Charleston, SC, August 22nd 2007 — Epic is pleased to announce John Radel has been hired as General Manager. . John will manage day to day operations at Epic’s Charleston headquarters including sales, marketing, customer service and flow of orders from production through shipping.
With nearly fifteen years in the paddlesports industry, most recently as Sales Manager for Wenonah Canoe, Inc., John brings a wealth of experience to the Epic team.
Greg Barton, president and founder of Epic Kayaks is excited about the move. “I’ve been looking to fill this position for the past several months. Epic has grown to the point where we need more management expertise and I’m pleased to find the right match”, said Barton. “John will guide Epic to continued growth while freeing me up to work on our new products and marketing.”
The creation of this position was just in time for the Outdoor Retailer Show. John accompanied Brian Houston, Epic’s Sales Manager, and others to the show. “The welcome back was incredible and it was great to see familiar faces!” This year Greg and business partner Oscar Chalulpsky were at the Sprint Worlds in Germany during that time. It is situations like this that spurred the addition to the staff.
John is eager to get underway, “It’s great to be a part of this team. My commitment to the specialty retailer and passion as a paddler are a perfect fit for Epic’s message. Greg Barton’s enthusiasm is infectious. The staff is upbeat and eager to find creative solutions for our supporters. With last year’s massive transitions, Epic is seeing substantial growth and the momentum is building. My contribution will be to further develop the tools and strengthen the infrastructure to support Epic’s goals.”
