Ready, Set, Lead: Fromson to Head Cascade Designs

Seattle—Lee Fromson, chief operating officer of Cascade Designs, is expected to become the company's new president in May as co-founder John Burroughs takes a less active role.

"This company has an amazingly bright future," Fromson said. "We've stayed quiet for a long time, but we'll use the acquisition of MSR to step forward. We'll use the combined horsepower [of MSR and Cascade Designs] to put some great products into the outdoor marketplace."

He said he especially sees great opportunities for innovations in the water-treatment and stove categories.

Fromson said that Cascade will continue to manufacture its products in the United States. "It gives us a competitive advantage. We can react so quickly when our customers needs change," Fromson said.

According to Fromson, Cascade is positioned well in the maturing outdoor market. "In a maturing market, the casual people are shaken out and the core people—people who have made a lifestyle choice to be involved in outdoor activities—value quality and brand. So there's plenty of opportunity in a mature market to do really well."

Burroughs said that when he steps down, he plans to become "chief software architect" and pursue software engineering projects for Cascade Designs.

"I have spent a fair amount of my time working on software tools we have used since the beginning of the company," Burroughs said, whose background is in electrical engineering.

Working with its independent reps, Cascade Designs developed a preseason order program, which it licensed to Eagle Creek in November. "A number of other companies are interested in it," Burroughs said, indicating that Cascade will license the software.

Fromson already plays a significant role in running the company, Burroughs said, and was instrumental in the company's acquisition of MSR last year. He has worked for the company since 1982.

"Lee Fromson was instrumental in that acquisition, and has been doing much more of the day-to-day running of the company for a number of years," Burroughs said. "The acquisition of MSR in 2001 made the size of the company quite a bit large," Burroughs added, noting that acquisition brought 100 more employees and increased sales volume by 50 percent.

Burroughs said that his new position also will give him more time to explore the outdoors.

"I am looking forward to spending more time in the mountains and traveling to outdoor destinations," he said. "It is through these new product opportunities that I have been able to recognize new product opportunities in the past."