Business people : Bergans USA Expands Sales Force with New Rocky Mountain Territory ManagerLONGMONT, Colo.

LONGMONT, Colo., Sep 04, 2012 -
Bergans USA LLC today announced Ryan Raymond has joined the company as its Rocky Mountain territory manager.

"The Rocky Mountain area is our North American home, and is a key market for us," said Keith Patterson, Bergans USA's vice president of sales and marketing. "Ryan's knowledge and understanding of our customers' business and his history of providing them with great service is what we are looking for to continue to grow the Bergans brand in the territory. He will be working out of our office here in Longmont, so his daily experience and input will help use refine our sales support programs nationwide."

Raymond's experience was gained through independent sales representative,

technical rep, customer services manager, store manager, and ski and camping retail buyer positions with companies such as Woolrich, Aetrex Worldwide, Dynafit North America and Pine Needle Mountaineering. Raymond also holds numerous outdoor safety certifications in avalanche safety, swift water rescue and wilderness first-aid.

"As an outdoor guy and as a business person, I'm excited about the broad range and quality of products Bergans offers. The price points are right, product features are right, and the company is a true outdoor brand. I'm looking forward to helping Bergans and its retailers grow," said Raymond

Established in Longmont, Colo., as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bergans of Norway in January of this year, the company is expanding its sales force to support its North American growth plans. In February, Bergans USA added independent reps Bob Kirkup (Eastern Canada), Terry Mullins (Upper Midwest) and Kurt Watkins (Pacific Northwest) to its existing sales team of Loretta Sutter (Northeast), and Melanie Whittall (Western Canada).

For more information about Bergans of Norway and its products, go to www.bergans.com. For North American sales questions, contact Keith Patterson at keith.patterson@bergans.com.

About Bergans of Norway
Bergans was established in 1908, when Ole Ferdinand Bergan invented the first anatomical backpack. Today backpacks, functional outdoor clothing and tents are part of the portfolio of Bergans of Norway, as well as the ALLY brand of packable canoes. Adventurers such as South Pole conqueror Roald Amundsen, Mount Everest pioneer Sir Edmund Hillary, and Heroes of our time such as Polar explorers Rune Gjeldnes or Cecilie Skog trust Bergans equipment on their expeditions.

The headquarter of Bergans Fritid AS is situated in Hokksund, Norway, 60 km southwest of Oslo, where 90-plus employees work in development, research, design and sales. Bergans is a market leader in Norway and steadily growing in several export markets in Europe and North America (www.bergans.com).

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Bergans USA
Chip Smith, SOAR Communications, 801.656.0472 x1(wk) / 801.597.7515(cell), csmith@soarcomm.com
Beth Cochran, What's UP PR, 406.579.7909(cell), cochran@whatsuppr.com

Bergans of Norway
Christoph Centmayer, o: +47-40 62 40 99, christoph.centmayer@bergans.no