<span style="color: #a1a1a1;">The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of June 29, 2020 covered in the SGB Updates — delivered to your inbox every business day.
From the SGB Media family to yours, we wish everyone a safe and Happy July 4th holiday!
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›PrimaLoft Inks Global License Agreement With Fiberpartner | July 2
PrimaLoft, Inc. inked a licensing agreement with Fiberpartner, a global supplier of stapled fibers, technical yarns and plastics. The agreement allows Fiberpartner to develop the use of Primaloft’s PrimaLoft Bio technology in multiple new industries. read more
›DeSantis Gunhide Partners With The Evans Group | July 2
DeSantis Gunhide, a U.S. manufacturer of holsters and accessories, based in Amityville, NY, announced a partnership with The Evans Group, a multi-line independent sales organization. Read more
›Walther Hires VP, Marketing And Product Development | July 2
Walther Arms announced the hiring of Jens Krogh as VP of marketing & product development. Krogh’s’ past work with firearms brands includes Benelli, STI International, Adams Arms, and, Blaser USA. Read more
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›University Of Denver Adding Women’s Triathlon As Varsity Sport | July 1
USA Triathlon, along with Karlton Creech, University of Denver Vice Chancellor for Athletics, Recreation and Ritchie Center Operations, announced that the University of Denver will add women’s triathlon to its varsity sport offerings. The school is the 37th in the nation, the second in Colorado and the ninth at the NCAA Division I level to add the sport. Read more
›2020 Bicycle Leadership Conference Going Virtual | July 1
The 2020 Bicycle Leadership Conference (BLC), which had been rescheduled to September 29 – October 1, will move to an online interactive “Virtual BLC” due to COVID-19. Read more
›NRF: Pandemic Recession Could Already Be Easing | July 1
The economic downturn brought on by the coronavirus has officially been declared a recession, but National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said the key question is how long it will last. Read more
›Survey Projects Strong Sports Engagement When Sports Return | July 1
According to a survey from Kantar Sports Monitor, 82 percent of sports fans expect that they will be either more engaged, or equally engaged, once sports return. Read more
›UAH Extends Partnership With BSN Sports And Nike | July 1
The University of Alabama in Huntsville Department of Athletics announced that it has extended its partnership with Nike as the official apparel, footwear and uniforms of UAH Athletics. BSN will also serve as the official equipment provider. Read more
›AAFA Welcomes USMCA Implementation | July 1
American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) President and CEO Steve Lamar welcomed the implementation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ahead of its entry into force on July 1. Read more
›Firearms Background Checks Surge 136 Percent In June | July 1
The FBI completed 2.18 million gun background checks on an NSSF-adjusted basis in June, a hike of 135.7 percent compared to the June 2019 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 924,054. The rate builds on gains of 75.2 percent in May, 69.1 percent in April and 41 percent in March. Read more
›Minor League Baseball Cancels 2020 Season | July 1
Minor League Baseball, on Wednesday, canceled its season because of the spread of the coronavirus marking the first time in the organization’s 120-year history that it has called off a full season. Read more
›USA Football Plans Youth Football Return In 2020 | July 1
USA Football has introduced a phased-approach plan for the return of youth football this year. The organization followed guidelines provided by the CDC and worked with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the National Federation of State High School Associations in developing the plan. Read more
›Famer Partners With US Sports Camps | July 1
Famer, the sports coaching and mentorship mobile platform, announced a partnership with US Sports Camps, the largest youth sports summer program in North America, to bring an interactive training experience to thousands of athletes displaced from camp due to COVID-19. US Sports Camps (USSC) is the licensed operator of the NikeSports Camps. Read more
›NFL Awards $1.37 Million In HeadHealthTech Grants | July 1
The National Football League (NFL) and Football Research, Inc. (FRI) awarded $1.37 million in HeadHealthTECH grant funding to four teams of innovators to support the creation of their helmet prototypes to be submitted as part of the ongoing NFL Helmet Challenge, a contest with an additional prize of $1 million. Read more
›Hannibal-LaGrange University Partners With BSN Sports And Nike | July 1
Hannibal-LaGrange University in Missouri announced that it has entered into a multi-year partnership with Nike through BSN Sports to make Nike the official apparel of HLGU Athletics. BSN will also serve as the official equipment provider. Read more
›Peloton Launches On Roku Platform | July 1
Roku Inc. announced the availability of the Peloton App on the Roku platform. Read more
›Lucas Oil Adds Midwest And South Central Rep Groups | July 1
Lucas Oil Outdoor Line, a maker of outdoor industry lubricants and cleaning products, announced its newest rep groups for the Midwest and South Central U.S. Read more
›Guidefitter Hires VP Marketing | July 1
Guidefitter, the industry network for professional outdoor guides and outfitters and leading influencer marketing platform for hunting, fishing and related outdoor brands, announced that Ian Jackson has joined the company as VP of marketing. Jackson comes to Guidefitter from PopSockets. Read more
›Corey Consuega Named President Of Arcus Hunting | July 1
Arcus Hunting LLC, owners and operators of brands Tink’s, Dead Down Wind, Ramcat, Trophy Taker, and Rack One, have appointed Corey Consuegra as president effective July 1. Consuegra will take over leadership from Phil Robinson who has served the organization since 2004 and most recently as President & CEO since 2015. Read more
›Genesco Names New Board Chair | July 1
Genesco Inc. announced that Mimi E. Vaughn, the company’s president and chief executive officer, has been named to the additional position of chair of the board of directors, effective July 1, 2020. Vaughn will succeed Robert J. Dennis, implementing the final step of a transition plan that began in 2018. Read more
›Macy’s Reports $3.58 Billion Quarterly Loss | July 1
Macy’s Inc., in line with a pre-announcement, reported a steep loss in the first quarter but said it expects sales to gradually improve over the remainder of the year as coronavirus lockdown orders ease. Said CEO Jeff Gennett. “We do not anticipate another full shutdown, but we are staying flexible and are prepared to address increases in cases on a regional level.” Read more
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›Winnebago Debt Ratings Upgraded Near-Term RV Demand | June 30
S&P Global Ratings said it is revising its outlook on the debt ratings of Winnebago Industries to stable from negative. The rating’s agency believes RV demand could grow at least over the next few months as new buyers entering the market offset high unemployment. Read more
›The Aspen Institute Recognizes Project Play Champions | June 30
The Aspen Institute recognized 18 local and national organizations as this year’s Project Play Champions supporting physical activity through youth sports. Read more
›PeopleForBikes President Announces Retirement | June 30
After 16 years at the helm of PeopleForBikes and four decades working in the bike industry, President Tim Blumenthal has announced his retirement. Jenn Dice, the organization’s COO, will become president and CEO on July 1. Read more
›GenYouth Appoints James “JB” Brown To Board Of Directors | June 30
GenYouth, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating healthier school communities, announced the appointment of James “JB” Brown to its board of directors. Read more
›Pocket Outdoor Media Acquires Three Divisions From Active Interest Media | June 30
Pocket Outdoor Media (POM), the endurance sports media platform, announced the acquisition of the Healthy Living, Fitness, and Outdoor divisions of Active Interest Media (AIM). Included in the AIM acquisition are: Yoga Journal, SKI, Climbing, Backpacker, Warren Miller Entertainment, Oxygen, IDEA Health and Fitness Association, Clean Eating, Vegetarian Times, Better Nutrition, NatuRx, Muscle & Performance, Nastar, Fly Fishing Film Tour, National Park Trips, and SNEWS. Read more
›Shippensburg University Extends Partnership With BSN Sports And Nike | June 30
Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania announced that it has entered into a new multi-year partnership with Nike through BSN Sports. (Read More)
›OIA Commends House Climate Crisis Action Plan | June 30
The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) commended the House of Representatives Select Committee on the Climate Crisis for releasing its action plan to solve the climate crisis. The goal of its roadmap is to “build a prosperous, clean energy economy that values workers, advances environmental justice, and is prepared to meet the challenges of the climate crisis.” Read more
›Adidas HR Chief Resigns Following Claims Of Discrimination | June 30
Karen Parkin, executive board member of Adidas AG, responsible for global human resources, has informed Adidas AG’s Supervisory Board that she will step down from the Executive Board and leave the company. The move comes as Adidas has faced criticism from employees who say it fosters a racist and discriminatory workplace. Read more
›NPD Report: Running Regains Its Stride | June 30
Dollar sales in the U.S. performance running rebounded in mid-May and in the week ending June 20 grew by 30 percent year over year, according to The NPD Group. Brooks, Hoka and On Running have all shown double- and triple-digit growth for the past five weekly time periods. Read more
›Topgolf Augusta To Open With New Open-Air Venue Design | June 30
Topgolf Entertainment Group, a global sports and entertainment company, will open its first completely open-air venue in Augusta, GA on Friday, July 3. Read more
›Garmin Acquires Firstbeat Analytics | June 30
Garmin Ltd. announced it has acquired Firstbeat Analytics Oy, a privately-held provider of physiological analytics and metrics for consumer devices in the health, wellness, fitness and performance markets. Read more
›Aqua Lung Names General Manager, North America | June 30
Aqua Lung, the manufacturer of dive and watersports equipment, appointed Andrew Gritzbaugh as general manager, North America. He was at Gerber. Read more
›Fanatics Expands Paris Saint-Germain Deal | June 30
Paris Saint-Germain announced it has partnered with Fanatics on a ten-year e-commerce, manufacturing and licensing deal. The deal is a massive expansion and extension from the previous e-commerce-only arrangement between the two groups. Read more
›Grand Trunk Under New Ownership | June 30
Grand Trunk, the hammock and adventure travel goods business based in Skokie, IL, has been acquired by a team of Utah-based entrepreneurs. Co-founder, Kevin Kaiser will remain with the business moving forward. The new owners include Andy Stroman, founder of the outdoor specialty retailer CampSaver.com, and brothers Bruce and Dale Majors, who previously built and grew Bikewagon.com. Read more
›Winnebago To Sell $300 Million In Senior Secured Notes | June 30
Winnebago Industries Inc. announced today that it intends to offer $300.0 million in aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes due 2028. Read more
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›New Jersey’s Tilton Fitness To Permanently Close | June 29
Tilton Fitness, which operates seven gyms in New Jersey, announced it is permanently closing due to struggles during the pandemic crisis. Read more
›Adidas, Arc’teryx, Vans, Lululemon Join Faceook Boycott | June 29
Adidas, Reebok, Lululemon, Arc’teryx and MEC have joined the boycott of Facebook after six civil rights groups called on businesses to stop advertising on Facebook in July to push the social network to do more to combat hate speech and misinformation. Read more
›Survey: A Third Of Supply Chain Leaders Exiting China By 2023 | June 29
A Gartner Inc. survey of 260 global supply chain leaders in February and March 2020 found that 33 percent had moved sourcing and manufacturing activities out of China or plan to do so in the next two to three years. Survey results show that the COVID-19 pandemic is only one of several disruptions that have put global supply chains under pressure. Read more
›Earth Shoes Appoints Two Key Product Executives | June 29
Earth Shoes has appointed Jocelyn Thornton to the newly created role of executive vice president of product and merchandising, and Fred Allard as creative director of product. Read more
›BeaverFit Acquires Mobile Fitness Equipment | June 29
BeaverFit, a manufacturer of military outdoor fitness equipment and container gyms, acquired Mobile Fitness Equipment (MFE), one of the nation’s leading providers of mobile fitness training equipment for consumers. Read more
›Lululemon To Acquire Mirror Fitness System For $500 Million | June 29
Lululemon Athletica Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Mirror, a home fitness start-up that sells a $1,495 wall-mounted machine for streaming workout classes. The purchase price is $500 million. Read more
›Soccer Participation On The Rise In The U.S. | June 29
Coinciding with professional and youth soccer returning to play, SFIA will release its annual soccer participation report which found soccer participation in the United States increased in 2019 after four straight years of decline. Read more
›Amazon Gives Front-Line Workers A $500 Coronavirus Bonus | June 29
Amazon is handing over bonuses totaling over $500 million to front-line employees and partners for their efforts during the COVID-19 crisis. Read more
›MEC Delays Annual Meeting Amid Coronavirus Challenges | June 29
MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op), Canada’s largest outdoor chain with 22 stores, has postponed its annual general meeting until December 10 is it works to manage challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more
›Exped USA Appoints Sales Director | June 29
Exped USA, the maker of expedition equipment, hired Tracy Collins, as sales director. She was at REI. Read more
›Outdoor Voices Secures New Funding | June 29
Outdoor Voices, an women’s activewear brand, announced that it has raised a new round of funding from NaHCO3, the investment management platform of fashion and retail entrepreneur Ashley Merrill. In conjunction with this equity investment, Merrill has joined Outdoor Voices’ Board of Directors as chairwoman. Read more
›Fitlight Signs WNBA All-Star As Ambassador | June 29
Fitlight, the wireless athletic training system driven by light sensors, signed WNBA All-Star Erica Wheeler as an official brand ambassador. Read more
›Lululemon To Recruit Head Of Global Diversity Equity And Inclusion | June 29
Lululemon plans to hire a head of global diversity equity and inclusion as part of a number of steps to increase diversity across its workforce. The retailer will also provide an additional U.S.$3 million to its social impact program, Here to Be, for a total of U.S.$7 million in 2020. Read more
›Tactical Solutions Hires New National Sales Manager | June 29
Tactical Solutions has hired a new national sales manager. Cody Bennion comes to Tactical Solutions with 19 years of sales experience from a variety of industries. Read more
›VF Announces Organizational Changes To Support China And Emerging Platforms Growth | 29
VF plans to hire its first president, Greater China. Kevin Bailey, executive vice president & Group President, APAC, will continue leading the Asia Pacific Region but will relocate to Denver, CO where he will also assume leadership of the company’s Emerging Brands platform including Altra, Eagle Creek, JanSport, and Smartwool brands as well as Kipling and Icebreaker brands in the Americas Region. Read more
