Coleman focuses on sales strategies, product development

Will strengthen mass store sales

-- Casual Living, 11/21/2005 7:17:00 AM

The Coleman Co. will strengthen its mass store sales organization while refocusing to better support its enhanced specialty store sales initiatives.

The Wichita, Kansas-based manufacturer announced the move as part of a global strategy to strengthen sales and product development functions.

Randy Brillhart, Coleman senior vice president – sales, will head the mass customer sales effort. He will lead a sales force of experienced professionals having long-term relationships with mass customers, including Wal-Mart/Sams, Target, K-Mart/Sears, hardware/home center channel and clubs. Brillhart, a 24-year Coleman veteran, also will be a key member of the management team leading Coleman into the emerging Asian consumer market. He will have a leadership role in implementing SAP software application to sales. He continues to have responsibility for Canada, sales operations, category management and reports to Coleman President and CEO Gary A. Kiedaisch. Coleman also will refocus its sales force specialty store mandate, aided by establishing a new senior sales position of vice president – specialty sales position. Until the new vice president is named, Larry Myers, current vice president, field sales, and Tim Daniels, current vice president, special markets, will manage the function and report to Brillhart. The new vice president, specialty sales will lead the sales effort serving sporting goods, specialty retailers, Internet, pool and patio, department stores, food and drug, regional mass retailers, specialty catalog, marine, premium, Coleman Factory Outlet Stores and government sales with a customer-specific line of Colemanâ products, engineered and priced for those customers. Kiedaisch described this new product development as effort key to better servicing all channels. “Coleman has long recognized the importance of providing focused sales and product development support for our mass merchandisers,” he said. “That remains a top priority. However, we have also known that their needs differ from other categories where our product is sold. This sales force refocusing and product development effort will provide better service to all channels and should strengthen Coleman’s offering as well. We are reengineering our product line to answer the needs of each category. It is my sincere hope that the consumer will be the ultimate beneficiary.” To accomplish the reengineering of its product lines, Coleman is adding new staff to its product development and engineering departments, both domestically and at its facilities in China. “We plan to provide the same authenticity and excitement in the specialty product category as we have with our mass customers, who have been so loyal to the Colemanâ brand name,” Kiedaisch said. “We make this investment in our sales and new product development teams with the goal of providing better service across the board and establishing clear channel product differentiation among our retail partners.” A subsidiary of Jarden Corporation, Coleman® products are available in the United States, Canada and more than 100 countries worldwide. Those products are found at outdoor retailers, sporting goods stores, mass merchants, hardware home centers, food and drug stores and online retailers.