Boa Technology, maker of the award-winning, patented Boa Closure System, today was named to Outside Magazine’s fourth annual “Best Places to Work” list. Boa Technology was ranked No. 4 out of 50 selected companies. The full list and related story will be published in the September issue of Outside magazine, available on newsstands August 16, 2011.

Producing the world’s finest product closure systems since 1998, Boa Technology sprouted from the idea of a snowboarding visionary crammed into a small office space in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and has grown into a multi-national company headquartered in Denver with over 50 employees all while preserving its energetic, dog-, bike- and family-friendly atmosphere. Boa promotes workplace wellness and enthusiasm by offering a variety of lunchtime fitness and nutrition workshops, company outdoor and volunteer activities, profit-sharing benefits and paying an annual bonus that can be used towards any fitness-related pursuit or goal.

“Since day one we wanted Boa to be a different kind of company,” comments Boa Creator and Founder Gary Hammerslag. “From our experience, you build great companies around great people. We believe in cultivating an employee culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance allowing employees to exercise daily, have fun and think out loud. I think this philosophy is just one of the many reasons we have so much positive engagement and exceptional productivity from our team. Outside editors and experts recognizing us on this list of Best Places to Work 2011 really exemplifies everything we try to achieve here on a daily basis.”

Outside’s “Best Places to Work” project celebrates innovative companies setting a new standard for a healthy work-life balance. The year-long selection process began with an outreach effort that identified a wide range of non-profit and for-profit organizations with at least 15 employees working in the United States.

All of the results were analyzed by experts, who selected the 50 companies that strive to enhance their employees’ enjoyment of active endeavors, and environmental and social involvement.

“These 50 companies are successful precisely because they support a proper work-life balance,” says Michael Roberts, Executive Editor of Outside. “Happy workers that feel part of an active community are guaranteed to be more engaged and productive. And the companies on our list are offering amazing benefits: organic cafeterias, on-site fitness classes, reimbursements for gym memberships and ski passes, opportunities for on-the-clock community service, and much more.”

Welcome…Welcome Back…and Congrats!

Responding to a 2010 sales surge and anticipating even greater demand for its award-winning patented Boa Closure System, Denver-based Boa Technology has recently re-structured its team and added several employees.

“These moves position us well to better serve our growing partner base while also ensuring that we maintain close collaboration with our current partners, continue to innovate product, and work to raise the profile of Boa worldwide,” says Boa President Mark Soderberg.

The recent changes include a wide range of hires, departmental shifts and promotions:

Eight-year Boa veteran Jimmy Capra will head up the new Medical Business Unit. Says Boa CEO Gary Hammerslag, “Jimmy has worn many hats at Boa, from sales to product development to marketing; he is uniquely and perfectly qualified to maximize the exciting avenues for our product in the Medical Category.”

In response to Capra’s promotion, Ilya Minkin—the former Global Category Manager in the sales department—will assume Capra’s previous position as Product Manager. “Ilya possesses a deep understanding of our product and a personable collaborative approach that make him ideal for this spot,” adds Hammerslag.

The Sales Department, overseen by recent hire Vice President of Sales & Marketing Chuck Mason, has also welcomed several new team members. Most recently, Vin Connolly re-joined the company as Global Category Manager. The move represents a homecoming for Connolly, who spent the past two years at Burton Snowboards. In addition, both Karl Wurm and Eric Weis will join Boa as Development Support Specialists. Wurm comes from One Track Mind, a snowboard shop in Beaver Creek, Colo., and adds twenty years of snowboard expertise to an already seasoned team. Eric Weis comes to Boa after working for four years at Recreational Equipment Incorporated, where he was a sales and product expert. At the same time, Kim Polak and Jeff “Woody” Woodard have moved from Development Coordinator positions to become Regional Account Managers.
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Boa is pleased to welcome back and announce the hiring of action sports industry sales veteran Vin Connolly as Global Category Manager.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to reunite with the Boa team here in Colorado,” says Connolly. “Boa operates on great leadership, collaboration and passion with infinite possibilities evolving and innovating the closure business. To be blunt, I’m stoked to be back on board with Boa.”

In his new role as Boa Global Category Manager, Connolly will manage relationships and sales from new and existing partners in Boa’s Athletic category.

“We’re thrilled to have Vin back on the Boa team,” says Chuck Mason Boa Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “Vin has a great understanding of our technology, products, and culture and knows many of our brand partners extremely well. Linking all of this with his inexhaustible energy, this means even more great things in the future for Boa and our partners.”

Launching his action sports sales career at the age of 16, Connolly cut his teeth as a sponsored snowboarder and tech rep for Ride, Nixon and Smith before moving on to general manager and snowboard buyer for legendary Princeton Ski Shops in New Jersey. For the last two and a half years, Connolly had served as Burton’s Snowboards’ The Program Sales Director, re-launching Foursquare, Forum and Special Blend to North America. Prior to his time at Burton, Connolly worked at Boa Technology for two years in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, handling sales, marketing and account services.

Welcome back Vin!

Celebrating 10 years of business and record growth in 2010, Boa Technology, creators of the Boa® Lacing System, announced today that it has changed its patented technology name from “Boa Lacing System” to “Boa® Closure System.” This shift follows recent expansion into non-footwear applications, including the medical and helmet categories.

Gary Hammerslag, founder and CEO of Boa Technology, commented, “As awareness of Boa Technology has expanded, it has grown apparent that application of the system has tremendous potential in many footwear categories and also on non-footwear products. For example, you can now find the Boa Closure System on helmets by both Pro-Tec and Smith as well as medical braces.”

With the successful launch of the Boa Closure System on medical braces by Futuro and Exos Medical, as well as apparel by Marmot, hydration packs by The North Face and motorcycle gloves by Knox Armor, a growing number of product partners are utilizing the Boa Closure System in new and exciting ways.

“This year will be very strong for Boa, with significant growth and several product launches,” Hammerslag continues. “Our partners see the inherent added value of having the Boa Closure System on their products and feel confident that their consumers will, too.”

On Friday, March 11th 2011, Japan was thrust into a crisis that the country’s prime minister is calling “the worst since World War II”. In the wake of a massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake, tsunami and continued aftershocks, thousands have lost their lives. Millions are without shelter, water, or power. Our own friends and co-workers at our Boa Asia office in Chiba City are among those affected by the disaster – a small degree of separation that has given all of us at Boa Technology in Denver, Colorado, a new and startling perspective.

Following this tragic event, Boa Technology is helping to support the efforts of the American Red Cross to raise funds for disaster relief in Japan.

Please join us in our efforts by visiting the American Red Cross online and donating to Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami. You can also text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation towards helping those affected.

As the old adage goes, necessity is the mother of invention. A little over ten years ago, ten thousand feet up in the Colorado Rockies, while re-tying his heavy, wet snowboard boot laces, Gary Hammerslag, Creator and Founder of Boa Technology, came to the realization that shoelaces were an inadequate closure system for snowboard boots. This was just one of the classic experiences over a two-year testing span that inspired Gary to develop early Boa prototype reels, laces and guides, the foundation of today’s Boa Closure System.

From left to right: Alex Draper, K2 Vice President of Product Development, Anthony De Rocco, K2 Executive Vice President of Global Brand & Product Development, Robert Marcovitch, President of K2 Sports, Gary Hammerslag, Founder & CEO of Boa Technology Inc.

Boa now offers more options than ever before to suit the construction and performance closure demands of leading snowboard, snowmobile and ski boot design. “In 1998 when Boa Technology started, we offered one snowboard closure system, the Original Boa, and had two very strong industry partners, Vans and K2,” says Hammerslag. “Ten years later, our roots are still solid with Vans and K2 and we work with the most innovative brands in the industry, while offering a total of six and counting Boa snow closure systems highlighted by the H2 Coiler reel, HP 42 Lace and Focus dual-zonal closure. “

Continuing to focus on retail education and emphasizing listening and learning from global partners, athletes, media, retailers and consumers, Boa has gained a 360-degree view of the Boa Closure System in action around the world. This valued insight coupled with innovative design is the catalyst of Boa’s successful growth into other categories and unwavering partner relationships.

Says Joel Yang, Department of Boot Wizardry at K2 Snowboarding, “Performance. Precision. Innovation. Boa delivers them all.”

On Saturday, January 8, Boa Marketing Director Graubins headed to Colorado’s Indian Peaks to tackle what has quickly become known as one of the toughest snowshoe races around: the Hardwater 30K. The 18.6-mile snowshoe romp takes place at altitudes entirely above 10,000 feet. In all, it climbs a total of 2,500 feet and provides the ultimate proving grounds for the features and benefits of the Boa Closure System.

“We’re always looking for new ways to apply and test the Boa Closure System in grueling conditions,” says Graubins. “This snowshoe race seemed like a good opportunity. It’s gnarly out there, and we know from our experience in snowboarding and skiing that Boa can handle the worst winter weather that Mother Nature dishes out.”

Graubins Looking Strong at Mile 13

Graubins ran the race in a pair of Pearl Izumi running shoes prototyped with the Boa Closure System (the shoes were bolted to a pair of Atlas snowshoes). “I dialed into the exact fit at the start and never had to readjust or re-tie,” says Graubins. “Further, the system locked in my foot the entire time and didn’t collect snow, slush, and ice like standard lace-up shoes are prone to doing during these events. This kept them more lightweight, too.”

Against a field of roughly 35 hearty racers, Graubins won in a time of four hours and five minutes.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to win great Boa products during the 12 Days of Boa Holiday Gifts contest happening currently on Facebook! It’s simple. Answer the daily question and you will be entered in the random drawing each day. Winners announced daily at 5 pm MST. Happy Holidays! Contest ends December 24th.

TransWorld Business editor Mike Lewis made the trek down to Boa HQ in Denver to find out the latest and greatest in snowboard boot lacing from our very own Chuck Mason! Check out the vid below.

Reel Pink in action! 30 Boa employees, friends, and family members were pretty in pink on October 3rd. That was the day they joined over 50,000 people united in downtown Denver for the Race for the Cure, one of the nation’s biggest such events to help fight breast cancer.

The Boa Team, called “Lace for the Cure”, worked together to raise $1,555 for the Denver Metropolitan Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization. The team ranged from Boa’s Inventory Coordinator aiming to crack the 20-minute barrier for the 5K distance, to those aiming to simply complete the 3.1-mile course. The whole team was united for one common purpose, however: to do their part in helping to fight breast cancer.

Boa Lace for the Cure team members and friends meet before the big event.

“We had speedsters running for time and also recreational walkers,” says Boa President Mark Soderberg, who also took part in the event. “The important thing is that we were out there, supporting a very important cause that affects so many of us, both directly and indirectly.”

Accounts Payable Specialist Alyse Monachino honored the cause by running her first-ever race. “Race for the Cure was a way for me to set a goal and challenge myself,” she says. “It is about being happy and feeling healthy.”

Boa Technology’s participation in Race for the Cure reflects part of a larger company commitment to helping beat breast cancer. In September, the company launched its “Reel Pink” promotion, which provides pink Boa dials to anybody donating $10 to the Beast Cancer Network of Strength. More information, including how to donate, can be found at: www.boatechnology.com/reelpink.