BP Associates Heads into 2012 with Expanded Staff, Rapid Sales Growth
Multisport sales agency BP Associates heads into 2012 riding a tide of double-digit growth, staff expansion and industry-leading vendors, cementing its status as one of the most successful - and respected - agencies in the country.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BP Associates Heads into 2012 with Expanded Staff, Rapid Sales Growth
Midwest Rep Agency posted double-digit growth in all divisions in 2011
ST. PAUL, MINN. – January 12, 2012 – Multisport sales agency BP Associates heads into 2012 riding a tide of double-digit growth, staff expansion and industry-leading vendors, cementing its status as one of the most successful – and respected – agencies in the country.
BP Associates represents top vendors in the Bicycle, Outdoor and associated private label industries. In the Bicycle Industry BP represents: Shimano, Pearl Izumi, Yakima and Light & Motion. In the Outdoor Industry: adidas Outdoors, Cascade Designs, Chaos Headwear, High Sierra, Terramar Sports, and Yakima. BP also offers private label services through Terramar and Ski Tops. The agency covers a 12 state area across the Midwest with a staff of 14 people, including sales, tech, and office staff.
“Despite some segments of the market actually contracting, we showed double-digit growth in bike, outdoor and private label divisions,” said Bill Kaplan, Co-Founder/Partner of BP Associates. “I attribute that to the great brands we work with and our on-the-ground approach to sales and training that provides a lot of value for our customers. It’s all in the strength of our partner brands and the strength of our relationships.”
In the fall of 2011, BP was able to create and fill five new positions: Jared Finney in Illinois as a field rep and Dave Vance as a tech rep on the bike team; Allison DeRoma, field rep, in Minnesota and the Dakotas and Matt Todd, field rep, in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas on the outdoor team; and Rick Howell, field rep, on the private label team.
“Heading into a new year, we’ll continue to refine the focused, innovative approach that sets us apart,” said Pat Padden, Co-Founder/Partner of BP Associates. “Over the past three years we’ve created three distinct groups within the agency: bike, outdoor and private label. This enables our reps to focus their efforts on one distinct segment of retailers. Each group of reps has a specialized knowledge base that’s valuable to their retailers, helping them to make good business decisions on category planning and merchandising, as well as getting shop staff educated and excited about the sport.”
The company’s strategy of “Excite & Ignite” infuses retailers with an excitement for both the sport and the products that BP represents. “These quality clinics/training sessions are the keystone of our success as reps” said Padden.
BP Associates’ award-winning reps maximize their time with their retailers due in large part to BP’s industry-leading order forms and office support systems.
“We’ve made a significant investment in sophisticated computer equipment and interconnected systems to make the ordering process smoother and faster for everyone involved, and that’s paying big dividends,” Kaplan said. “Our retailers and vendors know that we’re giving them the best products and customer service in the industry.”
Keeping with the green philosophy integral to the bike and outdoor industries, BP associates will be upgrading its headquarters to match the company’s business-side ingenuity with environmental sustainability by adding an 8.4-kilowatt solar array that will supply the agency with close to 100 percent of its electricity needs. Installation is scheduled for spring 2012.
For more information about BP Associates, visit www.bpassociates.com.
About BP Associates
Founded in 1987, BP Associates is a multisport sales agency that serves a 12-state region across the Midwest from its headquarters in St. Paul, Minn. Representing cornerstone brands in the cycling and outdoor markets, including Shimano, Pearl Izumi, adidas Outdoor, Cascade Designs and Yakima, as well as private label offerings, BP Associates’ focus on education, service and relationships has established the agency as a leader not only in sales, but in industry best practices. For more information, visit www.bpassociates.com.
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Media Contact:
Alex Strickland, for BP Associates, (Ph) 801.656.0472 x3, (cell) 801.742.1414, astrickland@soarcomm.com
