18 GRASSROOTS STORIES only just now getting around to doing the things they enjoy,” Camillo says. “I tell them, ‘It’s the best job in the world, so quit C hip Camillo has been an outdoor industry indepen- dent sales representative (aka a rep) for more than 40 years. Based in Madison, Wis- consin, he continues working the Midwest territory with the same zeal and enthusiasm with which he started his business back in 1984. Having raised two children, Camillo and his wife, Ann, enjoy an enviable lifestyle that includes fun and adventure at a time in their long marriage when most people would consider retirement. “I have a lot of friends who worked jobs they hate and they’re
asking when I’m going to retire!” Sixty-seven-year-old Camillo only works nine months out of the year. During the summer months, he cycles with friends, most recently through the moun- tainous roads of the French Alps. Energized, he returned to the job he loves with a series of store vis- its and product clinics in advance of the winter ski season. “It’s not that tough of a job. Re- turn phone calls quickly. Do what you say you’re going to do, and get your ass in the shop,” he says. Most reps will tell you, it really is that simple. The role of the independent sales rep is a hidden secret of the industry’s success, and is vital to its longevity. These dynamic professionals help to
build long-term relationships with specialty retail store owners and buyers while inspiring passion for the action sports and activities they promote. Whether it’s technical apparel, camping accessories, skis, tents, sleeping bags, or hiking boots, a good sales rep can make a difference when it comes to selling products through to consumers. “A good sales rep knows your business and even knows the personalities of your individual stores and can help save you a lot of time in curating your assort- ments,” says Lisa Hollenbeck, co-owner and lead buyer of the Alpine Shop in St. Louis, Missou- ri. “That’s what we do, and that’s what we offer to our customers.
This is our curation of all of the stuff that’s in the marketplace. And a really good rep can guide you and save you a lot of time and energy and make you money.” So-called “middlemen” in other industries often limit their involvement between the brands they represent and the retailers they serve to taking orders and managing inventory. Reps in the outdoor business help their customers to be well-versed in, and knowledgeable of, the best products and services the indus- try has to offer. On the sales floor,
CLASSIC POSSE: Rep Kurt Smith and owner Holly Fussell make Water Stone Outdoors tick.
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