News
September 13th, 2012
Petra Hilleberg of Hilleberg the Tentmaker Named Honoree
of Two 40 Under 40 Awards in 2012
Redmond, WA, September 13, 2012 – This year, Petra Hilleberg, the 36
year-old President and CEO of Hilleberg the Tentmaker, Inc., has
been named an honoree of two prestigious 40 Under 40 awards: the
2012 SGB 40 Under 40 Awards by the SportsOneSource Group and the
2012 Puget Sound Business Journal 40 Under 40 Awards. These awards
honor outstanding leaders under the age of 40 within the sporting
goods industry and in the Puget Sound community, respectively.
Now in its fifth year, the annual SGB 40 Under 40 Award recognizes
individuals from all corners of the sporting goods industry who are
recognized as leaders making a difference in their businesses and
the market. This year’s list of recipients was selected by a panel
of SportsOneSource analysts, editors and industry executives from
more than 450 nominations received from around the sporting goods
industry.
The annual Puget Sound Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award, which has
been given for 14 years, recognizes individuals from all over the
Puget Sound area for their outstanding achievements in both career
and community. After a search that included more than 400
nominations, this year’s list of forty recipients was selected by an
independent panel of judges that reviewed lengthy applications
completed by the candidates in which they shared their
accomplishments, leadership philosophies and business challenges.
These individuals represent companies from throughout the Puget
Sound area of all sizes and from number of industries, as well,
including technology, health care, financial management, public
relations, the nonprofit community and more.
“I feel a bit overwhelmed being named to two such highly
respected 40 Under 40 groups this year,” said Petra Hilleberg.
“Being recognized as a leader and contributor in the sporting goods
industry, alongside honorees from adidas, Nike, Reebok, Under Armour
and similar big companies, as well as in the Puget Sound community –
especially given the presence of the likes of Microsoft, Amazon and
others here – is a tremendous honor.”
Hilleberg, Inc is part of Hilleberg the Tentmaker, manufacturer of
high end backpacking and mountaineering tents with headquarters in
Östersund, Sweden. Petra grew up in Sweden, was raised in and around
the company's tents, and learned firsthand both the tent business
and the business sense that has kept Hilleberg so successful over
the years. From an early age, Petra professed her desire to market
and sell Hilleberg tents in the U.S. She used her senior business
plan at Seattle University, which won a number of honors in business
plan competitions, to create her vision of the company and
subsequently launched Hilleberg, Inc in 2000, in Redmond, WA, two
days after her graduation. Petra sold her first tent 24 hours after
that. Today, thanks to her efforts, the business is a multimillion
dollar company, and sales in the U.S. represent the largest single
country sales numbers for the Hilleberg group. In 2011 there was a
70% increase in sales, and, to date in 2012, the company is up over
35%. Her success is a product of both her business strategy, which
is built on both wholesale and direct sales, and on her tremendous
ability to form relationships at all levels. Directly responsible
for all sales activity outside of Europe, Petra has opened thriving
distributors in Japan, Korea and Hong Kong, while establishing and
expanding direct sales to New Zealand and Australia.