SNEWS welcomes Ben Young as new sales associate

New SNEWS Sales Associate Benjamin Young caught the outdoor industry bug early. As a student at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, he began working as a sales associate at Eastern Mountain Sports

The job was an education in outdoor retail, and allowed him to connect with folks he called “calm, outgoing and confident in their career path.”

Upon graduating with a journalism degree with a political science minor, and encountering a tough economic environment, Young opted to take what he had learned at EMS and combine it with a move to one of the Midwest’s outdoor meccas: Columbia, Mo. There, he found a new retail home at the Alpine Shop.

The longtime fan of Backpacker, SNEWS’ sister publication co-located at Active Interest Media’s Boulder offices, said it’s an added bonus to of be down the hall from a longtime favorite magazine.

“I am excited for my work with SNEWS,” Young said. “It’s just an added bonus that I’m working so closely with the people that I’ve been reading for years.”

And SNEWS is happy to have him.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Ben to our team,” said AIM Outdoor Trade Editor in Chief Megan Mulligan. “He knows outdoor retail inside and out after working at shops from Massachusetts to Missouri, and is a creative, affable colleague.”

Young’s position was created to help retailers and manufacturers get the most from their relationship with SNEWS. Young will primarily focus on SNEWS subscribers, said SNEWS/OR Daily Director of Sales and Marketing Elizabeth Averbeck.

“As SNEWS continues to grow its footprint both in the outdoor and fitness markets, we realized we could only do so by allocating the right resources to what is most important to us — our subscribers,” Averbeck said. “The people who read SNEWS every day, week, month and year are at the heart and soul of our business. As such, we are ensuring a top-notch experience for our subscribers in their interactions with SNEWS through the addition of Ben Young to our team.”

Young enjoys cross-country skiing, hiking and kayaking, and is looking forward to doing some alpine climbing in his new state of Colorado. When not hitting the trails, Young enjoys playing his guitar and ukulele.

“I love talking and working with people to solve problems and grow relationships,” Young said. “I’m excited to be here to help SNEWS grow, and help the industry grow in the coming years.”