RAFAEL PROVIDES FOUNDATION FOR ROD BUILDING GROUP Foundation Outdoor Group has continued its focus on European expansion with the appointment of Rafael Llaneras to lead its southern Europe sales and distribution initiatives. The world’s largest supplier of rod building components, supplies, equipment and instruction said “Rafa” would concentrate on growing sales and distribution in the region, including Italy, Portugal and his home country of Spain. Gary Benney, vice-president of operations for Foundation’s European efforts, said: “Rafa is a tremendous addition to the Foundation family. He’s an industry veteran, already well versed in our product line. He is also an avid angler, who knows the species and waters across the continent.” Rafael resides on the Balearic island of Majorca, Spain with his wife and two children. Having fished at a professional level for many years with an emphasis on big game species, he has won many tournaments, including the coveted Spanish Tuna Trolling Championship, and has helped pioneer slow pitch fishing in Spain. As a 10-year American <strong>Tackle</strong> ambassador, Rafa brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Foundation Outdoor Group. Brook Oliva, Foundation’s president and COO, added: “Growing our presence in southern Europe is a key component to our larger expansion strategy. We’re excited to have someone of Rafa’s calibre join our team. Under Gary’s leadership, I am sure that Rafa will make an immediate impact for Foundation.” With the recent addition of its European headquarters in Halmstad, Sweden, Foundation Outdoor Group is well positioned to grow its presence across Europe and to meet customer demand for fishing Rafael Llaneras rod components and tackle goods. The group’s brands include Mud Hole Custom <strong>Tackle</strong>, American <strong>Tackle</strong>, MHX, Custom Rod Builder (CRB), ProProducts, ThreadMaster and FishHawk. gbenney@fogeurope.com Dates set for 2025 Fly Fishing shows After a record-breaking <strong>2024</strong> season, the Fly Fishing Show will visit seven sites in the USA over nine weeks during 2025. The events’ president and CEO, Ben Furimsky, explained: “By spreading the seven shows over nine weeks, we hope to ease the travel burden for exhibitors from Europe, Asia, and Latin American countries who need to deal with long flights, along with North American companies that are showing new products at multiple shows.” The 2025 dates and locations are Marlborough, Massachusetts from January 17th to 18th; Edison, New Jersey from January 24th to 26th, Atlanta RIDGEMONKEY ADDS BONES TO OPERATION 14 www.tackletradeworld.com Georgia from January 31st to February 2nd; Bellevue, Washington from February 15th to 16th, Denver, Colorado from February 21st to 23rd, Pleasanton, California from February 28th to March 2nd and Lancaster, Pennsylvania from March 15th to 16th. For information on 2025 booth space, multiple show discounts, deposit deadlines and opportunities for show feature demonstrations and destination theatre presentations, contact the Fly Fishing Show at +1 814 443 3638 or visit the website. www.flyfishingshow.com/exhibitor-info UK-based specialist tackle brand RidgeMonkey has added some strong experience to its sales line-up with the appointment of Jonathan Bones to its ranks. Jonathan, who has more than 22 years’ experience in the angling trade, including the last five running and directing bait and tackle firm Solar <strong>Tackle</strong>, will be leading the sales and accounts in the south of England, looking after some of RidgeMonkey’s biggest customers. Jonathan said: “I’m thrilled at the new challenge ahead and I’m eager to get stuck into the role full time. RidgeMonkey’s a brand that’s enjoyed substantial growth, led, in my opinion, by innovative product design, strong branding, and an experienced and competent team; three key elements that attracted me to the company to take up this new opportunity.”
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