Based on news reports about the airline industry and the economy, one could make the assumption that this is not a good time to be operating a catalog of travel gadgets, clothing, luggage and accessories. Robert Manning, vice president and chief operating officer of Magellan’s, believes otherwise. The Santa Barbara, CA-based cataloger is mailing about 8 million catalogs this year and flourishing, much because of an increased focus on its house file. Revenue is projected ahead of last year’s numbers, and after successful store openings in Santa Barbara and Santa Monica, CA, Magellan’s is eyeing increased expansion into the retail space. The company is far from packing its bags and calling it a day. A longtime friend of John and Gloria McManus, Magellan’s founders, Manning joined the cataloger in 1998. He admits that, unlike the McManuses, he didn’t have a background in exotic travel until he began working at the catalog. While he loves European travel, his own journeys typically lean toward domestic skiing vacations with his family. But like the couple
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