Earth Treks and Planet Granite Hire Robert Cohen as CEO

January 19, 2018

COLUMBIA, Md. – Earth Treks Climbing and Fitness and Planet Granite Climbing, Yoga and Fitness today announced Robert Cohen as CEO.

Cohen, the former vice president of global retail for Patagonia will be responsible for all aspects of the nine climbing, fitness and retail centers in the company’s key markets of San Francisco, Denver, Baltimore, Washington DC and Portland, Oregon, as well as future locations. Prior to Patagonia Robert worked with Old Navy, Gap and Nike.

“Earth Treks and Planet Granite are renowned for their customer service and best in class blend of climbing, fitness and yoga, creating a culture that brings local communities together,” said Cohen. “I’m thrilled to join the team and look forward to growing in a way that honors the existing culture and continues to support our customers. Today’s retail environment is not purely transactional it is about building relationships.”

In November 2017, Earth Treks and Planet Granite completed a merger that created the largest climbing gym network in the United States, bringing together two of the most experienced management teams in the climbing industry. The combined company offer more than 257,000 feet of climbing surface, with over 700 employees who serve more than two million customers annually. Tengram Capital Partners, a private equity firm that specializes in consumer brands, backed the merger. Tengram partnered initially with Earth Treks in April 2017.

“Robert is the ideal person to build upon the successes of Earth Treks and Planet Granite,” said Earth Treks founder Chris Warner and Planet Granite founder Micky Lloyd in a joint statement. “His experience and vision will honor our existing culture with an eye toward imminent growth as fitness, yoga, indoor climbing, retail and local communities mix.”

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About Earth Treks Climbing and Fitness

Earth Treks was founded in 1990 as a climbing guide service and opened its first indoor climbing gym in 1997, in Columbia, Maryland. Today, Earth Treks is one of the nation’s largest climbing gym operators with five full-service facilities in three states. Earth Treks gyms feature sculpted climbing walls with bouldering, top-roping and lead climbing, as well as amenities like yoga studios, functional fitness and cardio zones, and retail pro-shops. Earth Treks gyms cater to participants of all abilities – from elite, competitive athletes to new entrants to the sport, including families and kids. Learn more at www.earthtreksclimbing.com.

About Planet Granite Climbing, Yoga and Fitness

Since Planet Granite opened its first climbing gym in 1994, they have been inspired by passion. The team at Planet Granite dreamt of building a different kind of climbing gym, one that doesn’t just offer the best climbing, yoga and fitness, but also has that something else. At Planet Granite, this means creating a space for people to congregate and pursue their passions; to inspire each other to push harder, to sweat more, and to laugh more. Our values reflect what all of us who work here are passionate about – working hard, and playing harder. Today Planet Granite operates three gyms in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, and one in Portland, Oregon. Learn more at www.planetgranite.com.

About Tengram Capital Partners
Tengram Capital Partners is a private equity firm that focuses exclusively on leading consumer and retail companies that own strong recognizable brands. The team has a diverse background of consumer investing and operating expertise that assists and guides company management to unlock the true potential of their brand. Tengram invests in both traditional “growth” and “restructuring/turnaround” situations in either the public or private sectors. Current and former investments for Tengram include Earth Treks, Planet Granite, DevaCurl, Algenist, Cos Bar, Zanella, This Works, Laura Geller, Active Ride Shop, NEST Fragrances, and Sequential Brands Group. Additional information can be found at www.tengramcapital.com.