BRETT KEYES / PRESIDENT
As President of TRUCK, Brett oversees all of the day-to-day operations including product development, marketing efforts, sales, customer service, factory sourcing and sweeping up at night.
Photo: 2008 Ski descent of the Grand Teton
How did you come up with TRUCK as a brand name?
So when Andy approached me with the idea of building a glove brand, he had a short list of names that he had been contemplating. His top pick at that time was TRUCK. He gave me the oppurtunity to choose something else. But the idea behind the name was that it sounded strong, reliable, and unpretentious, which was the kind of product we were setting out to build. It is also a short, easy to remember word. After thinking about it for awhile, I decided that regardless of the word we chose, it was going to be more about the product and the 'vibe' of our marketing that would really cement the word into our intended context and allow it to become synanmous with, solid, durable, thoughtful glove designs. Apple was once just a fruit:)
Photo: Putting gloves on hands at Alta, UT
If you could put gloves on any pair of hands, who's hands would they be?
Hmm. Well..let me start by saying that I grew up in New England and had both parents and grandparents who screamed at the TV anytime there was a Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox, or Patriots game being televised. So I didnt really stand a chance of avoiding that bug. And, despite the fact that my answer will likely cost me some sales from competeing fans out there, I'm gonna say that if I could have watched Tom Brady throw a TD pass with a pair of my gloves on, that would have been pretty cool:)
That being said, I love putting them on all of the non-celebrity hands I run into!
Photo: Maine surfing and swimming
Aside from running a business, what inspires you?
It may be a result of living in Utah since 2002. But I have found myself inspired by time in the ocean over the last few years. My work for TRUCK brings me to each coastline fairly often and I have been spending a lot of time open-water swimming and surfing. As awe-inspiring as the mountains are, and as much they have meant to my life, the ocean is a solid equal in terms of the kind of beauty and power it holds and what it means to interact with that space.
I'm still scheming on how I can bring the brand a liltte closer to the water at some point. Sand & Surf line of gloves some day?!?!
