Kip McCarl: Founder and Owner in Norton Shores, MI

• Founder of a successful company that utilizes sales and marketing expertise to conceptualize, design, and deliver effective and innovative promotions that bridge the gap between client brands and their audiences through the sourcing of high quality, custom imprinted merchandise. • Responsibility for 40+ full time and seasonal employees across all company functions including field sales, production, logistics, retail sales, marketing and all business support departments. • Utilize a consultative approach to build a strong business to business client base across numerous industries, including large manufacturers, health care, casino/resort, professional & amateur sports, camps and non-profits. Key accounts include Ford Motor Co, Steelcase Inc, Brunswick Corp and many others. • Utilization of CRM system to manage sales network. • Possess significant and extensive expertise in multi-tasking and attention to detail. • Implemented processes to meet project deadlines while simultaneously managing multiple accounts, retail operations, a sales staff and other critical business activities. • Experienced considerable success and ongoing positive business growth utilizing interpersonal skills, effective prospecting, networking, and by providing superior customer service resulting in receiving client referrals. • Improved processes through innovative thinking, resource reallocation & systems upgrades that resulted in increased efficiencies and reduced loss due to waste.

• Product development and lifecycle management for global sporting goods manufacturer that generated record sales and profits, achieving $50M+ in revenue and surpassing margin goals for the industry’s brand leader. • Extensive experience in the product development process including need analysis, raw material sourcing, R&D, manufacturing, production scheduling and inventory control. • Implemented highly successful marketing strategies and sales practices for large soft and hard goods brand portfolios in all channels to meet corporate objectives for both the company and O.E.M./private label businesses. • Leveraged brand reputation to exceed revenue and profit objectives and achieved global market share leadership. • Implemented sales programs and launched exclusive products that capitalized on proprietary technology while reducing waste and eliminating inefficient operations. • Licensee Management • Cross-functional team leadership of marketing, sales, engineering, manufacturing, vendor, and distribution stakeholders. • Coordinated and led worldwide sales training and technical seminars. • Trade show and special event management. • Coordinated promotional activities involving the use of on-staff professional athletes, including staff contract negotiations, negotiating appearance fees, appropriate scheduling, and use of likenesses in global advertising. Insured maximum visual representation of company products during televised sporting events. • Highly skilled in project management, budgeting, forecasting, data collection and analysis, vendor relations, licensing, manufacturing, and inventory control.

• Implemented strategic account planning tools for a global sporting goods manufacturer, established and cultivated buyer to C-level relationships with retail sporting goods chain and mass merchant accounts including Meijer, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kmart, Walmart, Target, and various regional chains. • Increased brand and product presence with focused execution of sales, distribution, merchandising and promotional strategies. • Successfully built and managed a nation-wide sales force consisting of independent manufacturer representatives to expand customer base in dealer and chain retail channels while personally managing select key accounts • Secured incremental retail shelf space, managed planograms and promotional efforts including co-op budgets, mark downs and freight and other allowances. • Skilled at recognizing growth opportunities and implementing programs to achieve those objectives. • Launched a new brand to retail sporting goods, mass merchant sellers, and “green grass” markets which resulted in increased sales and company profit. • Cultivated O.E.M. accounts resulting in increased manufacturing output, sales and profit.