Industry veteran and president of the North American subsidiary Bergans USA Pat Loomis announced his retirement. Current Vice President of sales and marketing Keith Patterson will be his replacement.
Loomis and Patterson together opened Bergans USA in Longmont, Colo., as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bergans of Norway four years ago this week, growing sales 170 percent during that time period and averaging 40-plus percent growth per year. After offering its products to the North American market from 2002 to 2011 through a U.S. based distributor, Bergans chose Loomis and Patterson to establish and run Bergans USA in 2012.
“Pat has played a very significant role in Bergans USA’s growth in the North American market,” said Bergans of Norway’s new international CEO Leif Holst-Liæker. “His 37-plus years of outdoor industry experience will certainly be missed. He and Keith have successfully led Bergans USA these past four years, and have had the unique experience of working together in similar capacities previous to joining Bergans. Having had a great mentor in Pat, Keith will be a very successful president moving forward.”
As previously announced in June of last year, Holst-Liæker took over December 2015 as Bergans of Norway’s CEO when Ragnar Jensen announced his retirement after 23 years at the helm.
Loomis joined the outdoor industry in 1978 when he and the owners of Lowe Alpine Systems USA established Lowe Alpine Systems International in Ireland. As CEO of Lowe Alpine Systems International, Loomis was responsible for all aspects of sales, manufacturing, development and expansion of Lowe products throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Under his leadership, Lowe Ireland became the most profitable and largest of the Lowe companies in 1988, at which time the company was purchased by the UK based investment company FAMCO. Loomis continued as CEO of Lowe International expanding sales and distribution in Europe and Asia, as well as expanding manufacturing capabilities in the Ireland facility and developing new sourcing relationships with the growing Asian manufacturing community.
In 1993, Loomis led a management buy-out of the Lowe Group of companies forming Lowe Alpine Holdings, UK, and was appointed its director. Also at that time, he moved to the United States and became president of Lowe USA, which had been a weak performer in the group. Within one year, Lowe USA was profitable, and during his six years at the helm Loomis grew sales from $5.5 million to more than $14 million, as Lowe Alpine Holdings’ overall sales grew to over $60 million worldwide.
The Lowe Group was sold in 1999 to Baird Textiles, UK, at which point Loomis resigned as CEO. In 2001, Loomis and Patterson began their long working relationship when Loomis was chosen to launch Deuter USA as its president, and Patterson as its national sales manager. For the next seven years, Loomis and Patterson successfully helped establish Deuter as one of the leading pack brands in North America.
Loomis left Deuter in 2008, and Patterson departed the following year to take a leadership role at Salewa North America, after having risen to become Deuter’s vice president of sales and marketing.
For the next few years, Loomis provided consulting services to companies of varying sizes in the outdoor industry, and Patterson worked at Salewa as director of sales and marketing where he consistently grew Dynafit sales 30 percent and introduced both Dynafit summer apparel and footwear, as well as Salewa footwear to the North American market.
“I can honestly say it has been a very enjoyable 37 years made so by the many wonderful, committed people I have met and had the privilege to work with, starting with my wife Aine,” said Loomis. “As we all know, outdoor industry employment is much more than just a job. The last four years working once again with Keith and being able to see the transition of Bergans USA to Keith’s leadership is a satisfying way to move on.”
“Pat has been a great mentor and friend over the past 15-plus years,” said Patterson. “His leadership has been instrumental in establishing Bergans in the North American market and I look forward to continuing and building on this success.”
