Bergans of Norway Reports Best Third Quarter in Company's 106-year History

Bergans of Norway©

North American subsidiary, Bergans USA, sees 55 percent sales growth for the 10-month period

LONGMONT, Colo. – Dec. 16, 2014 - Bergans of Norway announced the best third quarter in the history of the 106-year-old outdoor clothing and equipment brand. Worldwide sales increased 16 percent for the first 10 months of this year. The company credits its successful growth due to 30 percent of its sales taking place outside of Norway.

With respect to the North American market, Bergans USA announced gross sales grew by 55 percent for the first 10 months of this year. Based in Longmont, CO, the company projects 2014 year-end sales will be up about 170 percent since the wholly owned subsidiary was established in 2011, an average growth of 57 percent per year. The number of retailers carrying Bergans products will have grown by 75 percent during the same period.

Previous to 2011, Bergans of Norway offered its products to retailers through a North American distributor. Bergans USA contributes the brand’s sales and retailer growth to bolstering its product line by expanding its backpack equipment and clothing line, adding its European hunting line to the mix, and broadening its resort and backcountry ski clothing line.

“As one of the premier brands with Scandinavian heritage, it’s great to see the growing acceptance of Bergans of Norway in North America,” said Keith Patterson, Bergans USA’s vice president of sales and marketing. “With our technical features and modern, fashion forward designs, we are glad to see the market responding to the line and are excited to be part of the success of the brand internationally.”

Bergans and its products have a longstanding reputation with history-making expeditions and adventurers such as first conqueror of the South Pole, Roald Amundsen who traveled with Bergans equipment; Mount Everest pioneer Sir Edmund Hillary who used the Bergans carrying frame for transporting oxygen bottles; Cecilie Skog, the first woman in the world to both successfully top the “The Seven Summits”, “The Three Poles”, and to cross Antarctica unassisted and unsupported; and Ryan Waters, the first American to complete an unsupported explorers grand slam (reaching the North Pole, the South Pole and climbing all Seven Summits).

Other modern day Bergans athletes include polar explorer John Huston, jibber and X Games Freeride competitor Anders Backe, and 2013 Freeride World Qualifier Tour winner Lorraine Huber.
Bergans offers a broad range of backpacks, tents, foldable canoes, and technical and fashionably functional outdoor and ski clothing. 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 Scandinavian brand was established in 1908 by Ole F. Bergan after he invented the anatomical frame pack. During a hunting trip, he cut and shaped a juniper branch to match the curve of his back and attached it to his heavy, loose-fitting rucksack, a design now mirrored in every anatomical backpack produced today, including Bergans award winning Glittertind. The company offers a broad range of backpacks, tents, foldable canoes, and technical and fashionably functional outdoor and ski clothing.

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, LLC
Chip Smith, o: 801.656.0472 x1, c: 801.597.7515,  csmith@soarcomm.com
Beth Cochran, c: 406.579.7909,  cochran@whatsuppr.com 
Bergans of Norway
Christoph Centmayer, o: +47-40 62 40 99,  christoph.centmayer@bergans.no



Source Bergans of Norway by Chip Smith through press release ©