Distribution Company Brings Style, Performance & Innovation under One Roof


January 25, 2010. A new generation of golfers is emerging, bringing with them a cutting-edge style that demands both fashion and performance. Innovation18, a new distribution group recently launched by industry veterans Andy Gilkison and John Coleman, understands this sophisticated audience and how to deliver the up-and-coming brands they crave.

As evidence, the company has just signed an exclusive U.S. distribution agreement with SligoWear (www.sligowear.com), the Canada-based designer of cool, stylish golf apparel that PGA trendsetter Brian Gay helped put on the fashion map.

Andy Gilkison, co-founder of Innovation18 who works from the company's Carlsbad, Calif. branch office, understands golf's contemporary market. The 17-year industry veteran started his career as a sales rep for both Cleveland Golf and Titleist. In 2003, he became golf sales manager for OGIO, a crossover brand renowned for its fusion of action sports and golf. Most recently, he helped launch the trendy lifestyle brand PAHR Fairway Essentials, a manufacturer of fashion-forward golf apparel.

"The incoming generation of golfers has a unique aesthetic," Gilkison explains. "From their clothing and shoes to their accessories, they want to make a bold statement while honoring the game's tradition. At Innovation18, we identify the hottest new brands such as Sligo that fit these savvy consumers and pull them under one roof."

John Coleman, a one-time medical device sales manager and long-time passionate golfer, most recently founded FairwayStyles.com - an online retailer of contemporary soft goods. He created the portal in 2007 after a frustrating search for golf apparel and accessories that appealed to his more fashion-centric sensibilities. He adds, "I knew there were other consumers like me who wanted modern cuts, performance fabrics, and striking design in their apparel - a combination that was hard to come by in the States. FairwayStyles.com was my antidote to that challenge. And Innovation18 now fills that void for retailers across the country."

About Innovation18

Innovation18 is a full-service sales, distribution, warehouse and inventory management company with an established sales rep group and golf customer account base in the United States. For more information about joining the Innovation18 rep force, or for retailers interested in carrying fashion-forward brands such as Sligo in their stores, contact Andy Gilkison at andy@innovation18.com or 760/696-2310.