The Risk of Not Investing in Tech
A look at the costs of investing—or not investing—in the latest the latest software and what the future may bring.
Welcome
I'm a recovering journalist who now freelances from time to time. My day job is corporate communications manager for Vista Outdoor Inc., the Anoka, Minn.-based parent company of 41 outdoor recreation brands such as CamelBak, Bell, Bushnell, Giro, Simms Fishing, Fox Racing, Foresight Sports, and many others.
My background as a business reporter includes covering breaking news, economic insights, market trends, and M&A across the outdoor and snowsports industries. Previous stints include business editor for Outside Business Journal, the premier B2B trade publication for outdoor, snow sports, and adventure travel news (my OBJ clips can be found here), and senior business editor for the B2B trade publication SGB Media (you can view my SGB oeuvre by clicking here).
Below you'll find my latest work, or please visit my portfolio page for a more comprehensive look at my writing, including clips from OBJ, SGB, past jobs, and even a few side hustles. Also, be sure to connect with me on LinkedIn and follow on Twitter (feed is at the bottom of the page).
Hit me up anytime at ericsmithwriter@gmail.com.
Cheers!
PS: I was named the winner of the 2020 Harold S. Hirsch Award for Words, a writing honor from the North American Snowsports Journalists Association (NASJA).
PPS: I also won a writing award at the recent Outdoor Media Summit. My article for SGB Media, Utah’s Outdoor Industry Rolling, But Don’t Call It A Comeback, was honored as the Best Outdoor B2B Story of 2020.
What's Next in Ski Area Technology? - Ski Area Management
Tech vendors dish on how diffierent innovations can help reduce friction and improve the guest experience.
The truth about Mary Jo Mayton
This blog is for anyone who knew and loved my father, Phil Smith, and for anyone who knows and loves Mary Jo Mayton. It’s intended especially for anyone who believed that Mary Jo ever loved Phil. If she did love him, she wouldn’t have done the things documented here.
Interview: Agile Supply Chain Helps Drive a Company’s Financial Success
A smoothly run supply chain and procurement department operates in anonymity, and that’s traditionally been the case at Vista Outdoor, according to David Stokoe, Vice President Strategic Procurement and head of the company’s Supply Chain Center of Excellence.
The two young entrepreneurs taking over a century-old boot company
Limmer Boots has produced world-class footwear since 1919. After working through a few years of transition, the business has new leadership in Chris Sawyer and Adam Lane-Olsen, two brand loyalists who want to carry the company's legacy forward.
BOA chief executive: 'We have fewer brand partners today than five years ago—and that’s on purpose'
Shawn Neville, who joined BOA five years ago, dishes on his company’s recent ownership change, how Covid impacted demand, threats to the brand’s success, and what’s next.
Spyder Footwear executive dishes on the brand’s launch, aspirations
Former Amer Sports sales director Jon Hanson plans to make a name for the nascent brand reminiscent of Spyder's rise to prominence in skiwear.
Stocks update: Outdoor industry continues to climb out of deep hole
More outdoor companies saw their shares grow rather than decline in October, but the industry still lags behind other sectors as supply chain concerns intensify.
Outdoor industry sales numbers grew moderately in Q3, despite headwinds
In the third quarter, even in the face of continued supply chain congestion, outdoor-focused public companies continued to post positive sales and profit figures.
Solo Brands went public today. Here's where the IPO pricing landed.
The recently formed parent company of four outdoor brands began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday.
Why is Patagonia now selling wine?
Patagonia Provisions this week unveiled a collection of wines, ciders, and sake, bolstering its existing lineup of food and beer.
REI opens first Wyoming location with new Jackson Hole store
The co-op, which has offered adventure tours in Wyoming for more than a decade, on Nov. 5 will open its first store in the state.
PrimaLoft steps into the spotlight with its first consumer-focused campaign
The ingredient brand—which “people feel but usually don’t see,” in the words of CEO Mike Joyce—is now talking directly to those who buy the products its technologies enhance.
Market research company NPD Group sold to PE firm
NPD Group, which tracks product sales data for the outdoors and numerous other industries, found itself in the crosshairs of one outdoor group earlier this year.
Outdoor DEI coalition Together Outdoors unveils council members
Together Outdoors, a coalition supported by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and composed of businesses across the outdoors, has grown to 77 member organizations.
6 films about outdoor equity compete for $25,000 production grant
The Redford Center is highlighting films that present the myriad benefits of being outdoors while also shining a spotlight on the current, historical, and social inequities of nature accessibility.
REI to close on Black Friday for seventh year in a row
REI is continuing its annual #OptOutside campaign—despite a tough sales environment due to Covid in 2020—by closing its doors on Black Friday and encouraging customers to spend time outdoors.
Solo Brands—owner of Solo Stove, Oru Kayak, and more—announces IPO
Only incorporated since June and currently PE-backed, the platform is already preparing to go public as it looks to leverage the success of its four outdoor brands.
Study: Climate change poses an existential threat to outdoor recreation
As the climate warms in coming years, demand for outdoor recreation in the U.S. is expected to decrease, a new study from Utah State University finds.
Outdoor industry stocks suffer setbacks in Q3
Outdoor-focused publicly traded companies saw their collective shares sink 6.1 percent in the third quarter, signaling a return to earth after a scorching first half of 2021.
REI launches DEI-focused charity with initial $1 million investment
The REI Cooperative Action Fund will support “nonprofit organizations promoting justice, equity and belonging in the outdoors.”
150 outdoor journalists, marketers, and brand reps gather at Outdoor Media Summit
The 5th annual event in Estes, Colorado, gave outdoor journalists a place to learn, collaborate, and network and a select number of brands to really connect with their message.
Confluence of States officers met at Outdoor Media Summit to collaborate on growing the outdoor economy
The Confluence of States event included the signing of new offices of outdoor recreation and ways that ORECs can work with media and brands to further the outdoor economy.
Gore unveils new membrane for outdoor apparel and gear
The ingredient brand has combined its expanded polyethylene (ePE) with another polymer, polyurethane (PU), to create a new membrane that improves durability and performance.
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