Well, the team is hitting the road again next week for the semi-annual trip out to OR. Brian and Vanessa have been in CO working and finalizing some wedding plans (37 days!! eek!) and Sunday, Bryan and Dave Paradise will join them on Monday for some climbing, grilling and prep.
Then, it is off to the beautiful land of selling!

No stories lately, so what has AAO been up to?

June saw most of the team on the road. After picking up Osprey, Brian flew down to Cortez for some training and bike to work day! He came back with great insight and a fresh vigor for the brand. We look forward to show the new line to you all!

Sunday and Vanessa spent June on the road for preshows. Vanessa started in early June with a trip to SLC for the GOA show. Always such a beautiful show and a great time. Then she, Sunday and Brian flew to Portland to preview the new SP09 END line, which looks incredible. Super light and road ready!

Then it was back to the middle of the country for a 3500 mile blitz of the territory for preshows. Marquette and Minneapolis played home to Sunday and Vanessa for a week. Brian and Vanessa finished up in Fargo and Omaha just in time for 4th of July!

Then it was preparation for the MORE show in Madison. For an inaugural show, it was a great success. We had a blast planning the fashion show and were able to see a lot of accounts and get some business done early. The venue was great, right on the lake at Monona Terrace, and we had our Mission Playground sales manager out for the show.

Please check out the details and think about it for next summer. www.morexchange.org!

And now we are ready for more selling actions. Look forward to seeing you all out there!

Posted: 06/27/2008 In Category: Outdoor Manufacturer
Posted By: Kristin Carpenter-Ogden

Osprey Packs, Inc., an independent pack company located in the high desert and mountains of Southwestern Colorado, is pleased to announce the addition of two new sales representation teams to their U.S. rep force. Effective immediately, Ames Adventure Outfitters will cover the North Central territory, and The Alpine Cowboy will cover the South Central territory.

“These two territories continue to grow and contain some of the stronger independent retailers in the U.S. I’m excited to enter the Spring ’09 selling season with such strong rep groups on our team -- and I’m happy for the buyers and shop employees in these territories to receive the unique support that Brian’s and Koby’s teams offer,” said John Pieper, Osprey’s sales director. “Both Rep groups will help Osprey continue to strengthen our presence in the middle section of the country and will be a lot of fun to work with.”

Iowa-based Ames Adventure Outfitters (AAO) will oversee Osprey’s sales efforts in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, upper Michigan and Wisconsin. Under the leadership of Brian Block, AAO is widely recognized as a top agency. The AAO team also includes: Vanessa Hohn, Sunday Park, and Bryan Gillam.

Brian brings 16 years of industry experience, and has been representing national outdoor brands since 2003. His strong relationships with Midwest dealers stem from his commitment to technical staff clinics and a technology-savvy approach to sales representation. In addition to Osprey, AAO currently represents Marmot, Snow Peak, END, Oboz and others.

Brian can be reached by phone at 515-451-3983 or brian@goaao.com.

Koby and Stephanie Crooks, of Austin, Texas-based The Alpine Cowboy, will oversee Osprey’s sales efforts in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. In addition to Osprey, they represent several national brands, including Marmot, Icebreaker, Horny Toad, and Salomon Footwear. Koby & Stephanie have created a new standard for sales representation in the South Central. With almost a decade of experience and dedication to this region, they offer a unique package of sales, marketing, and clinic creativity.

Koby can be reached at telephone 512-629-5629 or koby@alpinecowboy.com and Stephanie can be reached at 512-627-2339 or stephanie@alpinecowboy.com.

About Osprey PacksFrom its humble beginnings building custom backpacks and sleeping bags in Santa Cruz California, to its current recognition as an industry leader, Osprey has always flown its own course. Their mission is to create innovative high performance gear that reflects a love of adventure and a devotion to the outdoors and the environment. Osprey defines success when it meets the demanding expectation of its most discerning customers. Based in Cortez, Colorado, Osprey has over thirty-five years of pack-making experience.

Visit us on the web at www.ospreypacks.com or on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Osprey-Packs/27230905321