Press release – 15 March 2016
Five of John Rigby & Co.’s team have been awarded certificates recognising the quality of their work by the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers.
Mark Renmant, Olivier Leclercq, Brice Swieton, Vladimir Tomascik and Geoffrey Lignon were all commended by an assessment panel from the livery company for their work on the firm’s Jim Corbett commemorative rifle, which sold at the Safari Club International auction in February for a record breaking $250,000. In addition, Rigby’s Factory Manager, Mark Renmant, has been shortlisted for the Worshipful Company’s McMillan Trophy and Silver Prize medal for excellence in gunmaking.
The awards were made under the livery company’s certification scheme, which aims to support and promote the gunsmith’s craft by recognising and rewarding modern gunmaking talent in the UK. Out of those certified each year, a shortlist is compiled for the trophy and prize medal, which are awarded annually at the organisation’s nomination dinner in November.
Rigby’s managing director Marc Newton said: “We’re all delighted. I know how hard the team has worked – not just on this rifle but on every gun that leaves our workshop – and I’m extremely proud of them and they fully deserve this formal recognition. I couldn’t be happier that Mark has been shortlisted for the McMillan Trophy. He has been a well liked and highly respected figure in the UK gun trade for over 30 years and a vital part of the Rigby team since we returned to London in 2013. What’s more, on top of producing work of the highest quality, he has also been a guiding hand for many young gunsmiths starting out in our world, myself included.”