Summit Hut
For over 20 years I worked at the Summit Hut - a well regarded Outdoor Specialty Retailer located in Tucson Arizona. I came to be a core member of the Summit Hut Team and in classic small business fashion had the opportunity to develop many skills:
- Buying: Developed assortments and managed the complete inventory life-cycle for millions of dollars of product
- Software Developer: C# .NET internal desktop ERP development, ETL and Web API work
- IT: Desktop, Printer, Device, Server, Microsoft 365 and software support
Business
- Data insights & analysis
- Forecasting & KPIs
- Assortment planning
- Product data management
- Cross-team collaboration
- Market & trend analysis
- Staff training
- Communication & reporting
- Problem solving
- Data accuracy & organization
- Continuous learning
Technical
- Excel: formulas, pivots, automation
- SQL / SQL Server: queries, design, optimization
- ETL pipelines: design & automation
- API integrations: Amazon, Magento, Google, Locally, SPS
- Power BI: dashboards, DAX, modeling
- Python: analysis & automation
- C#: .NET apps & reporting
- API / service dev (.NET Core)
- UI dev: WPF, WinForms, SignalR
- Mobile dev: Xamarin / MAUI
- Reporting: Excel & HTML
- Version control: Git / GitHub
- Logging: Seq, Serilog
- Data validation & quality
- Data security & access
- Automation & efficiency
- Documentation & training
- AI tools: GitHub Copilot
- IT support: Windows, M365
IT
- Desktop hardware and software troubleshooting
- Active Directory user and permission management
- Microsoft 365 administration
- Network troubleshooting
- Operating system deployment and configuration
- Software & hardware documentation
SUMMIT HUT — Buyer / Software Developer / Data Analyst Tucson, AZ | 2002 – 2025
DATA & TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
- Designed and maintained ETL pipelines for inventory and vendor data, importing and updating tens of thousands of rows every day
- Built and optimized SQL Server databases (tables, views, stored procedures) to improve performance, maintain data accuracy, and support new applications
- Developed C# desktop applications (WPF, WinForms) to streamline purchasing and inventory workflow
- Created automated Excel and HTML reports shared across internal departments and with hundreds of external partners to improve access to consistent, transparent data
- Integrated and automated data feeds from Amazon, Magento, Google, and Locally to keep products, pricing, inventory, and images current across tens of thousands of SKUs on SummitHut.com
- Developed dashboards and reporting tools used daily across departments to provide actionable business insights
- Implemented centralized logging and monitoring (Seq, Serilog) to consolidate data, surface issues, and make technical insights accessible through dashboards and descriptive log messages
- Migrated multiple projects and hundreds of thousands of lines of code to Git/GitHub for improved version control and collaboration
- Leveraged GitHub Copilot and other AI-assisted tools to accelerate report generation and process automation
- Built a mobile app (Xamarin.Forms) that improved restock accuracy and turnaround times
- Automated daily and hourly imports, exports, and vendor communications to reduce manual workload and improve timeliness
- Created validation checks and reconciliation processes ensuring accuracy across systems with 20 years of history, over a million product records, and more than $100 million in sales transactions
- Investigated and resolved multiple data discrepancies each week, documenting issues, communicating with stakeholders, and implementing reports, training, and processes to prevent future problems
- Structured data models and reporting layers to improve performance and simplify downstream analysis
- Wrote unit tests and maintained documentation for reproducible and transparent results
- Supported network and Microsoft 365 operations to improve security and reliability
BUSINESS & ANALYTICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
- Designed and optimized assortments for footwear, outerwear, socks, and all categories for key brand shops (Lowa, Marmot, Outdoor Research), achieving double- and triple-digit growth and regularly meeting with vendors and gathering input from internal teams to adjust and improve assortments
- Analyzed sales, inventory, and e-commerce data to identify trends and guide forecasting, assortment, and purchasing decisions supporting over $1 million in annual sales
- Managed hundreds of preseason and in-season orders in our internal ERP system each year, adjusting for sales trends and business goals to meet KPI targets and monitoring POs to ensure a profitable flow of inventory
- Partnered with vendors to develop programs, negotiate terms, improve margins, and secure special buys that enhanced business performance
- Oversaw receipt and distribution of more than $1 million in wholesale inventory annually and collaborated with vendors to resolve shipping, invoicing, pricing, and compliance issues to ensure timely resolutions and returns
- Created and maintained product and pricing data for tens of thousands of SKUs each season, including promotional and clearance pricing for multiple channels
- Expanded online assortment by partnering with drop-ship vendors to add thousands of additional SKUs to SummitHut.com
- Collaborated with the marketing team to align inventory and assortment strategies with promotions, events and advertising schedules
- Presented analytical findings and recommendations to leadership to guide purchasing, forecasting, and business planning
- Led staff training on product features, fit, and selling strategies to improve sales performance and product knowledge
- Improved operational efficiency through automation, B2B integrations, and streamlined reporting tools
- Initiated process improvements that reduced manual effort, increased reporting speed, and saved significant staff time annually in the Buying and Web departments
- Collaborated with leadership to ensure goals were data-driven, transparent, and measurable
MANAGEMENT AND PROJECTS
- Managed the web product build process, assigning tasks, setting priorities, and streamlining workflows to improve efficiency across the Web Team
- Co-managed Buyer Assistants, overseeing daily workflow, providing training, and developing team knowledge to strengthen buying operations
- Led software projects that enhanced vendor communication, optimized inventory operations, and increased stock-transfer accuracy across multiple store locations
- Contributed to warehouse organization and layout projects to streamline restock processes and improve efficiency
TECHINICAL SUPPORT & SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATION
- Set up and maintained user accounts, permissions, and email in Microsoft 365 and Active Directory
- Managed desktop computers, responding to and resolving support requests for hardware and software issues
- Provided technical support for business-critical systems including point-of-sale computers, label printers, and inventory management software
- Deployed and configured new computers, operating systems, and software updates for staff across departments
- Set up, secured, and maintained public-facing SFTP and image servers used for vendor data exchange and web site use
- Created documentation for software and hardware setups to ensure consistency and support future troubleshooting
- Troubleshot and resolved network connectivity issues, collaborating with an external IT firm to manage infrastructure projects, extend coverage for escalated issues, and develop long-term solutions