Fort Atkinson- WI: For the last few years Hard and Soft Fishing has been aggressive in brand acquisition and the release of new innovative products. With a focus on acquiring category leading brands comes the need to add horsepower on the strategic side of the business. Tony Aloia joins Hard and Soft Fishing as their Vice President of Marketing and brings a proven history in business development through his experience in working with a variety growing brands within the fishing industry.

"I got my start in the fishing industry as an NAIFC tournament angler, and worked with several companies in marketing/product development as a Pro Staffer," he said. "These companies include: Eskimo, Marcum, St. Croix Rods, Striker Ice Suits and Northland Tackle. In February of 2012 I was able to marry my passion for fishing and my background in sales/marketing when I joined Ardisam full time as their National Sales Manager for Eskimo."

Aloia played a key role in launching the Ion Brand for Eskimo, which was the world's first high performance Lithium Ion Ice Auger. By the time he left Eskimo, just four years later, the Eskimo/Ion brands had tripled in size.

"I am very excited to join this team," Aloia said. "The opportunity to be a part of such iconic legacy brands like Beaver Dam and Acme Spoons is one that makes me very proud."

Matt Bichanich, the National Sales Manager for Hard and Soft Fishing, said he's fired up about getting Aloia up and running as a vital part of the company.

"I've known Tony for a several years, and we've worked on various projects together prior to him joining our team full time," Bichanich said. "Tony understands both sales and marketing, and will bring a synergy to the organization that will allow us to focus our marketing efforts in ways that will help maximize sales and exposure to our brands."

Aloia has a passion for building brands and when a person can take that passion and add it to a love of fishing in general- it's sure to be a winning combination. "Helping people catch more fish is at the core of all of the products that we make," he said. "A better experience in the boat or on the ice is what it is all about!"