Eric Bell, Sales Representative, has been a valuable part of the Bison Sales Rep team since 2002.
“Like most of our independent reps we have around the country, Eric has been with Bison for a very long time,” said Chris Livingston, Sales Manager. “And while he’s always done a great job of being active with his accounts, 2024 and the first half of 2025 has shown a noticeable increase in his interactions and that’s been mutually beneficial for our dealers and Bison. As always, we very much appreciate the hard work he’s done on behalf of Bison.”
Having grown up in Cincinnati, Ohio, Bell was a huge Reds fan. He attended college and graduated from the University of Central Florida, where he met his wife. He started working in retail sporting goods at the store level right out of high school in June 1990.
“College athletics were not an option for me,” Bell said. “Working in retail sports allowed me to stay close to sports. I worked in several roles on the dealer side for the next nine years. I was offered my first manufacturer’s rep job in 1999.”
Bell continued to work in the industry and was working for another rep agency when Cole Athletic Sales had an opening in Florida. He took the job and found out they represented Bison in the Southeast at that time. Bell became a Bison Sales Rep in 2002 and covers the eastern time zone of Florida. His territory does not extend west of Tallahassee.
He enjoys being a Bison Sales Representative because of the level of service and product knowledge Bison provided from the day he started. “The information provided has been as good, or even better, than any other brand I’ve represented,” Bell said. “It’s not uncommon to hear reps in the industry talk about not being able to sell products because they’re busy dealing with customer service or product issues. That’s not the case with Bison.”
He attributes this to the high level of service, strong delivery, and unmatched quality which creates a cycle of positive interactions with his customers. Bell enjoys selling Bison products because of their quality and reliability. “You need to be able to sell with confidence to be successful,” he said. “You know you are not jeopardizing a relationship or your reputation when you convince someone to choose Bison.”
Through the years, Bell has had several Bison employees who have helped him. However, most recently, he feels Matt Duchek, Graphics Manager, deserves recognition. “Matt is incredibly responsive and very detail oriented,” Bell said. “What he does can be overwhelming for me or a dealer and he makes it so simple.”
He extends his thanks to the entire customer service team for their product knowledge and rapid response times which makes his job easier.
Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family. He married his wife in 2001 and they have two college age children. His son is a junior at UCF and is daughter is a sophomore at FSU. After years of coaching and traveling for kids sports, he’s now looking for new hobbies to fill his free time.