Johnson Outdoors Gear Inc. has hired former Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) sourcing executive Paul Leonard as the company’s product manager for the Eureka! camping brand. Leonard will be responsible for driving Eureka!’s product development process from product concept, design and development, to final commercialization.
Leonard is no stranger to camping equipment and has a strong background in the outdoor industry having been employed at EMS for more than 10 years. During his tenure at EMS, he started out as a sales associate and worked his way up to supervisor, product manager and then on to manager of sourcing and product development. In this position, Leonard lead the design and development team for EMS’s tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, travel gear and accessories; was responsible for sourcing and maintaining manufacturing relationships; and directed product marketing and sales efforts.
“Paul’s ability to design, develop, manufacture, and source will be a huge asset to the Eureka! brand as the company continues to grow and offer new innovations within this business category,” said Christopher Martens, business director for camping at Johnson Outdoors Gear. “With Paul’s solid consumer and retail background, he’ll bring valuable insight into what retailers, as well as our core customers – families, backpackers and wilderness enthusiasts – are looking for in camping equipment.”
Eureka! is part of the Johnson Outdoors’ family of leading outdoor recreational product brands., which include Old Town canoes and kayaks, Ocean Kayak, Necky kayaks, Minn Kota motors, Humminbird fishfinders, Scubapro and UWATEC dive equipment, Silva compasses and Jetboil cooking systems.
