PowerBar announced the addition of Mike McQueeney as the new sales manager for the company’s sports specialty sales division. McQueeney joins PowerBar with more than 20 years of experience in the cycling and sporting goods industries. In his new position, McQueeney will manage PowerBar’s independent specialty sales force, comprised of more than 40 account managers across the U.S., and the team’s 2005-2006 specialty sales initiatives including a newly-formed partnership with Quality Bike Products (QBP) and nutrition education programs in the field.

An avid runner and cyclist, McQueeney comes to Berkeley, California-based PowerBar from Denver, Colorado, where he was the owner of two “Golden Bear Bikes” retail stores since 1997. McQueeney successfully doubled his bicycle shop business in less than five years, and sold the two retail venues in 2005. From 1995-1997, McQueeney distributed bicycles and cycling clothing throughout the Western U.S. as a factory rep for Cannondale Corporation, and prior to that was an independent cycling industry sales rep in Northern California, working with manufacturers including Bell Sports, Giro and Merlin.

“Mike’s extensive background in the cycling and specialty sports industries spans a variety of roles from bicycle shop owner to factory rep to independent sales, all of which offer PowerBar a unique and valuable perspective for the sales manager position,” said PowerBar sales team leader Brian Sorenson. “We welcome Mike and his expertise to our specialty retail sales team, which also includes new dedicated telemarketing and customer service staff committed to supporting PowerBar’s specialty retailers.”

This month McQueeney and PowerBar’s sports specialty team will kick off a new partnership with Quality Bike Products, a premier distributor in the bicycling industry. The companies will work to expand PowerBar’s retail presence via access to QBP’s 5,400 specialty retailers throughout the U.S., providing retailers with product shipments at the box level, same-day shipping, free freight for orders over $600 dollars and the support of more than 70 customer service and sales professionals. In return, PowerBar will support its current specialty retailer sales force with unprecedented sales incentives for QBP orders executed in their territories.

Later this year, PowerBar’s specialty sales force will extend the company’s consumer-based nutrition education campaign to target specialty retailers with educational clinics and resources surrounding nutrition and hydration.