Kevin Van Vorce is retiring after working 36 years for Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Van Vorce started his career with Dick’s in 1987 as a footwear sales associate at the original Dick’s Sporting Goods store in Binghamton, NY, when the company founder, Dick Stack, was still involved.
As Dick’s Sporting Goods grew into the company it is today with over 700 stores and $12 billion in sales, Van Vorce grew with it and became a key player in its growth and success in the outdoor businesses. Throughout his career, his positions included hunting buyer, archery buyer, fishing tackle buyer, firearm and ammunition buyer, DMM for hunting, and his most recent position as a senior buyer for hunting and firearms.
“It’s rare that people are blessed with a work skill set and passion that add up to a 36-year career,” said Bob Steckler, another long-time sporting goods retail industry veteran. “That’s exactly what VV had, a skill set for executive level retail to drive sales and margins in a demanding and high growth company and a love and passion for the great outdoors.”
“It is with a mix of sadness and gratitude that we bid farewell to Kevin Van Vorce as he embarks on a well-deserved retirement,” added Tony Gowen, president of the Thomas F. Gowen and Sons rep firm. “As a buyer at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kevin’s passion for the outdoors came through in his ability to curate just the right selection of products for the sporting consumer. His dedication to nurturing industry relationships was matched only by his unwavering commitment to the profitability of Dick’s Sporting Goods.
“Kevin’s absence will undoubtedly leave a void, and we will miss his expertise, his sense of humor and his ability to turn work into an enjoyable experience. We extend our warmest wishes to Kevin as he embarks on this new chapter in his life,” concluded Gowen.
