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Co-Founder/Director of Business Development

Accounting & Finance

Business Professional seeking opportunity in the Outdoor Industry utilizing leadership, business development, and brand building experience.

Co-Founded a 102 store Vapor retail chain spanning the South East, Mid Atlantic, and Midwest. Developed comprehensive expansion strategy, store selection process, retail store opening schedule, construction, inventory budgeting/planning, hiring process and employee manual, and performed all lease negotiations and executions.
• Opened 102 retail locations in (4) four years; selecting all sites, managing all retail construction (Across 11 states).
• First 36 stores (18 months) hired all retail personnel, district managers, and store opening teams; developed retail oversight structure, employee manual, and training.
• First 36 stores managed all retail functions while simultaneously performing all site selections, managing leases, and all retail construction build outs.
• Last 66 stores (2.5 years) focused solely on-site selection and retail construction build outs.
• Jointly developed 3 & 5-year plan for future retail expansion. Culled low performing locations and re-negotiated leases where needed.
• Heading International Joint Venture for New Retail Concept Launch in United States
? Heading Retail Site Selection & Construction
? Consulting on retail space layout and design
? Providing State and Local Code Check and Zoning Compliance
? Providing turnkey Architectural, Design, Real Estate, and Construction Solutions
• Following completion of store expansion, engaged 3rd party companies to contract manufacture their products. Tasks Performed:
? Contract Negotiation
? Created a Value Proposition Business Development Strategy
? FDA/PMTA Consultation and Brand Management
? Expanded Contract Manufacturing to International Markets (UK, Canada, Colombia, China, Honduras)
? Facilitated production for US-Chinese JV to launch Product Line for Nationwide C-Store rollout

Manage wholesale distribution, of select accounts, for U.S. and Canadian vendors ranging in size from large Big Box retailers and hardware chains to regional sports memorabilia outlets.
• Communicate with national sales force daily appraising account status, evaluating outstanding import programs/projects, and identifying new product opportunities and market trends.
• Establish annual and quarterly, account specific, forecasting to facilitate timely production schedules and manage current inventory holdings to meet customer deadlines and launch dates.
• Daily and weekly teleconferencing with Chinese manufacturers, reporting production status, initiating standardized product testing, scheduling sample and order release, communicating customer specific guidelines and shipping mandates, and troubleshooting production and shipment situations.
• Facilitated the timely dispatch of $1 million + of closeout inventory, from recent acquisitions, into formerly untapped sports markets.

Key Account Manager

Responsible for  securing new accounts by implementing aggressive margins, maintaining constant communication with onsite engineers and customer contacts, and negotiating best price and lead time availabilities.
• Secured 15 new accounts representing $120,000 in revenue growth in my first 6 months.
• Executed an annual rate contract for a multi-billion dollar company, leading to an additional $1 million opportunity with a sister company.
• Negotiated a price and scheduled delivery contract projected to increase revenue by $250,000 annually.
• Achieved 26% growth, for established accounts now producing upwards of $500,000 annually.

Export Manager

Cole Smith is a Co-Founder/Director of Business Development at Avail Vapor LLC in Chesterfield, VA.

Cole Smith

Cole Smith

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Education history

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte