A few weeks before this year’s Outdoor Retailer and SIA trade shows, premier European outfitter Bergans of Norway announced plans to grow its North American sales and marketing efforts with the opening of its wholly owned subsidiary, Bergans USA LLC. Today, Bergans USA announced it has added three new reps to its independent sales force.

Joining the company are experienced outdoor industry reps Bob Kirkup, Terry Mullins and Kurt Watkins.

“Bob, Terry and Kurt are solid professionals in their territories with the connections to grow the Bergans brand,” said Keith Patterson, Bergans USA’s vice president of sales and marketing. “I’ve worked with all of them before, and I’m glad to be working with them again. With them joining our existing sales team, we are now better able to serve North American retailers.”

With extensive experience in the outdoor, ski, boat, and bike industries, Kirkup is based in Ontario, Canada and will be responsible for sales in Eastern Canada. Mullins, based in Minneapolis, is a veteran of the ski, outdoor, and boat industries, and will cover the Upper Midwest. Kirkland, Wash.-based Watkins will be responsible for the Pacific Northwest with sales experience ranging from apparel to footwear, packs, tents, and sleeping bags.

Located in Longmont, Colo., Bergans USA is led by longtime industry executive Patry “Pat” Loomis as CEO. Before joining Bergans, Loomis and Patterson worked together introducing Deuter to the US market.

The three new reps join Bergans existing sales force, which includes Joanne and Frank Kapilla (Great Lakes Region), Loretta Sutter (Northeast), Nanci Thomas (Rockies) and Melanie Whittall (Western Canada).

During Outdoor Retailer Winter Market and the SIA Snow Show, Bergans launched its 2012/2013 backcountry and resort ski-clothing line, and will soon re-introduce a select range of packs, tents, and packable canoes for the coming season.

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.