Bergans USA LLC, the U.S. subsidiary of Norway's Bergans outdoor brand announced it has added three new reps to its independent sales force.
Joining the company are experienced outdoor industry reps Bob Kirkup, Terry Mullins and Kurt Watkins.
“Bob, Terry and Kurt are solid professionals in their territories with the connections to grow the Bergans brand,” said Keith Patterson, Bergans USA's vice president of sales and marketing. “I've worked with all of them before, and I'm glad to be working with them again. With them joining our existing sales team, we are now better able to serve North American retailers.”
With extensive experience in the outdoor, ski, boat, and bike industries, Kirkup is based in Ontario, Canada and will be responsible for sales in Eastern Canada. Mullins, based in Minneapolis, is a veteran of the ski, outdoor, and boat industries, and will cover the Upper Midwest. Kirkland, Wash.-based Watkins will be responsible for the Pacific Northwest with sales experience ranging from apparel to footwear, packs, tents, and sleeping bags.
Located in Longmont, Colo., Bergans USA is led by longtime industry executive Patry “Pat” Loomis as CEO. Before joining Bergans, Loomis and Patterson worked together introducing Deuter to the US market.
The three new reps join Bergans existing sales force, which includes Joanne and Frank Kapilla (Great Lakes Region), Loretta Sutter (Northeast), Nanci Thomas (Rockies) and Melanie Whittall (Western Canada).
During Outdoor Retailer Winter Market and the SIA Snow Show, Bergans launched its 2012/2013 backcountry and resort ski-clothing line, and will soon re-introduce a select range of packs, tents, and packable canoes for the coming season.
For more information about Bergans of Norway and its products, go to www.bergans.com. For North American sales questions, contact Keith Patterson at keith.patterson@bergans.com.
About Bergans of Norway
Bergans was established in 1908, when Ole Ferdinand Bergan invented the first anatomical backpack. Today backpacks, sleeping bags, functional outdoor clothing and tents are part of the portfolio of Bergans of Norway, as well as the packable canoes named ALLY. Adventurers such as South Pole conqueror Roald Amundsen, Mount Everest pioneer Sir Edmund Hillary, and “Heroes” of our time such as Rune Gjeldnes or Cecilie Skog also traveled to the North and South Poles with Bergans equipment.
The headquarter of Bergans Fritid AS is situated in Hokksund, 60 km southwest of Oslo, where 90-plus employees work in development, research, design and sales. Bergans is a market leader in Norway and steadily growing in several export markets in Central Europe and North America (www.bergans.com).
