Hincapie Sportswear names Evans Cycles as U.K. distributor • GoPro founder an Entrepreneur of the Year • MerchantOS offers online product listing through amlbs.com • Sinclair hires Echevarria and Steverman • GranFondo Whistler brings back VeloSpoke expo
GREENVILLE, SC (BRAIN) Wednesday June 6 2012 5:06 PM MT—Hincapie Sportswear has announced that Evans Cycles will be its exclusive distributor in the United Kingdom, the first step in an international expansion for the brand.
Evans, which celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2011, is a chain with 47 retail locations and a website.
"We’ve had a great deal of interest from UK cyclists, and Evans’ extensive reach and reputation for service, quality and knowledge provides an ideal opportunity to reach the market,” said James Samuel, Hincapie Sportswear general manager.
Hincapie’s spring/summer 2012 line is already available in Evans stores and online.
Hincapie is finalizing distributor relationships in Germany, Denmark, Australia and Japan, with future plans for Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland and other countries worldwide.
GoPro founder an Entrepreneur of the Year
SAN JOSE, CA (BRAIN) Wednesday June 6 2012 4:26 PM MT—Nicholas Woodman, the founder and CEO of the helmet camera brand GoPro, is among the winners of the Entrepreneur of the Year for Northern California.
The award program, now in its 26th year, was sponsored by Ernst & Young LLP and winners were selected by a judging panel made up of previous winners of the award. The winners were announced June 2 in San Francisco.
Regional winners are eligible for the national Entrepreneur of the Year award.
MerchantOS offers online product listing through amlbs.com
Retail POS system provider MerchantOS is linking retailers' product availability to amlbs.com (At My Local Bike Shop).
BikePedia and Scott Sports are among the other brands linking to amlbs, which is run by Vendor-Link Cycling.
More than 200 MerchantOS retailers have previously opted in to have their POS inventory be searchable on the internet.
For bike retailers with MerchantOS, listing with amlbs.com takes 5 minutes, the company said.
Sinclair hires Echevarria and Steverman
VERDI, NV (BRAIN) Wednesday June 6 2012 5:18 PM MT—Sinclair Imports has hired Nick Echevarria as brand manager for Stevens. The company said Echevarria's background in downhill racing will help Stevens push into the mountain bike market.
"We want our customers to recognize that we provide top-of-the-line mountain frames and components and we know hiring Nick is a step in that direction," a Sinclair statement said.
Also joining Sinclair's online sales department is Mark Steverman, an avid road cyclist that has been in the bicycle industry for over 10 years. Sinclair will launch a new webstore at the end of the summer.
GranFondo Whistler brings back VeloSpoke expo
VANCOUVER, BC (BRAIN) Wednesday June 6 2012 4:54 PM MT—VeloSpoke, a consumer bike expo held in conjunction with the GranFondo Whistler, is back for a second edition this September 6-7.
The expo is being held at the Vancouver Convention Centre during packet pickup for GranFondo, which has more than 7,000 participants.
“Last year’s sold-out show tells us there is a tremendous appetite for a consumer cycling show in Vancouver,” said Mark Lavigne, the show director.
The show will also have some fun and interactive features including bike blender stations, a telecommunications hub, a signature photo wall and a designated sponsor zone for GranFondo Canada sponsors.
More information: www.velospoke.ca.
