Son to replace Taser chief

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Taser International Inc. said Wednesday that Chairman Phillips W. Smith will retire Oct. 23 and be succeeded by his son, Thomas P. Smith.

The stun-gun maker also said Kathleen C. Hanrahan, former chief financial officer and chief of operations, will take over as president in October after the company's board meeting.

Thomas Smith's brother, Rick Smith, remains chief executive. Their father will continue to advise the company as chairman emeritus.

Matthew G. McKay, an analyst with Jefferies & Co. who follows Taser, said he didn't expect to see much change in how the company is run. Phillips Smith had not been involved in Taser's day-to-day operations for a long time, McKay said.

"It was really Tom (Smith) and Rick (Smith) who were running the show," he said. Phillips Smith "was there, really, as a fatherly figure if they wanted to bounce something off of them."

Taser said it plans to hire a vice president of manufacturing to handle day-to-day production operations.

The Scottsdale-based company began marketing its stun guns in 1998 as an alternative way for police to subdue combative people. The stun guns deliver 50,000 volts through two darts connected to 25-foot wires. An electric current shocks the person, over-stimulating the nervous system and causing muscles to lock up.

Taser now dominates the stun gun market. More than 9,100 law enforcement agencies use its stun guns.