Minneapolis, MN based Primer180, has hired Mike Shine to the role of director of product innovation.
Shine brings over 25 years of product design, development, and creative visioning in the outdoor industry to the position. “You name it, anything in the outdoors, and I've designed it”, said Shine. He has spent time at camping gear manufacturer HKD International as director of product design and has created products for Target, The May Company and Walmart.
“Mike comes to us with an amazing professional pedigree”, said President of Primer 180 Sarah Donnell. “We consider ourselves very lucky to have him join us. He has been on both the manufacturing side and retailer side of product development and design. While those two perspectives are counterintuitive to one another, Mike has this 360 degree, 3D vision about how the two come together. That is a rare quality
“Well, my grandfather was a newspaper man, tinkerer, inventor and machinist. And my dad was a hot-rodder who showed me how to take an engine apart and put it back together when I was just 13,” says Shine. “Product design and development is kind of in my blood. When I grew up I either wanted to be the next Walt Disney, or the next Frank Lloyd Wright, but I couldn't decide.”
