Earth Treks and Planet Granite (PG/ET), announced the hiring of Robert Cohen as CEO of the newly merged company.
Cohen, the former vice president of global retail for Patagonia will be responsible for all aspects of the nine climbing, fitness and retail centers in the company’s key markets of San Francisco, Denver, Baltimore, Washington DC and Portland, Oregon, as well as future locations. Prior to Patagonia Robert worked with Old Navy, Gap and Nike.
“Earth Treks and Planet Granite are renowned for their customer service and best in class blend of climbing, fitness and yoga, creating a culture that brings local communities together,” said Cohen. “I’m thrilled to join the team and look forward to growing in a way that honors the existing culture and continues to support our customers. Today’s retail environment is not purely transactional it is about building relationships.”
In November 2017, Earth Treks and Planet Granite completed a merger that created the largest climbing gym network in the United States. The combined company offer more than 257,000 feet of climbing surface, with over 700 employees who serve more than two million customers annually. Tengram Capital Partners, a private equity firm that specializes in consumer brands, backed the merger. Tengram partnered initially with Earth Treks in April 2017.
“Robert is the ideal person to build upon the successes of Earth Treks and Planet Granite,” said Earth Treks founder Chris Warner and Planet Granite founder Micky Lloyd in a joint statement. “His experience and vision will honor our existing culture with an eye toward imminent growth as fitness, yoga, indoor climbing, retail and local communities mix.”
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