<< Back 10/16/02 Pitt assumes NOC president/CEO position By Don Hendershot Larry Pitt has joined Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) as the company’s new President and Chief Executive Officer. Before joining NOC, he served for nearly six years as the executive director of North Carolina Outward Bound School in Asheville. Pitt, originally from Louisville, KY, spent 17 years as a chemical engineer in Baton Rouge, La., before moving to Western North Carolina in 1997 to take the Outward Bound position. Pitt said he became involved in Outward Bound as a participant, “two years after my 16-year-old son took one of their courses.” He said he learned of the opening at NOC from one of his Outward Bound board members who made a stop at NOC while hiking the Appalachian Trail. When asked why he chose the career change, Pitt said, “I’m 62, and I wanted to do one more thing. For years, I have dreamt of utilizing my skills with a company like NOC. I have a love for the wilderness and have worked towards integrating that love with my business skill set. At NOC, we operate a company that provides that positive experience and environment for our customers, employee owners and the communities in which we operate.” Pitt brings 35 years of business leadership to NOC. He says he has a clear mandate. “The board hired me to help take NOC to a next phase. I certainly realize the standards NOC has built in this industry. What lies before us is to continue NOC’s role as the leader in our industry. This means we have to be the best at what we do-with no exceptions. This is what the company has done, is doing and will continue to do as we move into our forth decade of operation,” said Pitts. Pitt said NOC was “growing up as an organization. NOC is a company that caught a wave 20 or 30 years ago and rode it. What I see now is a need for a clear focus. This is not a company in trouble, this is a company that needs to make a commitment to being a leader. Where we will lead is in rafting and paddle sports — our core business. “We will offer products and services — the things the customer wants — in such a way that the customer will choose NOC when looking for a paddling experience. Our leadership position will emanate from more NOC paddles in the water,” Pitt said. He said that NOC was a company with a strong sense of customer satisfaction. “It’s just part of the way things are done. I’m looking forward to working with an organization where the people want to be leaders.”