Mark and Kalen Eirich, of Sheboygan, WI, were in disbelief when they first found out they were the winners of the 2011 Gander Mountain Sweepstakes.
“We thought there had to be a catch,” said Kalen after hearing the voicemail that she and he husband had won the sweepstakes.
Sure enough there was no catch, and the couple began their journey Monday to Greenville, SC, global headquarters of Perception Kayaks. The prize package includes two Perception kayaks of their choice, two Harmony paddles, PFDs, and paddle floats, along with a spray skirt, bilge pump, and Perception apparel.
Upon arrival, the couple were given a tour of the Confluence Watersports facility where Perception and many of there famous paddle sports family brands are manufactured. They saw where the boats are molded, constructed, and assembled. After the tour, the couple began building their kayaks and found the process to be quite intriguing.
“It was cool to be apart of the process in helping make our boats,” said Kalen about her morning in the warehouse.
Kalen chose green and white Perception Prodigy 12, and Mark chose a red, yellow, and orange marble Perception Search 13 Angler. Both kayaks had customized fishing rod holders in specific places and rather than black bungee cords, Kalen chose a beautiful silver to compliment the green and white finish of her boat.
“It’s been an awesome experience here,” said Kalen about the shop floor and being hands on with the design process. “Everyone is so nice and informative. You can tell they all take pride in what they are doing.”
An afternoon in Clemson, SC at Lake Hartwell followed Mark and Kalen’s busy morning. At the lake they will receive paddling and safety instruction from Steve Sherrer, an ACA Level 5 Instructor, and his wife Cindy Sherrer.
The couple will be staying in South Carolina until Wednesday, Aug. 31, so more will be coming about Mark and Kalen’s visit!
August 24, 2011
Confluence Watersports today announced that the company will move to a new facility in Greenville, S.C. The new location is within 10 miles of the company’s current operations.
The strategic move enables significant cost savings and efficiency gains for the company, which will support reinvestment into the company’s infrastructure and aggressive growth plan.
The new 300,000-square foot facility consolidates all Confluence Watersports operations while allowing for planned expansion. The move will combine workforce and operations currently located in four buildings in two different locations, into one facility. The more than $13 million investment will support expansion and is expected to generate 72 new jobs over the next five years.
Confluence Watersports currently employs 425 people and is the ninth largest roto-molding facility in North America, according to Plastics News.
The move has been meticulously planned to ensure that Confluence retail partners experience no inconveniences or business disruptions through the process. The move will occur in stages beginning in September and ending in December of this year.
Retail and distributor partners can expect complete continuity of customer service, sales support and shipping of orders through the multi-phased move. Inventory has been increased and manufacturing will continuously occur at both facilities throughout the move to ensure Confluence is meeting shipping commitments.
“It was important for us to consolidate our teams and operations into one building while at the same time providing for expansion. The proximity of the new Greenville facility allows us to retain our workforce and gain efficiencies across the organization that will translate back into investments to strengthen our brands for all of our customers,” said Sue Rechner, president and CEO of Confluence Watersports. “This site will also help us achieve an important goal of providing a better quality of work life for our team.”
Confluence wishes to thank state and local officials for their support and guidance. Specifically, Confluences extends its appreciation to: the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the Upstate South Carolina Alliance, the Greenville Area Development Corporation, and the City of Greenville Economic Development Department.
Canoe & Kayak Magazine honored Wilderness Systems as “Boat Brand of the Year” at the 25th annual “Paddlesports Industry Awards.” The award was handed out at Canoe & Kayak’s annual paddlesports industry party, which took place Aug. 5, 2011, during Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is the third consecutive win for Wilderness Systems, making it the only brand to have earned a three-peat in the 25-year history of the award.
Canoe & Kayak conducts the annual survey, in which over 250 specialty paddlesports retailers cast votes for the “Boat Brand of the Year.” Sue Rechner, CEO of Confluence Watersports, and Bob McDonough, lead designer for Wilderness Systems, accepted the award on behalf of Wilderness Systems.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized by our dealer partners,” Rechner said. “We humbly accept the award as a great compliment that we are on the right track. And while we couldn’t be more excited about the hat trick, it also motivates us to continually set the bar higher and consistently work harder and smarter on behalf of our specialty dealers. The award is shared by an entire team of people who put their hearts and souls into ensuring Wilderness Systems continues to live up to its promise. On behalf of the Wilderness Systems team, we thank our dealer partners and the staff at Canoe & Kayak for continuing to support the passion and the play behind all of paddlesports.”
Not resting on laurels, Wilderness Systems continues to refine and innovate its high-end touring and kayak fishing lines. At Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2011, Wilderness Systems introduced the Tsunami 135 and 140 PRO composite touring kayaks, and the redesigned Ride Series of rec and angler kayaks.
Confluence Watersports welcomes sales representative Matthew Yablonowski to its North American sales team. Yablonowski will be responsible for maximizing sales and the retailer experience for all Confluence brands with independent specialty dealers and livery operations throughout the northeast territory.
Yablonowski will be focused on enhancing levels of support and developing business in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, upstate New York, and Cape Cod, Mass. He will report to Confluence Watersports Director of Field Sales, Brad Taylor.
The latest addition to the sales division after an organizational restructuring that took place in March, Yablonowski brings with him over five years of experience in outdoor and paddlesports sales. Yablonowski is one of the company’s 13 regional sales representatives across North America who defines the core of the Confluence sales team and serves as the primary point of contact for retailers.
“Our regional sales reps organization allows for greater collaboration with our retailers and an ability to better identify new sales opportunities while maximizing existing opportunities within each territory,” said Taylor. “Matt’s experience, proven analytic skills, sense of strategic business development and passion for paddlesports give him the skills to lead our retailers to success. We’re proud to have him on board.”
Yablonowski resides in Wolcott, VT where he takes advantage of his love for paddling and outdoor adventure sports. He is a major sea-kayaking enthusiast, but is expanding his paddling scope with a recent “boof” into whitewater. He is also an avid telemark and cross country skier, snowboarder, cyclist and mountaineer.
If you are a retail partner with questions, or interested in speaking to a sales representative, please contact Brad Taylor at brad.taylor@kayaker.com.
Mark and Kalen Eirich, of Sheboygan, WI, were in disbelief when they first found out they were the winners of the 2011 Gander Mountain Sweepstakes.
manufactured. They saw where the boats are molded, constructed, and assembled. After the tour, the couple began building their kayaks and found the process to be quite intriguing.