Matt Gelfand has left his post as CEO of Universal Safety Response, the Franklin manufacturer of security barriers he founded 16 years ago.

Smith & Wesson, which acquired USR in June of last year, has named Barry Willingham president of its Perimeter Security Division, which houses USR. Willingham had been COO of the unit.

"We thank Matt for his many contributions, one of which was the establishment of a strong management team with substantial industry experience that is ready to lead us into future growth," said Michael Golden, president and CEO of Smith & Wesson.

Gelfand hired the 50-year-old Willingham in March of this year as part of a plan to grow USR's business into related security fields. The company, which employs more than 100 people, has seen strong growth in the year since its purchase but recently reported that its order backlog had shrunk by a third from year-ago levels.

"Barry Willingham has extensive management experience in the security and construction industries, including strategic planning and product development," Golden said. "He has expanded and reorganized the sales force and implemented new business processes and systems designed to prepare us for future growth."