Before joining Sports South, Billiet spent 14 years at Topgolf, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s technology strategy and IT operations from the ground up.
Author: SGB Media

Cotopaxi Signs New Canadian Market Distributor
Montreal-based In-Sport Fashions Inc. is said to bring 35 years of experience representing premium outdoor and lifestyle brands across Canada.

Vuori Continues UK Expansion; Opens Third Store on King’s Road
Andy Lawrence, SVP of International at Vuori, said, “Opening this store represents a key milestone in Vuori’s expansion in the UK and across Europe, allowing us to deepen our connection with customers and the market.”

Vail Resorts Sees Lower-than-Expected NA Spring Lift Ticket Visits
CEO Kirsten Lynch said destination visitation among pre-committed pass-holder customers improved as expected in March and April; however, visitation from lift ticket customers was below expectations.

Former Nike, Puma Executive Bert Hoyt Joins dBio as Board Advisor
Hoyt began his career in 1989 at Puma, where he rose from product management to business leadership. Hoyt joined Nike in 1998 and spent 22 years with the brand as a senior executive, primarily in Europe.

WFSGI Adds New Faces to Board to Replace Outgoing Members
The new WFSGI Board has added Anne Larilahti, VP of Sustainability, Amer Sports; Mitchell Tsai, CEO, Apache Footwear; Todd Smith, President and CEO, SFIA; and Stefan Rummel, CEO, Messe Muenchen, the producer of the ISPO and Outdoor Munich Expos.

BikeCo Makes Range of Key Appointments Across Enterprise
The American distributor for bike brands Fuji Bikes, SE Bikes, Breezer Bikes, and Tuesday Cycles, announced three new hires and two promotions to support growth across operations, retail and customer experience.

Hudson’s Bay to Close Balance of Hudson’s Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue Locations
The Hudson’s Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue stores in Canada are expected to operate until no later than June 15, 2025; however, some may close earlier. The company will close 9 Saks Off 5th stores on Sunday, April 27.

SGB Media Relaunches SGB Outdoor Email Newsletter
The publishing company, which has focused on the active lifestyle market since 2003, is now delivering a weekly SGB Outdoor Update email newsletter each Friday morning, except for holidays, to provide a focused view and weekly wrap of the top stories of the week for outdoor market industry professionals heading into the weekend.

Chattanooga Shooting Supplies to Distribute Diamondback Firearms
Diamondback Firearms, a family-owned and operated company, is known for manufacturing performance firearms that are 100 percent Made in the USA, with all production handled in-house.

Skechers Posts Solid Q1; Withdraws Prior 2025 Guide, Pauses Outlook
Due to macroeconomic uncertainty stemming from global trade policies, SKX is not providing financial guidance and is withdrawing its annual 2025 guidance provided in the company’s earnings release reported on February 6, 2025.

Ambercycle and Huilong in New Strategic Cooperation Partnership
The collaboration is expected to focus on scaling textile-to-textile (T2T) closed-loop recycling systems, establishing innovative solutions across the industry’s value chain.

TruGolf to Exchange Outstanding Convertible Notes to Series A Preferred Stock
The company reported that “these actions are part of an effort to improve the capital structure and reduce the debt on its balance sheet to meet the NASDAQ’s continued listing requirements.”

Five Iron Golf to Open Locations in NYC and Cleveland
The Flat Iron site, located a few blocks from where Five Iron originally began at 19th and 5th Avenue, is at 611 6th Avenue. Five Iron in Shaker Heights, OH, will combine Five Iron’s golf simulators with an 18-hole indoor/outdoor miniature golf course and the latest version of Detroit Duckpin, a bowling experience.

EXEC: Osprey Grows, Hydro Flask Falters in Q4; Parent to Pause China Goods
CFO Brian Grass said the company is pausing all China purchases in the short term with a few exceptions and expects over 60 percent of U.S.-bound goods to be sourced outside China by the end of fiscal 2027.