The GearJunkie LLC, owner of GearJunkie.com, made multiple key announcements for 2018. Including naming a new Editor-in-chief, several senior-level staff hires, a new editorial office in Denver, and one of the company’s founders assuming the newly-created role of Publisher.
“Our strategy this year is to scale the operation and to stake a claim in Colorado as the base of our editorial operation,” said Stephen Regenold, founder of GearJunkie.
“After a record year for traffic and revenue growth in 2017, we spent the past six months evaluating our company structure to retune for a new phase of growth.” Regenold continued.
In full, the company announcements for 2018 include:
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PROMOTION. Longtime Managing Editor Sean McCoy (pictured) is named Editor-in-chief of GearJunkie.com effective immediately. McCoy will lead an editorial team in a new Denver office, overseeing all day-to-day operations of the publication.
DENVER OFFICE. After 10+ years based in Minneapolis, GearJunkie’s editorial headquarters will now be Denver, Colo. The move to an outdoors epicenter signals a further commitment to the industry, including proximity to hundreds of outdoors/active-lifestyle brands (as well as access to world-class gear testing grounds in the nearby Rocky Mountains).
PUBLISHER ROLE CREATED. Founder Stephen Regenold, formerly Editor-in-chief, has been promoted to serve as Publisher of GearJunkie. In this newly-created role, Regenold oversees all departments of the publication, including editorial, projects, and media sales.
VP OF MARKETING/OPERATIONS. Ryan Johnson joins GearJunkie to serve as a senior-level staffer. Johnson comes from 20+ years in the outdoors/active-lifestyle industry, most recently as VP of Marketing at major bike-industry brand Quality Bicycle Products (QBP). He has been tapped to serve as lead in the Minneapolis office and spearhead a new division, GearJunkie Media.
GEARJUNKIE MEDIA. The Minneapolis office pivots to focus on business and projects, including video, custom content, experiential events, activations, social media, advertising/media sales, SEO, interactive development, and content/affiliate commerce initiatives.
NEW HIRES. Four fulltime staff will be added to the GearJunkie Media team, including sales, development, and project positions. This includes Zach Burton, who joins the expanding GearJunkie sales team. On the editorial side, new hires include editors to cover the Hunt/Fish, Auto, and Fitness verticals.
MONOPOINT MEDIA. Co-launched with GearJunkie.com in 2006, Monopoint provides creative-agency services. Going forward, Monopoint will function as an independent business from The GearJunkie LLC with a focus on design, video, content, and marketing services.
“For more than a decade, since launching GearJunkie as a newspaper column in the early 2000s, we’ve focused on organic growth based on quality content and a solid team,” noted Regenold, who owns The GearJunkie LLC with business partner and company CFO Mike Santi. “For 2018, we’re applying what we have learned to scale the company.”
Sean McCoy commented on his promotion to Editor-in-chief: “After 6+ years on the team, I’m thrilled to lead GearJunkie into a new era of outdoors journalism.” He added, “Our new Denver bureau gives us access to world-class writers and many of the brands at the spear-tip of product development.”
GearJunkie’s pivot in its Minneapolis office to focus on projects, content, and marketing services will be led by VP of Marketing/Operations Ryan Johnson. He will oversee the GearJunkie Media division with a new strategy to grow the publication’s in-house agency.
“With our editorial team transitioning to Denver, the GearJunkie Media division in Minneapolis will be focused on creating deeper connections with consumers and the outdoor brands they know and love,” Johnson said. “Because we leverage the same data, insights, and tools as our editorial team, we provide our brand partners access to the most authentic audience in the outdoors industry.”
Pictured, new Editor-in-Chief Sean McCoy
