Highland Trading Company, Inc. announced the hiring of industry veteran Mike Stepanek as sales manager. Highland Trading Company is the manufacturer and distributor of Sportube and Wildsyde Vintage Electric Bicycles.
Stepanek brings over 20 years of experience in sales and business development in the outdoor, ski and bike industries.
“I am excited and proud to be a part of the team as I really fit into the vibe and culture at the office,” said Stepanek. “We are living in unprecedented times and are adapting to the uncertainties of the travel and ski industries. We have a positive outlook, but there is a lot of unknown still. But with new challenges also comes new opportunities. Highland Trading Company has built an incredibly successful business establishing Sportube as the leader in hard case protection for skis, boards and gear. Our ski bags, boot bags and especially our heated boot bag have quality and functionality second to none. We will continue to focus efforts on the snowsports space, but we are also exploring new avenues to grow like the spearfish and waterski industries. And Wildsyde, these vintage electric cruiser bikes are just so sexy and cool. We are at the beginning stages of an enormous opportunity, and I am quite enthusiastic about joining Paul (Hields) and building something distinctive.”
Paul Hields, founder and CEO of Highland Trading Company, stated, “Mike brings diverse experience to the team and we work well together. I am confident he will add value to all aspects of the company.”
Located in the Rocky Mountains between Vail and Beaver Creek, Sportube has been a manufacturer of ski travel cases since 1995. In 2014, Sportube expanded its product mix to include ski bags, boots bags and luggage, and in 2017 launched its heated boot bag, the Toaster Elite.
“2020 has brought unique challenges to everyone’s business,” said Hields. “Our plan coming into winter 2020/21 was to have a positive stance with the inventory. We have ample stock in our Series 1, 2 and 3 hard cases as well as our ski and boot bags. Our inventory is still in good shape today, but this is changing daily as we have been fulfilling dealer’s inventory needs where they may have seen incomplete deliveries. Our team has done a great job this season shipping preseason orders and getting ASAP PO’s out the door.”
Stepanek added, “The airline travel industry remains a bit of a mystery today, so we are reminding our customers that our hard cases are versatile and can be used on a roof rack, in the back of a pickup or inside of your car protecting the interior. I think the biggest spike in 2020 fall has been our Toaster Elite heated boot bag. Accounts are selling this to the folks planning to do more backcountry skiing. It’s easy to convey the message to consumers to plug the bag into the car portal on the way to the trailhead and have toasty warm boots to put on before you begin your adventure. We anticipate our Toaster Elite heated boot bag will be a great holiday seller.”
Photo courtesy Wildsyde
