OS1st expands sales team to support continued growth in wholesale business
Promotions and new positions for footwear industry veterans further the brand’s commitment to independent specialty retail
HICKORY, N.C. (March 17, 2023) – Building on consecutive years of record growth, OS1st®, a leading brand of performance socks and compression bracing products in specialty independent retail, announced the promotion and appointment of three highly regarded industry names to the sales team: Len Chatwin, National Sales Manager; Kevin Adametz, Regional Territory Manager - Northeast; and Nick Stump, Regional Territory Manager – Southeast.
“Growing our sales team should be taken as a sign of our continued commitment to our independent specialty retailers and our independent sales reps,” said Josh Higgins, President of OS1st. “We owe our record growth to our continued investment in these channels, including run and footwear stores, and we have no plans to slow down or change course. Being a brand for independent specialty retail is our core identity, and the team we’re building reflects that.”
Newly appointed National Sales Manager, Chatwin, will lead the direction of the brand’s 27 independent sales representatives and formulate strategy expanding into new stores, nurturing existing partnerships, and maximizing the effectiveness of the sales team. Chatwin started in the shoe and accessory sales business as an independent sales rep in 1998 selling Brooks shoes and other accessories. Throughout his career he held sales roles at New Balance and Spenco Medical Corporation including Director of Run Specialty. Chatwin joined OS1st® in 2021 as territory manager for the West Coast.
Regional Territory Managers, Adametz and Stump will oversee the sales management of their territory’s independent sales representative teams.
Adametz started in the footwear business in 1989 and held leadership positions at Converse, Wilson, Implus, ECCO USA, and Prince. Before starting his consulting business in 2020, Adametz served as the President of Spira Inc. for over four years. He started working with OS1st® in 2020 consulting on various sales growth opportunities. His northeast territory includes Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
Stump comes to OS1st® after six years of owning Fleet Feet Delray Beach and two years as an Operating Partner at Fleet Feet Sacramento. During his career, he developed expertise in purchasing, merchandising, and understanding the fit process in a run specialty store. His southeast territory includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee.
“We’re excited to welcome these industry experts into their new roles on the sales team,” said Chris Bevin, Senior Vice President of Business Development for OS1st®. “Their collective experience in store management, sales, purchasing, and product empowers our compassionate, partnership-driven approach to independent, specialty retail. They have already taken on our wholistic view of wholesale sales – seeing where our products fit, not only in the store but in the larger context of our retailer’s business. This is great news for OS1st® and the more than 2,000 stores who sell our products.”
About OS1st
OS1st® is a three-generation family business that provides compression bracing and performance socks designed in North Carolina with Compression Zone® Technology that uses varied compression levels to target and support muscles and provide pain treatment and prevention for plantar fasciitis, bunions, runner’s knee, shin splints, foot pain, leg pain, and other conditions. The science behind every OS1st product is what makes it the number one compression bracing product in specialty retail in the United States.