SALT LAKE CITY (BRAIN) — Steve Meineke, Accell North America's former president and CEO, said his transition from the bicycle industry into the outdoor market was like packing seven years of work into one.
"It's like calculating how old your dog is," said Meineke, who's now president of Keen, a major footwear brand in the outdoor industry. Meineke was at the Keen booth late in the afternoon Monday as more than a dozen staffers put the final touches on the Portland, Oregon, company's sprawling display, preparing for Tuesday's opening of Outdoor Retailer's Winter Market.
This year's Winter Market is expected to attract upwards of 20,000 attendees over the four-day expo ending Saturday. Trade Show News Network has consistently cited Outdoor Retailer as among the 25 fastest-growing trade shows by attendance in the U.S. The show is owned by Emerald Expositions, which also owns Interbike and Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.
Keen, like so many companies in this multisport industry, has deep ties to cycling. Keen also owns Chrome Industries, the San Francisco messenger and laptop bag manufacturer.
"Like many companies here, the staff at Keen is passionate about cycling," said Meineke. Several Keen employees race for Dave Guettler's team at River City Bicycles in Portland.
"We quietly reintroduced Keen's SPD-compatible sandal last October and that's doing very well," Meineke said, noting that today's consumer can best be classified as a "multi-experience" consumer who enjoys a variety of outdoor activities.
"I'll see any number of (bicycle) dealers at this show who also sell outdoor goods," said Meineke, who in the early 1990s had worked for Salomon and Nordica. As for leaving the bicycle industry after 14 years of executive management at Specialized, Raleigh and then overseeing the sale of Raleigh USA to the Accell Group, Meineke said the experience has given him some perspective on the two markets. Jumping from bicycles to shoes has made inventory management much easier. There are simply fewer parts involved in making shoes, a statement made with a smile.
"While inventory management is never easy, it's more logical in this industry," he said. With two Outdoor Retailer shows — summer and winter — Keen books almost 85 percent of its orders at the shows. For retailers in the outdoor market, Keen is a "go-to brand," he added.
Nonetheless, Meineke said independent bicycle dealers and independent retailers in the outdoor market share a passion for their business. "And I can tell you that the independent spirit in the outdoor market is alive and well," Meineke said.
