Granite Gear, a very technical American brand of backpacks and other outdoor products that recently came under new ownership (see our electronic archives), has hired Benjamin Landry as associate product designer. He is said to have more than 20 years of experience as a research & development buyer and customer relations specialist in the production and manufacturing environment, based at the company's new head office in Chicago, Illinois. He will work with a new customer service manager, Julie Hukriede, based at the company's former office at Two Harbors, Michigan, which is also where its factory is.