Arbor announced that Ken Perkins has come in-house as the company's sales manager. He is now responsible for driving Arbor's skate, snowboard, and apparel sales worldwide. Ken's deep roots both in the industry and with Arbor make him uniquely qualified for the job.
Ken's involvement in the industry started over 20 years ago. In the early to mid eighties, Ken began competing in local vert and street skate comps in the Midwest. Around the same time he opened a shop out of his closet selling skates and skate parts to kids around Omaha, NE, his hometown. After moving to Colorado, Ken bought into the Colorado Boarder in Crested Butte, where he worked as a manager. After a few years on the amateur circuit Ken went pro, competing in World Cup BoarderX and Extreme comps. Over the years his sponsors included Lib Tech, Spy, Cliff Bar, Ride and Wave Rave clothing. In 1996 he joined Arbor's new Ambassador Team as the company's first team rider.
After wrapping up his competitive career, Ken moved to Carlsbad, CA where he worked a brief stint as the warehouse manager for McGill's Skate Shop before becoming an independent sales rep. Ken hit the road for a wide range of companies including Genetics Footwear, Borst Surfboards, Fuse Snowskates, Ogio bags, and most importantly Arbor.
“Bringing this old friend in-house, with all his experience, completes the team that is taking Arbor down the road,” explains Arbor Co-founder and President Bob Carlson. “After nine years with the company, in one form or another, he has become part of what Arbor is. He sees what's on the horizon for Arbor and wants to help get us there.”
