Pre Skis, based in Sun Valley, has opened an office here and will officially relocate its headquarters to Park City on Jan. 1.
Kip Pitou, who was named Pre's general manager in September, said the decision to relocate the company from Idaho was based on several factors, including the positive economic climate in Utah, the "quality and integrity" of the local work force, and Park City's proximity to an international airport.Dependable snow conditions and Utah's strong image in the international ski market didn't hurt either, he indicated.
Pitou has extensive experience in the ski industry. Kastle USA, the company he founded in 1983, was bought last February by Nordica. Pitou stayed with Nordica until July and then left the company. In September he joined Pre, which is owned by Anthony Industries, parent company of K2 and Olin brands.
Pre - an abbreviation of "Precision" - was launched in 1976 by Chuck Ferries, then vice president of K2. Although K2 was the owner, worldwide distribution and marketing rights were retained by Ferries, who subsequently left K2 and moved Pre's headquarters to Sun Valley.
Earlier this year, Ferries decided to relinquish distribution rights for Pre to concentrate on Scott USA, the company he started 18 years ago in Sun Valley. That becomes official Jan 1, said Charlie Lansche, director of marketing services, and that's when Pre officially becomes a Utah company. Pre's office is at 1790 Bonanza Drive in the Business Commons building.
"We want to be the maverick of the ski industry and do things a little differently from what everyone else is doing," said Lansche.
To that end, Pre will be marketed as a specialty ski for "real skiers" as the "American Big-Mountain Ski."
Most Pre skis are manufactured in Vashon, Wash., in the K2 factory, said Lansche, but he stressed the brands are separate. "We have total control over design, graphics, production, everything." Pricing of the skis is yet to be determined, he said.
"We're in transition at this point. We are now developing ad concepts, positioning, it's a slow changeover, but we know we want to be a specialty ski company in a niche market and concentrate on high performance."
Pitou, who moved Kastle skis to fourth place in national sales during his tenure, said he will incorporate Park City's "Western ski town ambience" into the company's marketing efforts, using ads and promotions that involve local ski areas and which tout Pre as the "ski of choice" among Utah skiers. Local ski areas will also serve as testing grounds for new product research and development.
Joining Pitou as director of international sales is J.F. Lanvers, who will oversee development of global markets and open foreign distribution channels. Lanvers was formerly general manager of Koflach USA.
Although Pre skis are already sold in Europe, Japan and Australia, Lansche said the company will focus on creating stronger overseas markets and distribution networks.