Hattiesburg, MS – During the May, 2017 TMA Members' Conference at Big Cedar Lodge, the TMA Board of Directors named John Louk as the 2017 inductee to the Treestand Hall of Fame.

The award came as a big surprise to Louk, who currently serves TMA as Executive Director. Among those who attended the Awards Banquet were: Paul Meeks (Founder of API Outdoors and 2010 Inductee), Tom Gallagher (Cabela's VP of Merchandising in Hunting and 2012 Inductee) and Lorne "LJ" Smith, Jr. (Founder of Smith Investigation and 2014 Inductee).

The presentation included the reading of a resolution stating some of John's contributions to the treestand industry: Co-founder of Ol'Man Treestands along with his father in the late 1980's, a founding member of the Treestand Manufacturer's Association in 1995, the Association's first Executive Director in 2003, instrumental in setting up treestand safety training courses in over thirty states and training over 1,600 volunteer instructors, instrumental in setting up the Treestand Accident Investigation & Reconstruction Courses in fourteen states training over 350 wildlife officers how to properly investigate treestand incidents, and volunteering to serve as Chairman of the ASTM Subcommittee on Treestands (continuing his involvement with industry standards) in 2014.

Receiving the award, John was somewhat overwhelmed with emotion and made the following comments: "I am truly humbled to receive this award and consider this a great honor. It's a real pleasure for me to have been given the opportunity to contribute to this industry for the past 27 years. I am truly grateful for your support and it's my privilege to continue to serve as your Executive Director."

The Treestand Manufacturer's Association (TMA) is a nonprofit trade association. For over 20 years, TMA has specifically devoted its resources to promoting treestand safety through education. It endeavors to improve treestand safety through the support of its members as well as fostering relationships with like-minded organizations.

Contact: John Louk
Phone: (601) 584-7983, Email: info@tmastands.com