For Immediate Release:

Benchmade Continues to Add Manufacturing Jobs

February 9, 2009, OREGON CITY, Ore. - Benchmade Knife Company has hired Damascus Hopes as Value Stream Components Manager and Chris Harper as Design Engineering Manager.

“Both Damascus and Chris will be a great additions in our continued efforts to build a strong manufacturing group,” says Dave Maxey, Director of Manufacturing.

Mr. Hopes will manage Benchmade’s Component Value Stream team. He joins us from Sealy Mattress Company, where he was the Assistant Plant Superintendent. Mr. Hopes graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Environmental Science, a minor in sociology and an applied ethics certificate in environmental ethics.

Mr. Harper will be responsible for managing the Design Engineering team at Benchmade. He joins us from FMC/PPM Technologies in Newberg where he was the Operations/Manufacturing manager. Mr. Harper spent 21 years in the Navy where he engineered submarine mechanical systems and equipment. Mr. Harper received a BSME from the University of Evansville and an MSME from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.