Gregory hires North Am. Sales, Marketing Director, EU Brand Manager

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Gregory Mountain Products, the outdoor industry leader in backpack fit, comfort and technology, added two key members this week to its global management team, John Pieper as Director of Sales and Marketing in North America and Andrea Meerholz as Brand Manager in Europe.

Pieper steps into the role from his post as Director of Sales at Osprey packs, where he has worked for the last three years. Previously, Pieper worked for eight years at Petzl America, six as Sales Director and two as Headlamp Division Manager.

Meerholz comes to Gregory from Mammut, where she worked as the company’s Export Sales Manager. She has nearly two decades of experience in the European outdoor industry and worked in various international sales positions for ODLO before joining Mammut in 2002.

Both hires come as Gregory prepares to relocate in 2011 to Salt Lake City, Utah. In May, Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. went public in a reverse merger, simultaneously integrating Gregory Mountain Products into a new operational platform. Gregory will move in January to a new headquarters located adjacent to Black Diamond’s Salt Lake City offices. Black Diamond will operate Gregory as an independent brand on the R+D, sales and marketing fronts, achieving efficiencies by integration with the Black Diamond operational platform.

“With change comes opportunity. As we take positive steps for Gregory in North America and Europe, we are encouraged by the addition of two talented, experienced and highly regarded individuals in Andrea Meerholz and John Pieper,” said Peter Metcalf, Black Diamond CEO. “Their business acumen and
resolve will have an immediate impact to strengthen the global Gregory brand.”

Pieper will direct all aspects of Gregory’s North American sales and brand marketing. He also will liaison from a sales perspective on plans for new product initiatives with company founder Wayne Gregory and Director of Product Development John Sears.

Pieper will join the Gregory team in mid-October, and assume the reigns as Director of Sales and Marketing in January 2011. For the rest of the year, Pieper will work with current Gregory Director of Sales and Marketing Jim BoisD’Enghien.

“I’m excited to be joining such a respected brand as Gregory packs, and to be working under the Black Diamond umbrella with its industry-leading reputation,” Pieper said. “It is an extremely powerful combination and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.”

Meerhoz will oversee all of Gregory’s European sales and brand marketing, and also help direct Gregory’s product development team on market demands and features for product sold in Europe. She will work out of Gregory offices located at Black Diamond’s headquarters in Reinach, Switzerland.

ABOUT GREGORY MOUNTAIN PRODUCTS

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2007, Gregory Packs has been the longtime leader in expedition, backpacking and day packs. Gregory is world-renowned for setting durability, comfort and performance standard in backpacks. In recent years, Gregory won awards for its pack designs from such diverse media outlets as Outside Magazine, Backpacker Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, Popular Science, Men’s Journal, Consumers Digest and Alpinist Magazine. Responsible for many industry firsts in backpacking fit and design, the Gregory research and design team, including company founder Wayne Gregory, continues to lead the way in innovative backpack technology and performance. For more information about Gregory packs, visit www.gregorypacks.com or call 877.477.4292.

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