SNOLOHA CLOTHING SELECTED SURF EXPO’S LAUNCH FINALIST

Snoloha, a line of recreational clothing produced in Northwest Michigan, has been named to Surf Expo’s Launch Finalist, the industry’s premier business building trade event for the board, beach and fashion industries.

Over 100 companies from around the world applied for the Launch contest which debuts next month at Surf Expo’s annual Orlando, Florida exhibit.. Some 25 were named to the Finalist and ten will be announced at the show as Surf Expo winners.

“Just to be named to the Finalist is a significant achievement,” noted Rod Call, the local entrepreneur who introduced the lifestyle inspired line of Snoloha clothing last fall.

He explained that Surf Expo’s Launch is a dedicated section of the annual exhibit’s freshest products and related lines, ones poised to be the next market sensation.

“If someone has a hot new surf, skate or lifestyle brand to introduce to the U.S. market, Surf Expo is the place to do it.”

Applications were juried by members of the Board of Retailers Association, owners of some of the top stores in the country that carry surf, skate and clothing lines.

Requirements for applying to the Launch Finalist were that the product must be unique and a fresh brand with outstanding market appeal; the brand and company must have been introduced after September 1, 2004; and the company cannot have exhibited at Surf Expo.

A lifestyle reflected in its clothing is the theme of Snoloha, offering a fresh family of affordable, casual tee-shirts and apparel for men, women and children. It’s now carried by 17 retailers across Michigan and is continuing to expand throughout the Great Lakes region and beyond.

But Snoloha is more than just a clothing company, Call points out. The inspiration for the name and lifestyle it evokes occurred in Northwest Michigan’s —-along U.S. 131, at the 45th Parallel road sign—-“Halfway Between the Equator & the North Pole.”

“It dawned on me driving by that sign everyday on my way to work that Snoloha is a lifestyle, shared by those who live, play, vacation and simply enjoy life somewhere between the islands and the arctic,” he explains.

Snoloha clothing is available from select regional retailers or on the web (www.snoloha.com).