Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1510838
A host of new products, advanced technologies – and, of course, pickleball – highlight 2023. By Michael Jacobsen EQUIPMENT GOALS/NETS GOAL STORY Bison Advice for Team Dealers: While most team dealers have a very capable sales team that has been selling for years and know what to look for and what to ask, for the less experienced salesperson national sales manager Chris Livingston would like to them to get the manufacturer involved as much as possible. "Especially for technical product and equipment like Bison produces, there will be times when the salesperson is uncomfortable with some of the questions they're being asked by the end user," he points out. "Nobody knows our product better than us, so we encourage our part- ners to call us for anything so we can help get the right equipment at the right price to the customer." Technology Trends: Bison has started to put more focus on making its products lighter by switching to aluminum over steel where it makes sense. Not only does it make the product lighter and easier for the customer to move and use, it also allows for lower freight and shipping costs. New Product Focus 2024: Pickleball systems (photo at le) have been selling like crazy and Bison is up to the challenge of keeping them in stock with mul- tiple options for different levels of play. Blazer Advice for Team Dealers: e soccer market is large and multi-faceted and sales man- ager Paige Kapperman urges team dealers to look beyond the high school market to the club and recreational soccer space that is constantly growing and Blazer goals are priced compet- itive enough for every size of organization. New Product Focus 2024: Blazer's best sellers – the Collegiate/High School Soccer Goal and Junior Soccer Goal (above) – come complete for any field. ey include a pair of nets, four anchors for each goal and permanently attached "S" hooks for the nets and the wheel kit makes moving soccer goals easier. Blazer Soccer Goals are made of rounded-edge tubing for safety and performance. Carron Net (photo above) Advice for Team Dealers:With the supply chain back up to speed, the best thing that team dealers can do to sell more is to have common sizes in stock, advises director of sales Russ Schirmer. "No one wants to carry a larger inventory, but doing so ensures filled sales and fixed costs," he says, and with raw material and labor costs continuing to escalate dealers can keep their costs down by investing in inventory now. Being proactive with client needs can help determine what their inventories should look like to meet the market. "We've been busy making high-quality replacement nets for the ones that have been coming in from offshore," he adds. "Although our lead times are good right now, dealers should plan on waiting a couple of weeks for custom nets." Again, staying on top of customer needs will avoid the "hey, we need new custom nets ... today!" conversation. Technology Trends: While most of the goal nets are offshored poly- propylene, Carron Net continues to make its product out of nylon, which has a greater life in the field. New Product Focus 2024: With pickleball teams and leagues look- ing to adhere to the official rules, Carron Net's superior quality nets in regulation sizes are made for in- dividual or group customer specs, including custom imprinting, while the regulation size nets have become one of its biggest sellers. Champro Advice for Team Dealers: Durability, quality and speed to market are Champro's strengths and hard goods senior product manager Matt Klein advises team 27 • Team Insight ~ November/December 2023 teaminsightmag.com