Effective January 1, 2008, Alpina Sports Corp will take over distribution of all Exel products in North America; Nordic, Alpine poles and racing equipment, Roller and in-line poles, trekking and Nordic Walking.
Exel Sports will be closing down their company run North American distribution centers effective January 2009, while concurrently ASC will ramp everything up in anticipation of supporting the brand and current dealers through the remainder of this coming season.
The appointment of ASC comes on the heels of a mutual separation between One Way and Alpina which according to ASC’s President, Frank Thibodeau; “simply came down to a difference in product priorities and perceived growth opportunitiesâ€.
“By contrast,†continues Thibodeau; “we found ourselves in total sync with Exel. Their range of products is exactly what we have been looking for…it completely addresses Nordic, and very importantly, brings a strong offering to our growing Downhill programâ€.
According to Mr. Aki Karihtala, President of Exel Sports Oy; “We are very excited about the partnership with the ASC team in North America . They have the sales representation depth, logistical reputation and product expertise we feel the brand needs in the NA winter sports industry.â€
Thibodeau was quick to point out that the winter program isn’t all ASC is excited about; “Their roller skiing/in-line program complements our new summer training products group perfectly…and finding a balance to our heavily winter skewed revenue cycle has been a priority since I came on board, it has just taken time to find the right niche…now, together with our other new multi-season lines, we see the real possibility to open the doors for year round markets.â€
Alpina Sports' Nordic Team Manager, Dorcas Wonsavage, adds “Both Alpina Sports and OneWay are committed to supporting our athletes through the 2007/2008 season. Athletes interested in switching over to Exel are welcome to do so. We expect to have Exel's Black Feather and World Cup poles
available at the Yellowstone Ski Festival for testing. And we are
particularly excited to support the Exel-sponsored athletes, like Torin
Koos.”
