Winter 2019 - Inside Outdoor Magazine

Inside Outdoor | WINTER 2019 6 Celebrating innovations in local sourcing and manufacturing It’s arguably one of the hardest things to do in today’s competitive business environment. Indeed, domestic manufacturing and sourcing can put companies at a distinct competitive disadvantage. Yet, every year, it seems as if more and more businesses and entrepreneurs are taking up the challenge. According to an October 2018 article in The Economist , “the last few months have seen the best run for growth in manufacturing jobs since the late 1990s.” That’s largely because the environmental and societal benefits of “Made in America” are well documented – from as large as conserving earth’s resources to as small as preserving local economies. So Inside Outdoor is proud to acknowledge the extra efforts of those outdoor brands that have taken this less-trodden trail. And what better way than by spotlighting the innovative outdoor gear and apparel that represent the sweetest fruits of their labor. This year, IO will unveil its inaugural “Made in America Awards.” Our team of editors and judges will assess the nominated outdoor products based on a set of evaluation criteria that includes overall creativity, future industry impact, sell- through potential and feature set differentiation. Winners across numerous prod- uct categories will be recognized with an official media introduction, including a magazine feature in an upcoming issue of Inside Outdoor Magazine , and a series of online and social spotlights. The “Made in America Awards” will be open to all eligible companies. Products submitted must be sourced and manufactured in the U.S. (according to generally accepted parameters), and products entered must be available to retailers on or before December 31, 2019. Companies headquartered outside the U.S. are eligible if submitted product(s) are manufactured in the U.S. Stay tuned for upcoming details regarding the online registration form and process, promotional opportunities, eligible categories and entry fees. – MV From the Editor Martin Vilaboy Editor-in-Chief martin@bekabusinessmedia.com Gerald Baldino Managing Editor gerald@bekabusinessmedia.com Percy Zamora Art Director outdoor@bekapublishing.com Ernest Shiwanov Editor at Large ernest@bekapublishing.com Berge Kaprelian Group Publisher berge@bekabusinessmedia.com Rene Galan Associate Publisher rene@bekabusinessmedia.com Anthony Graffeo Associate Publisher anthony@bekabusinessmedia.com Matt O’Brien Multimedia Specialist matt@bekabusinessmedia.com Beka Business Media Berge Kaprelian President and CEO Neil Ende General Counsel Jim Bankes Business Accounting Corporate Headquarters 15560 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd Suite B4 – 5433 Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Voice: 480.503.0770 Fax: 480.503.0990 Email: berge@bekabusinessmedia.com © 2019 Beka Business Media, All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in any form or medium without express written permission of Beka Business Media, is prohibited. Inside Outdoor and the Inside Outdoor logo are trademarks of Beka Business Media