Meet Mark Vitagliano Of Quick Spikes

Mark Vitagliano was born and raised in Lynnfield. Vitagliano’s parents and
many of his relatives still reside in Lynnfield. In a recent interview with Lynnfield Patch, Vitagliano explained his role as Director of Sales for Quick Spikes LLC., his appreciation of Lynnfield, and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

“To me, Lynnfield is a picture perfect town. It has a tremendous school system, beautiful parks and lakes and ponds and great proximity to the major highways and Boston,” Vitagliano said of his hometown.

The idea for Quick Spikes came from Brendan Walsh, Vitagliano’s business partner.  In 2008, Walsh left his golf shoes at home.  Unable to retrieve his golf shoes at home, Walsh played 18 holes of golf in his sneakers. Without having the right golf shoes, Walsh slipped his way through 18 holes.  This experience gave him the idea for Quick Spikes.  Walsh’s idea has gradually gained more and more attention from the golf and retail community.  “We are currently in 19 retail locations as well as Shoebuy.com and can also be purchased directly from our website, www.quickspikesgolf.com.  We are hopeful that by year’s end we will have made a serious impact in the big box retailer arena – Sports Authority, Dick’s, Olympia, etc.,” Vitagliano says. 

The company’s mission is to provide exceptional products for traveling golfers.  Every golf pro that Vitagliano and his associates have spoken to love the concept of Quick Spikes.  “In the three-year development phase of Quick Spikes, we realized there was a much broader audience for Quick Spokes than just the golfer who forgot his shoes.  Our target audience is golfers who travel often, be it the businessman, retiree, etc,” Vitagliano says.

Vitagliano has twelve years of sales experience, the majority of which has been spent selling medical devices. Although working for Quick Spikes is his first foray into the sporting goods industry, he couldn’t be having a better
time. Vitagliano works with different sales channels such as distributors, independent sales reps, and retailers.  He notes that it is a great industry to work in and that the market responds well to new technological advancements.  “It is my job to keep us lean, focused and bring Quick Spikes to the largest possible audience,” he said.

The advantage of using Quick Spikes is that the product takes up about 10 percent of the space of traditional golf shoes.  Quick Spikes can be placed in a carry-on bag or checked luggage. 

Vitagliano says that the groups that he enjoys working with the most are seniors and those with foot conditions who wear orthotics or custom made shoes.  “These folks are playing golf in very expensive custom made sneakers or shoes and slide all over the course and have to modify their swing so as not to lose balance.  Quick Spikes really fills a massive need here.”

Looking forward, Vitagliano has high expectations for Quick Spikes. “By the end of this year, we would like to be on the shelf in every major big box sporting goods retailer.  Giving back is a strong focus for us and we are in the works of sponsoring a handful of tournaments throughout the US and as far away as India and Australia.”

Vitagliano encourages young entrepreneurs to identify what they are most passionate about and try to find a mentor or shadow someone in that industry.  “Internships are also a very large part of finding a career.”  Young people today also have the ability to take advantage of other resources, such as social networking sites like LinkedIn, Vitagliano says.

To learn more about Quick Spikes, visit: http://quickspikesgolf.com/