FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 8, 2026
NEW ULM, MN — The Archery Trade Association is pleased to announce Rob Kaufhold, founder of Lancaster Archery Supply, as the 2026 ATA Industry Icon Award recipient. This award was presented Jan. 7 during the ATA Industry Celebration, presented by Mossy Oak.
The ATA Industry Icon Award honors individuals who have founded industry-leading companies, developed industry-changing products or made lasting contributions to significantly increase participation in archery and bowhunting.
“Among the worthy accomplishments of many individuals and organizations, we are proud to recognize this year’s Industry Icon Award recipient for his long and meaningful contributions to the archery and bowhunting industry," Jeff Poole, ATA president and CEO, said.
Kaufhold is a nationally recognized competitive archer and four-time All-American at James Madison University. His achievements include a U.S. National Outdoor Championship, multiple USA Archery World Field Team selections, four U.S. Olympic Festival appearances, and numerous national, Eastern and Pennsylvania records.
In 1983, Kaufhold founded Lancaster Archery Supply in a garage on the property of his father’s machine shop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Alongside the business, Kaufhold and his father launched Full-Adjust Archery Products, manufacturing archery sights, stabilizers, arrow straighteners and accessories sold to dealers across the U.S. and internationally. That operation laid the foundation for Lancaster Archery Supply’s wholesale distribution business.
Lancaster Archery Supply began with just two employees and steadily grew into one of the world’s leading archery retailers and distributors. In 1988, the LAS Pro Shop was built above the Kaufhold Machine Shop. Soon after, Kaufhold began traveling to tournaments selling products directly to archers from a Ford truck with a sign on the tailgate that said, “Follow Me to Lancaster Archery Supply.” In 1992, the company launched the first LAS Express mobile pro shop and published its first dealer catalog, further expanding its support of archery retailers.
The Lancaster Archery Academy opened in 2014 to introduce new participants to the sport and support archers at every level of development. Thousands of archers now train and compete on the Academy’s ranges each year.
In 2018, Kaufhold launched Competition Archery Media to expand archery’s reach through digital and television broadcasts. In 2021, CAM delivered the first live archery broadcasts in Outdoor Group history, with coverage of the Delta McKenzie Pro/Am Tour reaching more than 1.1 million viewers over five seasons.
Kaufhold further advanced the sport with the formation of the Lancaster Archery Foundation in 2019. The foundation supports grassroots archery programs, collegiate scholarships and international competition for Team USA athletes. To date, it has awarded 195 grants, more than $150,000 in scholarships, and over $125,000 to archers competing internationally.
Kaufhold’s achievements with Lancaster, innovation in bringing archery products to the public with his mobile range, and philanthropic efforts with the foundation make him a worthy recipient of this year’s Industry Icon Award.
The ATA Awards Program was created in 2020 to recognize individuals and companies that make significant contributions to the future of archery.
For more information about the ATA’s awards program, contact Jennifer Mazur, ATA's senior director of outreach and education, at jennifermazur@archerytrade.org or (507) 233-8139.
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