Mountain Hardwear® Announces Appointment of Separate U.S. Sales Managers Over Mountain Hardwear and Montrail® Brands
Richmond, Calif. – April 13, 2011 – Mountain Hardwear Inc., a leading mountaineering, outdoor equipment and clothing company, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company (Nasdaq:COLM), today appointed new U.S. sales managers over its Mountain Hardwear and Montrail brands to lead the strategic growth of each brand through brand-enhancing distribution channels.
Topher Gaylord, president of Mountain Hardwear, noted, “Our commitment to building distinct sales organizations reflects our strong belief in each brand’s growth potential and the recognition that the advanced performance benefits of Mountain Hardwear apparel and equipment, and Montrail footwear are best communicated to our highly discerning customers by sales professionals who have demonstrated category and brand expertise.”
Jason R. McGibbon, 38, will drive Mountain Hardwear’s U.S. sales strategy, leveraging more than a decade of sales and marketing experience during which he developed strong relationships with leading chain and specialty outdoor, sporting goods and hunt/fish retailers. McGibbon most recently served as vice president of sales for American Recreation Products in Boulder, Colorado, where he led the global sales strategy in support of the company’s portfolio of brands. His outdoor industry experience also includes sales and customer service leadership roles with New Balance Performance Outerwear and The North Face.
“Jason’s experience organizing and motivating sales teams to pursue healthy growth in outdoor channels will be instrumental as we pursue Mountain Hardwear’s substantial U.S. potential,” said Gaylord, to whom McGibbon will report.
McGibbon commented, “I’m thrilled to be joining a trusted, high-performance brand and look forward to working with our customers and the entire Mountain Hardwear team to fuel continued growth.”
Jason Hill, 32, brings eight years of running industry experience and a lifetime of personal passion for running to the newly-created role of U.S. sales manager for the Montrail brand. For the past four years he has served as product manager responsible for developing running, hiking, insulated and youth footwear at The North Face. His prior experience includes serving as a specialty running footwear sales representative for an independent sales agency and as a retail sales associate at Boulder Running Company in Colorado.
“Montrail’s performance benefits are earning increased accolades across the running community,” said Kirk Richardson, business director of Montrail, to whom Hill will report. “The brand is poised for growth and will greatly benefit from Jason’s customer relationships and team-building skills, as well as from his personal knowledge of the performance needs of Montrail’s consumers.”
Hill added, “I’m privileged to join this great team and excited about the opportunity to increase Montrail’s penetration in the U.S. specialty running market to a level that reflects the outstanding performance it delivers for runners of all abilities.”
ABOUT MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR
Mountain Hardwear, Inc., based in Richmond, California, designs and markets cutting edge mountaineering and outdoor apparel, equipment and accessories for ultimate performance in extreme conditions. Established in 1993 by a group of outdoor industry veterans, Mountain Hardwear is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company. Mountain Hardwear distributes its products through specialty outdoor and sporting goods retailers throughout the United States and 58 countries worldwide. Mountain Hardwear has won numerous product and customer service awards since its inception, reflecting the company’s commitment and passion to innovation and service. It’s our relentless drive to create the absolute best that makes us who we are. Mountain Hardwear. www.MountainHardwear.com
