Beyond Product: Industry Trends, Brand Stories Take Center Stage At OR

New product releases tend to garner most of the headlines at trade shows, but at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, SGB’s editorial team also wanted to discover what’s happening with brands beyond the latest and greatest gear and apparel. Here are some of the stories and industry trends we found and hints of what’s to come.

SGB Executive Q&A: Royal Robbins CEO Michael Millenacker

A little more than a year after Royal Robbins died, the company he founded in 1968 is under new ownership, yet retains the spirit of its namesake. Current President and CEO Michael Millenacker (pictured) spoke with SGB about where the company is heading under Fenix Outdoor and why the brand’s 50-year-old vision remains intact.

SGB Executive Q&A: Boa CEO Shawn Neville­

Shawn Neville, CEO of Boa Technology Inc., takes SGB behind the scenes of the company’s new Denver headquarters, where the maker of fit systems for a variety of gear is developing ambitious plans for growth.

Home At Last: Outdoor Retailer Settles Into Denver

As Outdoor Retailer Summer Market prepares for the event’s Denver debut next week—the first summer show after leaving Salt Lake City—the event’s director, Marisa Nicholson, has a message for the brands, retailers and outdoor industry partners heading to Colorado. Welcome home.

SGB Executive Q&A: ISA TanTec CEO Talks Expansion

In an SGB Q&A, Isa TanTec CEO Uwe Hutzler explains why business is booming for the Macau, China-based leather supplier whose tanneries produce material for brands such as Timberland, Wolverine, Deckers, Keen, Clarks, Danner/LaCrosse, Rockport, The North Face and more.

Adidas Files Objection To Rockport Bankruptcy Sale

Adidas and its subsidiary Reebok International LTD—the former parents of The Rockport Group LLC—have filed an objection to the forthcoming bankruptcy sale of Rockport due to outstanding debts stemming from the companies’ own sale of Rockport three years ago.