GRAND OPENING JOHN SINGLETON. Store Manager

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1 GRAND OPENING College Station store ready to serve Store manager John Singleton is ready to welcome customers to Gander Mountain s Grand Opening following a few hectic months. We began moving dirt in February, and the foundation was poured in April, he said. With the soft opening at the end of May and the Grand Opening beginning June 8, it s been a busy few months. Singleton has a lengthy background in retail management with MJ Designs in the Sherman area, and he got to know some of the Gander managers and employees when shopping there, and joined them two years ago. The Gander employees in Sherman were instrumental in his joining the Gander team. That was a big factor, he said. The company encourages its people to get out there and participate in the outdoors. These guys were always telling me about their latest fishing or hunting trip. His piqued interest in the outdoors benefited his health as well. I got back in to running and being more active. I ve lost 60 pounds in the past year-and-a-half. He also has a love for camping and backpacking, including winter survival camping from time spent in upstate New York. Finding qualified employees for the new store was not a problem. We had a vast number of qualified applicants, Singleton said. The response has been incredible. We were able to have a first, second, third Page 1 June 8, 2007 and fourth prospect for each position. The expertise of the staff is critical, he said. We hire people with a passion for the outdoors, and they all have a wealth of knowledge and experience in the areas where they work. Their lives outside help foster the relationship with the customer. We want our staff to provide more than a service to the customers. We want to develop that relationship with the customers, to link with them about what they do in the outdoors. Gander Mountain is more than just sales and service. It also offers space for seminars or meetings. The Lodge is a large meeting room we ll use it for seminars by the store s expert associates and guests, and hunter safety education courses, Singleton said. It s also available free of charge for organizations such as local bass clubs, Boy Scout groups, and conservation groups to have their meetings. Dave Coupel is the operations manager and assistant store manager. My job is to make sure we have the right product whenever the customers need it, he said. He has been with Gander Mountain since the opening of the first Texas store in Corsicana in An Army veteran, he lives to fish for anything. Coupel is also in charge of merchandising and maintenance, and he stresses customer service as the lifeblood of the store. Our service sets us apart, he said. From the bait shop for the fishermen heading out JOHN SINGLETON Store to the lake, to the experienced technicians for archery equipment, fishing reels, boats and ATVs, and our gunsmith, we can take care of the customer s needs. Singleton has a relaxed management style that has spilled over to the employees. He is amazed with the attitude of the staff during the store s setup, but knows the great attitude will be there at the Grand Opening and beyond. We re selling toys for the outdoorsman and woman, he said. No one comes in here in a bad mood. DAVE COUPEL Operations

2 Hunting Department has hunters in sights From shotguns to rifles, muzzleloaders, handguns and bows, the top brands in Gander Mountain s Hunting Department are here to view and touch. The department s selection also includes optics, shooting and archery accessories, decoys, dogtraining equipment, blinds, clothing and more. The brands hunters have come to know and trust will keep the hunter on track, including Browning, Remington, Winchester, Bushnell, Federal, Leupold, Simmons, Rocky, Flambeau, LaCrosse, Primos, GSM Stealth Cam, Zeiss, Biologic, Avery and more. Archery hunters and target shooters will appreciate the indoor archery range, as well as custom arrow cutting. We ll have 3,500 new guns here by the time of the Grand Opening, said hunting manager Brady Owens, who describes a unique feature in the firearms area. We can lock any gun to our gun table with the trigger guard in place, of course and our customers can personally handle BRADY OWENS Hunting and feel any of the guns in a totally safe manner. The department offers an extensive selection of hunting gear for each season, whether the hunter is after big game or deer, waterfowl, upland birds, wild turkey, small game, or just prefers target shooting. The hunting staff is there to help. We go out of our way to hire knowledgeable people, Owens said. We prefer passion over specific retail skills. We can teach retail, but you can t teach passion. The staff includes two members of the Texas A&M competitive archery team and the chairman of the A&M Chapter of Ducks Unlimited. We have an expert on everything, Owens said. Owens praises the wealth of knowledge of his staff, and the services of the department to help the customer during and after the sale, including a full-time gunsmith. We can do everything from building a custom rifle to shortening a stock, said gunsmith Mark Halsey. We also list our services and our prices on the Gander Mountain Web site. Owens is a native of College Station and transferred from the Tyler Gander store. He favors upland bird hunting, especially dove and quail, and waterfowl hunting has hooked him. I have a new Chesapeake Retriever puppy and plan to train it once things here settle down a little bit. Owens considers himself fortunate to merge his passion and his work. This is the ultimate job for an outdoorsman, he said. We ll have 3,500 new guns here by the time of the Grand Opening Page 2 June 8, 2007

3 Fishing An angler s haven for variety, service J JOE WILLIAMS Fishing oe Williams, manager of the fishing department, touts his staff and the store s inventory as the highlights of his department. We re more than just fishing gear and supplies, he said. The department is designed to provide complete service and convenience for the customers. The selection covers every skill level from beginner to expert to tournament pro. More than 200 reels baitcasting, spinning or fly more than 500 rods, and 6000-plus lure types will entice the angler. Knowing that every customer has a favorite brand, Gander Mountain carries all the top names in fishing equipment: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Daiwa, Eagle, Frabill, Garmin, Mepps, Minn Kota, Plano, Rapala, Shakespeare, Shimano, St. Croix, Zebco and many more. In addition to the name brands, Gander Mountain carries its own Guide Series brand. The Guide Series brand is high-quality and affordable. I would put our rods up against anything out there, he said. The fishing department also includes a vast array of accessories such as tackle boxes, landing nets, bait buckets, anchors, life jackets, mooring rope and fish finders. Williams said the department can meet the needs of the weekend angler to the everyday fisherman in a one-stop shopping experience. Williams said it s not just about the variety and equipment. We do have the most variety in the area, he said. But we want to build a relationship with our customers and help give them the best outdoor experience they can have. The department has an instore bait shop offering live and frozen bait, full rod and reel service, a line-winding station and a rod and reel repair service. We can load the rod and reel while the customer is at the store, Williams said. They can go straight from the store to the lake. Williams is especially excited about his staff. With Trevor Knight, a member of the Texas A&M bass club, Brian Forest, a professional tournament fisherman, and an associate transferring from Houston with extensive saltwater and fly-fishing knowledge and experience, the customer can get his or her questions answered. They all have a passion for fishing and an understanding of what works out there and what doesn t, he said. Williams, an East Texas native, comes to Gander Mountain from the grocery industry, where he spent the last 24 years, but he shares the passion for fishing. His favorites are the double Cs, he said. Crappie and catfish. He also likes saltwater trout fishing, and his saltwater favorite, flounder gigging. Now that s a blast. We re more than just fishing gear and supplies. The department is designed to provide complete service... Page 3 June 8, 2007

4 Camping Gander out to make happy campers Gander Mountain s clothing and camping lineup provides comfort, function and style for both men and women of all ages, shapes and sizes. The top brands in the business are on hand, including Columbia Sportswear, Woolrich, Mossy Oak, Wall, Carhartt, LaCrosse, Rocky and Wrangler. Gander s Guide Series clothing line was developed with the outdoor enthusiast in mind, and the new GSX line (Guide Series Extreme) is extremely popular. It is designed for active wear, said Jennifer Swift, the camping and apparel manager. The line uses all of the new breathable fabrics and moisture-control systems. The clothing and footwear aren t just for the woods. We have great styles and fabrics that work great every day, indoors and out, she said. Gander Mountain offers a wide variety of camping equipment. We have the best variety of camping gear, she said. From the moderate to the high-end equipment. And our selection of tents is unmatched. JENNIFER SWIFT Camping We have Guide Series tents and tents from Coleman, Wenzel, and Eureka. From 2-person models to the larger 5- to 6-person tents, and to the giant 8- to 10-person family tents, Gander Mountain s tents will fit the bill. The sleeping bag collection includes Guide Series and Coleman bags, while more serious hikers can choose bags rated for extreme conditions from Slumberjack. The backpack selection covers all types of hiking and camping as well, from day-packs to high-end packs with internal frames made from the best light-weight materials in the industry for the more technical hiker. We have five or six styles of backpacks made by Kelty that weigh as little as four to five pounds, Swift said. Campers and hikers will appreciate the selection of supplies, including single-burner and larger stoves, lanterns, cooking pots and frying pans, cooking utensils and mess kits and one-person coffee makers. The dried food selection includes complete meals and desserts. Swift came to Texas a year ago from Los Angeles. She has extensive experience in the sporting goods industry, including retail, management and working in the corporate office. An avid camper, hiker, water-skier and roller-blader, she is looking forward to meeting the customers and trying new things in the outdoors. I m superexcited, she said. I m new to hunting and fishing, but can t wait to get out there. She s also learning more and more about the likes and interests of Texans. I hear barbecues are big here, and we have a lot of them, she said. That and coolers. We have the best variety of camping gear. From the moderate to the high-end equipment. Page 4 June 8, 2007

5 Power Sports Service, products pack outdoors power Z ach Hester, the Power Sports manager, has extensive experience in the power sports arena. A College Station native and avid hunter and fisherman, he s ready to share the store s extensive boat and ATV selection with customers. Gander Mountain carries a wide variety of boats to meet the needs of the freshwater or saltwater inshore fisherman, and can fully supply the pleasure boater or water-skier. We have Tracker Marine fishing boats, Sun Tracker pontoon boats, Nitro high-performance fishing boats, Tahoe runabout deck boats and Mako boats for offshore and inshore saltwater fishing, he said. This group of performers makes Gander Mountain the largest national network of outlets for Tracker Marine boats. The department also sells Mercury motors, both two- and four-stroke, up to 75 horsepower. Larger motors are available on the Nitro boats. Carry-On trailers are stocked as well, from 5-14 feet, both open and enclosed. We have both the sideloading and dual-loading UTV trailers, Hester said. Customers also will find a complete supply of boating accessories, including wake and knee boards. The department carries ATVs and UTVs as well. We also carry Arctic Cat and Kolpin ATVs and Honda generators, including the popular Arctic Cat Prowler, a two-seat utility vehicle ZACH HESTER Power Sports with a dump bed in back. Hester said the service department sets Gander s Power Sport division apart. We have a huge service department offering both boat and Our goal is to keep the customer for life, not just make a sale. ATV service, he said. And this store has a larger service space for everything power sports, including parts and accessories. We have two technicians that are career mechanics, and they are both small-engine certified. Eddie Kellar, the service manager, is certified in Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha ATVs and motorcycles and Arctic Cat ATVs. He s also certified in all Mercury motors. Hester encourages customers to bring in their equipment for service, whether or not it came from Gander Mountain. Any make or model no matter what year it is we ll work on it, Hester said. Financing is available through Gander Mountain for all boats and ATVs. If the customer has decent credit, we can get them in a boat or ATV, he said. The department offers a one-stop shop for everything power sports, from sales and accessories to parts and service. We want to take care of the customer after the sale, he said. Our goal is to keep the customer for life, not just make a sale. Page 5 June 8, 2007

6 Gearing to go Despite stacks of boxes and piles of products to place, morale remained high during final preparations for the College Station Gander Mountain store opening. The shouts of employees could be heard from department to department, including the famous Aggie yell. An employee wearing a shirt that even resembled burnt orange in color was met with heckling from the staff. Most of the staff liked the maroon color in Gander Mountain s logo, even though it s not quite an exact match to their beloved Aggie maroon. Page 6 June 8, 2007

7 ABOUT GANDER MOUNTAIN Gander Mountain is the nation s largest retailer for hunting, fishing, camping, marine and outdoor lifestyle products. Michael Waddell, the host of Realtree Road Trips and future host of Gander Mountain s We Live Outdoors television shows will be at the store to meet and greet customers from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. The On The Road with Michael Waddell seminar will take place on Saturday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 1:30 p.m. Ray Howell, the founder of Kicking Bear Camp for Kids and a Gander Mountain archery pro-staffer, will be featured at the Gander Mountain provides a unique retail experience founded upon its We Live Outdoors culture and theme. Each store offers a broad assortment of competitively priced outdoor equipment, accessories, apparel and footwear, combined with expert service and a unique store environment. The companywide emphasis on customer service is based on each store associate s extensive product knowledge and outdoor-related experience. Gander Mountain s Everyday Low Price strategy and Low Price Guarantee provides the best value every day. The Company has 108 Gander Mountain outdoor lifestyle stores in 22 states. The first store in Texas was opened in 2004 in Corsicana. College Station is the 10 th store in Texas, with other Texas locations in Amarillo, Beaumont, Houston, Sherman, Spring, Sugar Land, Texarkana and Tyler. The Gander Mountain brand has a 45- year heritage of strong appeal and relevance to consumers who participate in Grand Opening Events Shoot for Savings event held in the archery range. Customers can take a shot at saving up to 50 percent off the day s purchases, or win one of 1,300 prizes. The contest will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Keith Warren, the host of Outdoor Adventures on the Outdoor Channel and a Gander Mountain pro-staffer, will meet and greet customers from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, and will give his Bass n, Warren Style seminar from noon to 1 p.m., Saturday, and from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Sunday. outdoor sports and recreational activities. The Gander Mountain brand was founded in Wilmot, Wis., in 1960 as a catalog operation, which over time was augmented with retail stores. Go to for more information about Gander Mountain. Lonnie Stanley, bass fishing legend and owner of Stanley Jigs, will give his Ribbit Frog Sensation seminar from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday and from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Stanley also will give his Bass and Swimming Jigs seminar from 5 to 6 p.m. on Friday and from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Primos Game Calls will teach how to make a duck call and how to use it from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday (limited to the first 300 people) Earl Rudder Freeway South College Station, Texas (979) Page 7 June 8, 2007

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