Shimano gives birthday group to shop employee • Hydrapak hires Tracey Brown and works with True North • Yakima makes Whispbar separate brand • OR show offers live web show
KNOXVILLE, TN (BRAIN) Thursday August 2 2012 3:45 PM MT—Cedar Bluff Cycles' Jon Crowson got a big surprise on his birthday: a call from Shimano, telling him he had won a new Dura Ace 9000 group.
Crowson said he thought he was being pranked when he got the call on July 5, but eventually learned that he was being rewarded for completing Shimano's 100,000th technical training module in the company's Technology Education and Certification program.
Crowson, 23, said he would put the new parts on his custom Moots road frame. "I can't wait to put Dura Ace 9000 to the test during some races," he said.
Shimano launched its S-TEC program contains more than 50 training modules. Since it was launched it has been used by 4,300 store employees from 2,500 North American bike shops.
The component giant offers product giveaways each month as a bonus to S-TEC users. In June, for example, Shimano gave away the first 100 XT Shadow RD+ rear derailleurs that arrived in their warehouses.
Training modules for Dura Ace 9000, Saint and Zee parts along with Di2 Service are in production and will be released over the rest of this year.
Hydrapak hires Tracey Brown and works with True North
OAKLAND, CA (BRAIN) Thursday August 2 2012 3:55 PM MT—Hydrapak has named Tracey Brown as its new business development specialist.
Brown has 12 years of international, military and national account sales experience under her belt, including 10 years at Camelbak.
Matt Patterson, Hydrapak’s director of sales, said the company is “excited to have a person of Tracey’s stature representing the brand within key markets.”
Hydrapak's OE customer list has recently grown to include True North, am worldwide distributor of products for firefighters and search and rescue.
Hydrapak will supply custom hydration systems for True North packs designed for military, SAR, wildland firefighting and industrial use.
Yakima Products makes Whispbar a stand-alone brand
PORTLAND, OR (BRAIN) Thursday August 2 2012 3:58 PM MT—Yakima Products, Inc., will establish Whispbar as a stand-alone brand, the company has announced
Whispbar was launched in 2011 and created by a former Rolls Royce engineer. The aerodynamic cargo system is intended for auto enthusiasts. As its own brand, Whispbar will add a line of bike, boat and ski mounts, as well as introduce new packaging and a new web site, to launch November 1.
“With Whispbar and Yakima, we are meeting the needs of a variety of consumers, whether they are car enthusiasts or outdoor enthusiasts,” said Bobbie Parisi, Yakima's global vice president. “Both brands are creating a new level of consumer intrigue … that will ultimately benefit the retailer by driving consumers into stores who may not have considered purchasing a rack before.”
OR show offers livestreamed news show
SALT LAKE CITY, UT (BRAIN) Thursday August 2 2012 4:00 PM MT—Anyone not lucky enough to attend this week's Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Utah can get a taste of what's going on by tuning in to a daily livestreamed video talkshow, called The mORning Show.
The daily show is being produced by FreeRange Media in association with Backcountry.com. It's being hosted by Doug Schnitzspahn, along with on-the-floor reporters, and sponsored by Columbia Sportswear. Guests include Jimmy Chin, Renan Ozturk, and Black Diamond CEO Peter Metcalf.
The mORning Show will air on Thursday through Saturday at 8:00 am MDT on the following sites: Backcountry.com’s Facebook page; Columbia Sportswear’s Tumblr page; and the mORning Show Ustream channel.
FreeRange's Mike Geraci noted that the shows will give consumers a view into the trade-only OR event.
“Consumers are now more savvy than ever and demand to be privy to the same information as industry insiders,” he said. “This open look into the workings of the industry is a natural progression of the way digital and social media channels have sated consumers’ thirst for information on what is hot, trending and influential in the industry.”
Related: Previous News Briefs
