Seasoned Executive to Oversee Branding, Promotional Strategies in Newly-Created Post
(TORONTO) – Golf Town – Canada’s largest golf retailer with unequaled selection and competitive prices at 47 locations coast to coast – has appointed Ryan Brown as Vice President, Marketing, to oversee branding and strategic business development.
In this newly-created position, the 33-year-old Mississauga native will develop and implement programs designed to grow market share. Reporting directly to Stephen Bebis, President and CEO, he will partner with key company stakeholders to ensure new business opportunities and trends are identified and incorporated into the company’s annual objectives.
“Ryan is an expert in driving customers to stores through brand positioning and engaging them at the point of sale,” says Bebis. “He brings tremendous energy and proven, high-level success managing traditional marketing initiatives, as well as leading-edge CRM programs.”
Prior to joining Golf Town, Brown served as Vice President of Marketing for Second Cup Coffee Co.- the largest Canadian-owned specialty coffee retailer with more than 360 cafés in Canada along with 55 internationally – where he was responsible for the company’s strategic marketing and communications programs.
Brown holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours in Marketing) and MBA (Finance) from the University of Windsor. His professional career has also included several progressive positions with Black Photo Corporation, Northern Group Retail, The Loyalty Group, Thomson Terminals LTD and Growmark Inc.
“It’s a great time to be joining Golf Town as the company celebrates its 10th anniversary and continues to set industry standards for service, selection and value,” says Brown. “I’m eager to work with our talented staff and world class vendors to generate excitement among existing customers while attracting scores of new brand loyalists.”
Golf Town offers an unbeatable selection of clubs, bags, balls, apparel, footwear, accessories, gifts, logo merchandise, promotional services and more. This includes the world’s leading golf brands, such as Adams, Ashworth, Bridgestone, Callaway Golf, Cleveland Golf, Cobra, Dunning, ECCO, FootJoy, Founders Club, Gordon Cooper, Greg Norman, Honma, Hugo Boss, LaCoste, Liz Claiborne, LIJA, Mizuno, Never Compromise, Nike Golf, Odyssey, Ogio, Paradise, Ping, Srixon, Sun Mountain, TaylorMade adidas Golf, Titleist and Wilson.
For more information, please visit www.golftown.com.
About Golf Town
Canada’s largest golf retailer, Golf Town was founded in 1999 and has grown from one location in Scarborough, ON, to 47 superstores coast to coast. At an average size of nearly 18,000 square feet, these retail centres feature all the major name-brand products at the best price, ensuring customers find what they want, when they want it.
A centre of the Canadian golf community for individuals and organizations, Golf Town locations serve as sanctuaries where players of all ages and abilities try, buy, learn about and improve their games. The largest employer of CPGA professionals, Golf Town offers on-site lessons tailored to an individual’s needs through its In-Store Academy.
The retailer has also established Canada’s leading customer advantage initiative via its Leaderboard Membership Privileges Program. Benefits of this free membership include the chance to win a $500 gift card in a national monthly drawing; timely e-newsletters; members-only special offers on equipment, accessories, golf lessons, in-store events; and more.
Golf Town was acquired by OMERS Private Equity, the entity responsible for private equity investments of the OMERS pension fund, in September 2007. For more information: www.omerscapital.com.
Already a leader in logo products for golf events and other programs, Golf Town purchased Accolade Reaction Promotion Group, Inc., in May 2008 and has created a one-stop-shop for the promotional needs of businesses, meeting planners, sales and marketing executives, and human resource professionals. Named a 2008 Top 40 Distributor by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), ARPG is the first Canadian corporate merchandise services firm to achieve ASI Top 40 Status. For more information: www.arpg.ca.
Contact:
Kevin Satz
Buffalo Communications
703.891.3394
ksatz@billycaspergolf.com
