is one of the main contact points as teams like sales and marketing hear of opportunities.

After joining the company in August 2020, he helped integrate Kopfjager, a manufacturer of shooting rests and tripods, bought from a group of Dallas SWAT police officers in 2019.

In acquiring BulletSafe, a manufacturer of bullet-proof vests and other ballistic protection products in 2020 and flashlight makers INFORCE in 2022, Wood worked with Jackson Walker’s corporate and tax teams on structuring the purchases.

Wood says while the company frequently hears of M&A opportunities, assessing a potential acquisition’s value and market share and risk factors in a purchase are more challenging because of the COVID-19 pandemic and aftermath.

Some businesses he’s looked at saw revenue and profitability spikes during the pandemic that has not been sustained over the past year or two, for instance.

However, Wood says Sellmark is actively looking to add more products if a deal works for the company. The company is also focused on adding to its real estate portfolio to expand Sellmark Ranch and its R&D capacity and infrastructure in the Metroplex.

All-encompassing work

Wood, born and raised in Plano, north of Dallas, is still rooted in the Metroplex area. He and his wife, whom he met in law school, are raising two children and enjoy traveling. Wood enjoys running and playing golf when he has the chance.

He attended Baylor University in Waco, earning a bachelor’s degree in 2008 and then his J.D. in 2011. After graduating, Wood worked in private practice as a corporate and securities attorney at firms in Dallas and Fort Worth before coming in-house with Sellmark.

Transitioning to his in-house role has widened the focus of his legal practice. When he joined Sellmark, he oversaw HR and was responsible for compliance, all of which suits him well, he says.

“Being in discussions on the growth and strategy side of the business is exciting,” Wood says. “I enjoy getting operational experience and being part of the processes that help Sellmark expand.”