Early signs show that he may be putting internal strife behind the company and getting it back on course for financial growth. Markovitch expects the number of snowboarders to grow by 15 percent a year through 2005. At the same time, he has shifted the company's focus from acquisition and expansion to cost-cutting and attention to its core competencies of snowboards, bindings and a new line of wakeboards. Last November, Markovitch sold Ride's Chula Vista, Calif.-based clothing subsidiary, SMP Clothing. Pogue agrees that Markovitch will bring success to Ride.
Ride is now in good shape.
And now that Hall is gone, Pogue says he just might start carrying Ride products in his store. Keri Geiger is the editorial assistant of Washington CEO magazine.