Press Release: Austin Canoe and Kayak Launches New Logo and Brand Message
Austin, Texas (March 29, 2012) – Outdoor retailer, Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK), today announced the official launch of their new ACK logo and tagline “Outfit Your Adventure” to support the company’s expansion as an all encompassing outdoor adventure retailer.
The launch of the logo and tagline was facilitated by the company’s product expansion as a result of customer demand. It further re-emphasizes ACK’s commitment to all facets of outdoor adventure including but not limited to paddling, camping, hiking, trekking and climbing.
“We love our kayaks and canoes and they will always remain a core focus for us but naturally, we have evolved to support all outdoor adventure,” said Roland Jimenez, Director of Marketing, “the time for us to better reflect this evolution through a unified message is here.”
ACK CEO Peter Messana, who initiated the logo concept said, “We wanted something fresh, new and more relevant to what our customer’s interests are and I believe we’ve captured that both visually and verbally.”
The tag line was a result of an internal contest won by ACK President, Steve Messana. The transition will take place throughout spring of 2012 as part of a bigger effort to continue the expansion. The logo can be seen live on the ACK website at www.ACK.com.
About MSP Holdings, LLC
MSP Holdings, LLC operates Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK), an award-winning paddlesports and outdoor retailer and Rack Boys a vehicle rack and sports travel outfitter dedicated to providing exceptional customer service. Both retail outfits are based out of the central Texas area, with their respective online stores at www.ACK.com and www.RackBoys.com and within three physical locations in Austin, San Marcos and Houston, Texas.
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with MSP Holdings, LLC, please email pr@austinkayak.com.
Press Release: Austin Canoe and Kayak Houston Store Experiences Fire – Open for Business
Austin, Texas (March 26, 2012) – Austin Canoe and Kayak’s (ACK) Houston store located at 5822 Bissonnet in Houston, Texas recently experienced a fire resulting in extensive damage to the rear portion of the building and product inventory.
Despite the fire damage, two thirds of the building is still in operable condition and all damaged inventory has been replenished. With the hard work off all the store employees and those who volunteered to help ACK, the store never closed and continued operations. The building is getting completely renovated and ACK will remain open for business throughout the renovation process in it’s current location. The company has also rented temporary warehouse space at a nearby location for inventory storage while the damaged portion of the building is rebuilt and the remaining parts of the building are renovated.
“The fire was an eye opener for us, not so much how quickly fire can create havoc or the damage sustained but more so in the community’s support in helping us get back on our feet,” said Chris Hackerd, Vice President of Store Operations, “we are so thankful to all of our employees, customers, friends, partners and even strangers that came out to help clean up the aftermath making it possible for us to remain open.”
The fire originated within an adjacent building not associated with neither MSP Holdings, LLC or Austin Canoe and Kayak. No injuries or casualties were reported nor was the fire considered an act of arson.
About MSP Holdings, LLC
MSP Holdings, LLC operates Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK), an award-winning paddlesports and outdoor retailer and Rack Boys a vehicle rack and sports travel outfitter dedicated to providing exceptional customer service. Both retail outfits are based out of the central Texas area, with their respective online stores at www.AustinkKayak.com and www.RackBoys.com and within three physical locations in Austin, San Marcos and Houston, Texas.
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Austin Canoe and Kayak or Rack Boys, please call Roland Jimenez at 512-687-3010, or email pr@austinkayak.com.
Press Release: Outdoor Retailer Operators Launch Online Extension and Store-Within-A-Store – Rack Boys
Austin, Texas (February 20th, 2012) – Austin Canoe and Kayak’s (ACK) parent company, MSP Holdings, LLC, today announced the launch of www.RackBoys.com in conjunction with the unveiling of the Rack Boys store-within-a-store concept in Austin, Houston and San Marcos, Texas. Rack Boys offers a complete line of vehicle rack and sport travel outfitting solutions from Thule®, Yakima®, Malone®, Saris®, Kuat® in addition to several other brands.
The launch of the Rack Boys concept was already familiar territory for co-owners and brothers Peter and Steve Messana along with Chris Hackerd, who have been operating ACK since 2005. According to Chris, VP of Store Operations, the move was a natural one fueled by an increasing trend in customers requesting rack systems both online and locally. “We were already selling kayak and other rack systems through ACK, but as demand grew, so did the need to expand our product offering” said Chris. “We were able to accomplish all this by maximizing space within our stores resulting in an increase in sales per square foot.”
With the launch of the Rack Boys website and a new store-within-a-store focus on rack systems, customers will have access to a broader selection of brands, deeper selection of products as well as many hard to find items. Steve, MSP Holdings President, added, “We are driven by the very simple philosophy of meeting our customer’s expectations: if you want it, we’ve probably got it but if we don’t, we’ll do everything we can to get it, and that’s just what we are doing.”
“The technical and underlying infrastructure to successfully operate this new concept was already in place but more importantly, a proven customer service experience,” said Peter, MSP Holdings CEO. “Customers can expect the same service, competitive pricing and staff expertise that we currently offer through ACK.”
Rack Boys is open for business at www.RackBoys.com as well as locally in Austin, Houston and San Marcos, Texas. The physical stores also offer installation services.
About MSP Holdings, LLC
MSP Holdings, LLC operates Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK), an award-winning paddlesports and outdoor retailer and Rack Boys a vehicle rack and sports travel outfitter dedicated to providing exceptional customer service. Both retail outfits are based out of the central Texas area, with their respective online stores at www.AustinKayak.com and www.RackBoys.com and within three physical locations in Austin, San Marcos and Houston, Texas.
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Austin Canoe and Kayak or Rack Boys, please call Roland Jimenez at 512-687-3010, or email pr@austinkayak.com.
Austin Canoe and Kayak Receives SNEWS/Backpacker “Best Online Retailer” Award
Austin, Texas (January 23, 2012) – Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK), announces the acceptance of the SNEWS/Backpacker “Best Online Retailer” award.
The award recognizes retailers who embody the spirit of entrepreneurship and who serve as visionaries for the outdoor market and leaders of the communities they serve.
“We are honored to have won this award, going up against the likes of larger companies such as REI and Backcountry.com makes this award extra special to us,” said Peter Messana, Austin Canoe and Kayak CEO, “it’s a validation that we are providing the best possible service to our customers and we look forward to continuing to deliver this service.”
Steve Messana, Austin Canoe and Kayak President, added: “We are proud of our entire staff for making this possible and most of all, we are grateful for those who voted for us. This award combined with the massive expansion of our product offering is legitimizing ACK as a full fledged outdoor adventure retailer.”
The winners were announced at an industry ceremony hosted by SNEWS, Backpacker and program sponsor Horny Toad during the 2012 Winter Outdoor Retailer Show on Thursday, January 19th, 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
About Austin Canoe and Kayak
Founded over 20 years ago, Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK) is an award-winning paddlesports and outdoor retailer based out of Central Texas dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and the widest selection of paddlesports and outdoor equipment. ACK operates three physical retail shops in Austin, San Marcos and Houston, Texas and an online store at www.AustinKayak.com.
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Austin Canoe and Kayak, please call Roland Jimenez at 512.687.3010, or email pr@austinkayak.com.
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Press Release: Austin Canoe and Kayak Announces Video Contest Winner
Austin, Texas (January 19th, 2012) – Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK), today announced the official winner of the “Why I Deserve to Win a Kayak” video contest. The contest was designed to engage participants in convincing the viewing audience, by means of a short 3-minute video, why they deserve to win a kayak by Native Watercraft or Liquid Logic.
Ten participants entered their videos and were at the mercy of the general public’s vote. The videos varied from the short and witty, to those that developed an entire story line using their friends and families as extras. In the end, there was one first place winner, Jason Lee Menard with “Save Jason’s Life”, a well thought out and executed clip about his desperate need to escape from his nosey, and as he claims, possessive girlfriend. Jason was congratulated and awarded a brand new Liquid Logic XP 10 Kayak.
Click to View Video
“I would like to thank all of the other participants, the dudes at Liquid Logic and everyone at Austin Kayak for making this an amazing contest,” said Jason Lee Menard, “It was a stressful and super close battle between Leo and I but luckily I came out with just a few more votes.”
Leo Vasquez came in at a close second with a plea to help him enjoy his retirement with the kayak of his dreams while Bill McClernan secured third place with a dreamy video of his adventures with the hope of winning a smaller kayak than he has now.
All videos can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/AustinKayak.
About Austin Canoe and Kayak
Founded over 20 years ago, Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK) is an award-winning paddlesports and outdoor retailer based out of Central Texas dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and the widest selection of paddlesports and outdoor equipment. ACK operates three physical retail shops in Austin, San Marcos and Houston, Texas and an online store at www.AustinKayak.com.
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Austin Canoe and Kayak, please call Roland Jimenez at 512-687-3010, or email pr@austinkayak.com.
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Press Release: Austin Canoe and Kayak Receives Two Awards
Austin, Texas (October 6th, 2011) – Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK), a national paddlesports and outdoor retailer, is honored to have accepted the 2011 Bizrate® Circle of Excellence award for the third year in a row along with the 2011 Kayak Angler’s Choice award for Outfitter/Retailer/Kayak Fishing Supplier of the Year.
The Bizrate Circle of Excellence award recognizes those online retailers within the Bizrate Insights Network who have demonstrated outstanding performance, as rated by their customers, throughout a one-year period.
The Kayak Angler’s Choice Award, organized by KayakFishingRadio.com and YakAngler.com was designed to honor individuals, retailers, manufacturers and other organizations associated with the kayak fishing industry.
“The Circle of Excellence award is one of the most honorable awards any online retailer could receive,” said Peter Messana, Austin Canoe and Kayak CEO, “knowing that it’s a direct result of our customer’s feedback validates our commitment to a higher-level of customer service and we can’t thank them enough for their support.”
Steve Messana, Austin Canoe and Kayak President, added: “Everyone at ACK prides themselves on providing the community with exemplary service and support and both of these awards reinforce our mission and remind us how important our customers are.”
This year, only 84 online retailers received the Bizrate® Circle of Excellence award, representing 1.7% of all online retailers within the Bizrate Insights North American Retailer Network. In 2011, over 5,000 online retailers in North America were considered for the award. The ratings are from direct feedback, collected at the point-of-sale and after the delivery of goods, from customers concerning seven key satisfaction indicators.
For more information about the 2011 Bizrate® Circle of Excellence award visit: http://www.bizrate.com/boutique/2011circleofexcellence.html
For more information about the 2011 Kayak Angler’s Choice awards visit: http://kayakfishingradio.com/?p=675
About Austin Canoe and Kayak
Founded over 20 years ago, Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK) is an award-winning paddlesports and outdoor retailer based out of Central Texas dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and the widest selection of paddlesports and outdoor equipment. ACK operates three physical retail shops in Austin, San Marcos and Houston, Texas and an online store at www.AustinKayak.com.
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Austin Canoe and Kayak, please call Roland Jimenez at 512.687.3010, or email pr@austinkayak.com.
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Press Release: Austin Canoe and Kayak Kicks Off Video Contest For a Chance to Win a Kayak
Austin, Texas (September 28th, 2011) – Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK), today announced the launch of the “Why I Deserve to Win a Kayak” video contest. The contest is designed to engage participants into convincing the viewing audience, by means of a short 3-minute video, why they deserve to win a kayak by Native Watercraft or Liquid Logic.
Participation consists of a four-part process that encompasses registration, video creation, video submission and voting. ACK is encouraging participants to keep their videos humorous and entertaining in order to captivate the judges. All video entries must identify which brand and model kayak the participant is attempting to win.
“The contest was designed to help us grow our fan base and ultimately cultivate a richer more interactive experience for our social media network of friends and followers,” said Roland Jimenez, ACK Director of Marketing, “Facebook is the ideal platform for this but at the end of the day, it’s really all about having fun.”
Winners will be chosen through a voting system by Facebook Fans that “Like” the Austin Canoe and Kayak Facebook page located at www.facebook.com/austinkayak. Voting will be launched after the initial submission period ending November 1st, 2011. Interested participants can register and obtain additional information including eligibility requirements, rules and agreements at yakr.us/c7cv.
About Austin Canoe and Kayak
Founded over 20 years ago, Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK) is an award-winning paddlesports and outdoor retailer based out of Central Texas dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and the widest selection of paddlesports and outdoor equipment. ACK operates three physical retail shops in Austin, San Marcos and Houston, Texas and an online store at www.AustinKayak.com.
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Austin Canoe and Kayak, please call Roland Jimenez at 512-687-3010, or email pr@austinkayak.com.
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Press Release: Austin Canoe and Kayak Expansion Continues With In-Store Consumer Driven Kiosks
Austin, Texas (September 20th, 2011) – Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK), today announced the implementation of @ack.com, an in-store consumer oriented kiosk. The kiosk expands all ACK stores with access to a larger assortment of products, which can be shipped to the customer’s door the next day. It provides users, including store employees, access to product specific information, fit guides and additional vendor information — all from the sales floor.
@ack.com was also designed to serve as a portal of valuable paddling and other outdoor related information such as river flows, tides, currents, weather and even fishing reports. Additionally, the kiosk serves as a point of communication for the customer detailing company specific news and events.
“We are a customer-driven business and having to tell a customer we don’t have an item in stock is something we don’t take lightly,” said Chris Hackerd, VP Store Operations, “with the implementation of @ack.com, customers can conveniently purchase products through our website, at their own leisure and within a day, get their products at home or at the office.”
Peter Messana, Austin Canoe and Kayak CEO, added: “Making our expansive online selection available to all of our customers, whether at home or in our stores was our first priority — providing them with a wealth of knowledge was the icing on the cake.”
The kiosks are now available at all Austin Canoe and Kayak stores in Austin, Houston and San Marcos, Texas.
About Austin Canoe and Kayak
Founded over 20 years ago, Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK) is an award-winning paddlesports and outdoor retailer based out of Central Texas dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and the widest selection of paddlesports and outdoor equipment. ACK operates three physical retail shops in Austin, San Marcos and Houston, Texas and an online store at www.AustinKayak.com.
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Austin Canoe and Kayak, please call Roland Jimenez at 512.687.3010, or email pr@austinkayak.com.
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Press Release: Austin Canoe and Kayak Wins “Retailer of the Year” Award Presented by Canoe and Kayak Magazine
Retailer of the Year Award
Austin, Texas (August 8th, 2011) – Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK) is thrilled to have accepted the 25th Annual “Industry Award” for “Retailer of the Year” presented by Canoe & Kayak Magazine for the 3rd year in a row.
The award honors paddlesport retailers that have been recognized by industry manufacturers for exemplified excellence in variety of categories focused around product support, knowledge, promotion and customer service.
“This is truly an honor, to be chosen 3 years in a row means everything to us and we must thank each and every supplier for their recognition as well as all of our employees for their amazing customer service,” said Peter Messana, Austin Canoe and Kayak CEO.
Steve Messana, Austin Canoe and Kayak President, added: “Without the dedication, hard work and endless support of our vendors, we couldn’t have won this award. We thank them for everything they do to help us provide the high-level of service we offer to our customers.”
The winners were announced at an industry reception hosted by Canoe & Kayak magazine during the 2011 Summer Outdoor Retailer Show on August 5th in Salt Lake City, Utah.
About Austin Canoe and Kayak
Founded over 20 years ago, Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK) is an award-winning paddlesports and outdoor retailer based out of Central Texas dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and the widest selection of paddlesports and outdoor equipment. ACK operates three physical retail shops in Austin, San Marcos and Houston, Texas and an online store at www.AustinKayak.com.
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Austin Canoe and Kayak, please call Roland Jimenez at 512.687.3010, or email pr@austinkayak.com.
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Press Release: Outdoor Retailer, Austin Canoe and Kayak, Launches Free Version of the Mobile App for iPhone/iPod Touch ACK Kayak Launch Points
Austin, Texas (July 7, 2011) – Austin Canoe and Kayak, an award-winning paddlesports and outdoor retailer, announces the launch of the free version of the ACK Kayak Launch Points App for iPhone and iPod Touch for immediate download from the iTunes App Store.
The free version of the Launch Points App, which offers all of the same features as the paid version, enables users to explore, rate, add photos, review and share kayak and canoe launch points while on the go. It was featured in Apple’s “What’s Hot” section and hovered in the top-twenty paid lifestyle section for two weeks.
“Our sponsors, which include Johnson Outdoors, Aqua-Bound, Seals, Scotty and Stohlquist, have helped make this launch a reality for us,” said Peter Messana, CEO of Austin Canoe and Kayak. “while the ad-free App is reasonably priced, this version gives those paddlers who are not ready to make the investment a chance to see how effective this tool can be.”
The free version of the ACK Kayak Launch Points App for iPhone and iPod Touch is currently available for download from the iTunes App Store by following this link http://www.austinkayak.com/app.
About Austin Canoe and Kayak
Founded over 20 years ago, Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK) is an award-winning paddlesports and outdoor retailer based out of Central Texas dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and the widest selection of paddlesports and outdoor equipment. ACK operates three physical retail shops in Austin, San Marcos and Houston, Texas and an online store at www.AustinKayak.com.
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Austin Canoe and Kayak, please call Roland Jimenez at 512-687-3010, or email pr@austinkayak.com.
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