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Show LU bid eel Se 8... alti Rnr ie + 3 Wasatch Canyon Reporter VETTA ANNOUNCES CHANGES Utah Ski Industry Gains Prestige with IN THEIR DISTRIBUTION SIA & Outdoor Retailers Shows Utah, and Salt Lake City specie is fast becoming the center of the ski world for .North America. With Outdoor Retailers now having their convention here twice each year and the arrival of the new PARK The reasons for Salt Lakes increasing stature are quite logical. Epic skiing near a major metropolis, and convenient airport access. SIA Snow-show (pre-convention intro show) Salt Lake cements its emerging eminence in every major aspect of the ski While much of the ski industry is in financial decline, the growing portions of the industry are well represented here. Backcountry skiing is growing at ten per- industry. While Las Vegas still has the big cent per year (Powder, Feb 97), and is SIA show in March, all we need is a little spawning a tremendous number of small bigger, OK a lot bigger, Salt Palace and we could have that too. businesses. In the Salt Lake area Voile, Evolution, Liston Concepts, Chisco, Vortex Backpacks, Black Diamond, and With fourteen of the finest ski resorts in ‘the world, and unarguably the “Greatest Snow on Earth,” Utah has long been regarded a Mecca for skiing. Financially however the east coast has long driven the industry. Several changes have suggested a trend towards Utah becoming an economic center for skiing. The start was the movement of the entire U.S. Ski Team to Park City. Continuing the trend waS the announcement of the successful 2002 winter Olympic bid. This is a harbinger of fortune for Salt Lake City. Recently both the Ski Industries America Snow-Show, and the Outdoor Retailers show have moved to the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake many others are working to build this burgeoning industry. The rocket ship in the ski industry is, of course, snowboarding. Salt Lake is well represented in this area with number of successful firms. leading manufacturer and snowboards, also does DeFacto, designer a_ a of significant amount of production for other area companies. Caution Snowboards, Absolute Soul, Gangplanks, and other growing companies are working to keep Salt Lake in the thick of the snowboard industry. The future for the ski & snowboard industry in Utah couldn’t be brighter. SIA show will be in Utah, Jan 19-24 Outdoor Retailers show Salt Lake January 25-28 oe Ll | bec Ue J bel earn www.liston.com — will be in CITY, Utah (January 16, 1997{— CHANNELS Vetta Sports, Inc., worldwide performance bicycle and fitness accessory company, announced today that effective immediately it will begin selling product directly to dealers in the US through a new regional sales force. Vetta believes the change in distribution strategy will allow it to provide better — | service to its dealers. “The two-tier distribution system kept us at arm’s length from a valuable source of information— our dealers. Establishing a direct link with dealers will bring us closer to our customers and more aware of their needs,” said Jeffrey Sanchez, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Vetta. “We consistently strive to develop product that offers our customers value m-performance aid PNICe= our new distribution strategy will enable us to achieve this goal.’ According to a Sept.1996 Mountain Bike Magazine subscriber study, Vetta is the leading brand of saddle currently used, as well as the #1 brand consumers plan to buy. Vetta also ranked second in brand of cycle computers and heart rate monitors owned Such brand name recognition and consumer demand translates directly into sales for the dealer. Selling direct to dealers allows Vetta to provide aggressive sales programs, effective point-of-sale materials, service kits, and knowledgeable technical support for its dealers. The regional sales representatives will handle orders and provide on-the-spot service and training. Al’ of this ae up to personalized attention to our dealers. “We have hand-picked 21 of the best, most experienced ied professional salespeople in the United States to bring our product to our dealers,” Sanchez said. “They will be instrumental in servicing the dealers needs as well as educating them on how our products increase their customers’ cycling enjoyment.” With its US operations located in Park City, Utah, Vetta has hired Aspen Distribution, a contract warehouse and order fulfillment firm based in Salt Lake City, to begin shipping Vetta a products in February. The company has more than 15 years of experience in handling consumer products for a number of Fortune 500 companies such as M&M/Mars, WamerLambert, and Abbott Laboratories. Aspen’s reputation for superior service and dedication to complete customer satisfaction make the company an ideal partner in Vetta’s commitment to the Independent Bicycle Dealer. | |