Astral Ramps Up Sales Representation To Take On 2017
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Contact: Julie Bacon
Darby Communications
jbacon@darbycommunications.com
828.254.0914 o / 603.978.5530 c
Asheville, NC – Following the release of Astral’s first all-season shoes, Donner and Tinker, along with the debut of the 2017 TR1 trail shoe series, the brand’s footwear game is on fire. Astral’s next move to grow the brand
involves bringing on sales representation for the TOLA, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic territories.
Effective immediately, Kevin Bakke will handle Astral Sales Representation for Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. Based in Dallas, Kevin is tactically positioned to serve the growing dealer base in the surro
unding areas. Astral joins Bakke’s portfolio consisting of Hydroflask, FITS® Socks and Oofos Footwear. Kevin Bakke can be reached at kevin_bakke@yahoo.com or 469-865-6675.
Astral Sales Manager Bryan Owen says Bakke’s addition will move the brand toward a strong 2017 season. “We’ve seen quite a bit of momentum in ‘TOLA’ over the past 12 months,” says Owen. “Our product is right for the climate, our brand is getting some good attention, and we’ve been fortunate to find solid placement with some of the best specialty retailers in the region. Now that we have Kevin in the field, we have all of our bases covered, and are planning for considerable growth in this key territory over the coming years.”
The Midwest territory gains Sales Rep Scott Hamstra, who is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Hamstra has been in the industry for 19 years, working as a salesperson, manager and buyer at Rutabaga Paddlesports. He will join Midwest Sales Rep Dave Larson in representing Astral, Native Watercraft, Hurricane Kayaks and Pelican. Contact Scott Hamstra at scott@larsonbrothers.net or 608-843-6102.
Erik Steinour will join Kelly Fischer and the Astral team on a sub rep basis in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Steinour has a successful career as a Sales Rep for the Morrison Sales Agency, representing respected brands in the outdoor and ski markets including Head Skis, Obermeyer, Giro, Fox River, Rafters and BOGS Footwear. With Steinour’s impressive account list and familiarity with Astral Footwear through whitewater kayaking, this partnership will open many doors for Astral. Erik Steinour can be reached at eriksteinour@gmail.com or 717-645-9042.
For more information on Astral and their collection of performance footwear and best-in-class PFDs, contact Julie Bacon at jbacon@darbycommunications.com or visit www.astraldesigns.com.
About Astral
Established in 2002, Astral has grown to specialize in high performance footwear alongside its industry-leading safety gear for paddlers. Independently owned and operated with a sincere commitment to making products of the highest performance and style for use in Nature. Astral is based in the year-round outdoor wonderland of Asheville, NC and has satellite offices in Truckee, Saigon, Ketchum and Nottingham.
