OCR Text |
Show By DON FT V GUHFRl M Freeport Center. Clearfield - The dic-defines dic-defines "vki" as "one if a pair of "krrow strips of wood, metal or pl.i-.tic curvinc upward in front thai are fastened to it feet and used for trav cling over snou or i'.er." ROSSIGNOL SKI Company Incorpo-ltfdcanbe Incorpo-ltfdcanbe defindcd as the largest ski com-say com-say in the United States. The firm ranks teend in world ski production and number Bsin the world wide number of pairs sold, be ski market in France and Germany is Inost as big as the United States market. "ji these two European countries every one ids. It is a way of life. Rossignol's Western oervice Manager, Keith Myers, explains. I Rossignol skis are manufactured in "France, Spain, Italy and Canada. The :xchange rate on the American dollar is so Ereat that skis can be imported cheaper than ley can be manufactured in the United Slates. Rossignol did operate a production :enter in Vermont for about five years. THE GENERAL offices and a w arehouse n Vermont service the Eastern United Mates. The warehouse and repair center at he Clearfield Freeport Center markets and erweesthe Western region from the Dako-ason Dako-ason the East to California on the West, i Michigan and Minnisota are good market ireas. California and Colorado customers account for the most sales. Rossignol moed into the Freeport Center Cen-ter in 1970. They have occupied their pre-'sent pre-'sent 40.000 square foot warehouse and .000 square foot repair center since 1973. THERE ARE IX full-time employees at to Freeport Rossignol warehouse. Keith ers. the Western Service Manager, is a Wne of Ogden. He worked in a ski shop ind enjoyed the sport. When Rossignol opened a wholesale business in Utah Keith 'Pplied lor a job with the company. The first I'&ir he worked for the company they districted distri-cted 12.000 pairs of skis. Today, this 'I'lume has increased to about 1 00. (XX) pairs Vrearthat are shipped from the Clearfield ''rehouse alone. Between 10.000 and '-OOOpairs of skis are repaired at Clearfield mnually. Mr. Myers held positions with the com-)an) com-)an) in the repair center and as a technical ePresentative before assuming the West-:r" West-:r" service manager job. THE. PLURAL form of "ski" is varied according to the time period and the dictionary diction-ary being used. It can be spelled "skis," "skiis" or "skies." The oldest, traditional spelling is "skis." There are many "plurals" in the Rossignol Rossig-nol manufacturing line. Skis are produced in three categories. Recreational skis are for the entry level beginner. These skis are not as precise. They are shorter in length to allow for easier turning. Recreational skis arc usually eye-level or head-height in length. SPORTS SKIS are one step up from the recreation.d line. These appeal to people who are good skiiers. The owner of this product can tell how a ski should perform. They ski 10 to 15 times each season. The sports ski is longer and is usually measured 10 to 15 inches above the head. Sports ski perform well for people who don't ski a lot but are proficient at the sport. Because so many people took up skiing several years ago. the Rossignol sports line-is line-is currently outselling the recreation line. MARKETS CHANGE as people's ski habits fluctuate. Studies have shown the average Utah skiier today skis about 12 times per year. TECHNOLOGY can design skis to fit the needs and style of almost every skiier. The third major category of skis is the Competition line. These are more stable and perform better at higher speeds. A competition competi-tion ski is usually 15 or 20 inches taller than the person using it. THERE IS A big market for competition skis. Now ideas for improving skis usually come from the professional skiiers w ho use the competition line. These improvements are incorporated into the novice and skilled skiier's equipment. EACH CATEGORY is divided into many sub-units. There are at least 12 alpine and eight cross-country models produced on all three levels. The price range for Rossignol skis is from S2I0 to $310. A PAIR OF skis carry a 90 ski season days warranty. Rossignol technicians have determined de-termined that if a ski has a flaw, the defect will show up quickly. Racing or competition skis will last from I to 5 years. They are being used between I20 and l SO days per year. The repair sen ice otTered by Rossignol extends the life of thousands of pairs of skis. The repair shop is a mini-manufacturing plant. Skis are actually rebuilt in the repair shop. "People are very concerned about the cosmetic or surface appearance of their skis. Repairs often consist of dclamina-lions, dclamina-lions, repainting and silk screening the logo back onto the skis," Mr. Myers explains. THE WORD "ski" originated from the Norwegian, Danish and Icelandic word meaning a "billet of wood." A "billet" is a small stick as for firewood. The Rossignol Company originated during dur-ing World War I. The skis were first produced pro-duced for French Mountain troops in 19I6-19I8. 19I6-19I8. ROSSIGNOL skis are not "billets." The company works w ith 1 1 different constructions. construc-tions. Wood, foam, fiber glass and metal are all basic materials used. Most skis have a foam core. This material can be manufactured manufac-tured uniformly to specific, quality controlled control-led standards. Each piece of wood is different. diffe-rent. This makes it hard to control the performance per-formance and the quality of a wood core ski. During the manufacturing process, each ski is checked for defects at 1 1 different points. THE SKI industry depends heavily on the amount of snow fall. "We have had two mild winters. Our production cut back because be-cause people couldn't ski. This bothers us more than the recessed economy," Keith Myers states. Today the Rossignol warehouse is almost empty. Soon shipments will begin arriving to fill the 40.000 square foot storage room. The main buying happens in March when the Las Vegas trade show opens. Skis are stocked for distribution during April, May and June. THE BIG shipping season starts in July and continues through October. Just before Christmas there is another shipping surge. The company tries to maintain a stable work force throughout the year. Employees like working for the Rossignol management. Turnover is rare. The newest employee at the Freeport warehouse was hired over two years ago. |