As the year closes, SGB Media remembers the active lifestyle industry business leaders who passed away in 2024 and acknowledges their contributions and impact on the broader community. Click on their names below to read the full SGB article and/or obituary.

Al Anderson
Founder, Source for Sports 

Al Anderson started his career in the sporting goods industry in 1955 as the founder of Athletic Equipment Sales in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The business is now known as Al Anderson’s Source for Sports.

Anderson was elected to the NSGA Board of Directors in 1971 and served as chairman from 1974 to 1975. He also served as vice chairman, chairman-elect, treasurer, and past chairman of the NSGA.

Bill Battle
Founder, Collegiate Licensing Company and College Licensing Pioneer

In 1981, Bill Battle signed a licensing agreement with his former coach, the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Alabama. He soon helped the University of Alabama create a licensing department, which led to Battle’s founding of the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) and what became a multi-billion dollar industry for collegiate licensing.

Using a model similar to the National Football League (NFL), Battle went door-to-door, convincing college administrators of his vision where all trademarks were regulated and documented by an “officially licensed collegiate products” badge. Under Battle’s leadership, the CLC grew to represent over 200 schools, conferences, bowl games, NASCAR, and the PGA Tour.

Cathy Beck
Legendary Fly Fishing Angler

The fly-fishing world lost legendary angler, photographer and traveler Cathy Beck, who passed away in early February 2024 while hosting a trip at Argentina’s Lago Strobel (a.k.a. Jurassic Lake).  Cathy and her husband, Barry, have been fixtures in the angling community for over three decades, and their photography has graced the covers of countless magazines. She was the first woman to appear on the cover of Fly Fisherman magazine in 1991.

Beck was a master angler and considered a pioneer in fly fishing instruction. She leaves an “indelible mark on enthusiasts worldwide” for her unwavering dedication to the sport and anglers worldwide, from novices to seasoned pros, who sought her guidance and expertise.

Richard Beebe
Owner, Redding Reloading Equipment

Richard Beebe purchased Redding Reloading Equipment in 1974. In the ensuing years, he shed old products and added new ones. He also received numerous patents granted to him for their innovation that have assisted today’s handloaders in many ways.

In 1986, Redding purchased the Santa Anita Engineering Company (SAECO) assets and jumped into the bullet-casting business with the accessories needed beyond molds. In 2005, Redding acquired Imperial Lubricants, the originators of Imperial Sizing Die Wax and Imperial Dry Neck Lube. This acquisition made Redding a complete reloading resource, with each product produced by U.S.-made machinery, U.S. labor, U.S. iron and steel.

John Connelly
Founder, Oboz

John Connelly began his career at an outdoor shop in Richmond, VA, and worked with over 15 outdoor footwear brands over the following 40 years. In 2007, he founded Oboz and built it into one of the leading outdoor brands. In 2018, he sold the company to one of the brand’s original retailer partners, New Zealand’s Kathmandu.

Connelly was a serial entrepreneur who loved sports car racing almost as much as creating innovative footwear. He combined his two passions in his most recent venture, Chicane footwear.

Robert Griffin
Former CEO and Chair of Escalade, Inc.

Robert Griffin led Evansville, IN-based Escalade for 53 years, serving in various roles, including CEO from 1976 to 1999. He recognized the importance of diversifying the company and its product offerings from an established archery equipment business to a multi-category brand. He retired as chairman of the Board of Directors in 2015 but maintained his company office.

Escalade’s brand portfolio now includes Bear Archery, Stiga table tennis, Accudart, Rave Sports, Victory Tailgate, Onix Pickleball, Goalrilla, Lifeline fitness products, Woodplay, and Brunswick.

Don Green
Founder, Sage Fly Fishing

Don Green founded Sage Fly Fishing in 1980 as the Winslow Rod Company with six employees in a 1,500-square-foot manufacturing space.

The company remains on Bainbridge Island, WA, with 175 employees and a 30,000-square-foot facility.

The brand was part of the original trio of brands a Seattle-based investment firm acquired in 2005 to create Far Bank Enterprises, including Redington and Rio Products.

Douglas Houser, Esq.
Nike Board Member

Douglas Houser, a cousin of Nike Co-founder Phil Knight, incorporated Nike and served on the company’s Board of Directors for 50 years. He received credit for steering Nike through a lawsuit in the early seventies against Onitsuka Co. Ltd., which would become Asics, over the rights to distribute Onitsuka Tiger.

Houser’s legal career spanned nearly six decades working in insurance law for the Portland, OR firm that would become Bullivant Houser Bailey PC. He retired from Nike’s board in 2015.

Richard Hendrickson
CEO, Lifetime Products

In 1988, Richard Hendrickson began at Lifetime Products, a manufacturer of residential basketball hoops, polyethylene folding tables and chairs, as a welder in shop production while attending Weber State University. Joining the firm full-time post-college, he held manufacturing, R&D, sales & marketing roles and was key in setting up Lifetime’s international division.

Hendrickson was named president of the company in 2005 and CEO in 2014 following the retirement of Founders Barry and Kathy Mower in 2013.

Peter Hurley
Owner, American Bicycle Group (ABG)

Peter Hurley came to the bike and triathlon industry from a career in investment banking, specializing in mergers & acquisitions. He began as a minority investor in ABG and took over sole ownership in 2012 after his business partners tired of the idea of owning a bicycle company. Hurley developed a consumer-direct model where customers personalize made-to-order bikes, which the company shipped directly to them.

ABG, based in Chattanooga, TN, is the parent company of the Quintana Roo, Litespeed and Obed bike brands.

Jorma Kasslin
CEO, Rapala VMC

Jorma Kasslin was a member of Rapala VMC’s Board of Directors since 1998, serving as chairman from 2016 to 2018 and president and CEO from 1998 to 2016. During Kasslin’s tenure as CEO, Rapala VMC expanded internationally in several segments of the sports fishing business. Lars Ollberg, Rapala president and CEO, said, “Jorma always focused on finding positive solutions in his work. His contribution has been decisive in Rapala VMC’s journey to becoming one of the world’s leading companies in the industry.”

Craig Koenig
Owner, Koenig Sporting Goods

Craig Koenig, the former chairman and CEO of Cleveland, OH-based Koenig Sporting Goods, oversaw the company’s growth from two stores in the late 1960s to an independent retail chain of 40 stores in the 1990s, working with his brother Brian. He expanded Koenig’s retail footprint to Akron, OH; Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania; Buffalo and Upstate New York; Virginia and West Virginia. The company also increased the presence of its team division in those markets.

Koenig served on the NSGA Board of Directors from 1985 to 1992 and was chairman from 1990 to 1991.

Murray McCory
Co-Founder, JanSport  

In the sixties, Murray McCory generated the idea behind Jansport as a student at the University of Washington after winning first place in a national competition sponsored by aluminum producer Alcoa. His winning design was an adjustable hiking backpack featuring a lightweight aluminum frame and a nylon pack with a pocket for a water bottle. Traditional hiking backpacks at the time featured one-size-fits-all wooden frames.

McCory founded JanSport with his soon-to-be-wife, Jan Lewis, in 1967. They focused on manufacturing external-frame backpacks but soon expanded into snowshoes, a frame backpack for dogs and sleeping bags. McCory’s cousin Skip Yowell handled sales and marketing and helped co-found the business.

Other innovations from McCory include JanSport’s SuperBreak backpack, which became ubiquitous in high schools by the mid-eighties, and a tent featuring a dome-shaped frame that was lightweight and wind-resistant. JanSport sold the company to K2 Corp. in 1972. VF Corporation purchased the company in 1986.

Jeff Miller
Owner, Scholastic Sports Sales

Jeff Miller’s parents, Harvey and Nancy, started Scholastic Sports Sales in the family’s garage in Cazenovia, NY, in 1974. The business grew quickly into one of the country’s most respected team dealers and moved into a 25,000-square-foot space in Manlius, NY. It remains a family affair with Jeff’s wife, Wendy, who works in accounts payable, and their sons Justin, Josh, VP of sales, and Matt, numbering department manager, in significant roles. Scholastic Sports Sales celebrated its 50th anniversary in April 2024 and is in its third generation of family ownership.

Miller was a member of the NSGA Board for two terms from 2015 to 2021. He unexpectedly passed away on December 19, 2024 at age 69.

Goksel Ozturk
Country Managing Director, Turkey, VF Corp. 

Goksel Ozturk worked for VF Corporation since 2014 until his passing in 2024. Prior, he worked with Levi Strauss & Co. for 3.5 years and Nike, Inc. for 4.5 years.

VF said in a LinkedIn post, “His ability to connect with and uplift those around him made him not just a leader but a mentor and friend to many. Goksel’s legacy will live on in the hearts of his team and throughout our company.” 

Rusty Saunders
Sporting Goods Industry Icon

Robert “Rusty” Saunders spent his first 13 years working in the sporting goods industry with the MacGregor-Brunswick Corp. in various roles, including east coast regional sales manager for its team division, pro golf and retail areas, as the national accounts and premium manager, and as the VP of merchandising. He was recognized four times as MacGregor’s leading sales producer and product developer.

Saunders later became EVP and COO of two regional retail chains owned by Recreation Products Retailing: Brendamour’s and Hollywood Sports Plaza. He took both chains with long heritages but financial troubles to profitability. After that, he started the Saunders & Associates Sales Agency, where he spent the next 19 years covering five Midwest states.

In his retirement, Saunders served as a 12-year member of the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame Committee, a founding partner of SportsOneSource, a moderator of Coach and Connect, a founder of Get in the Game Careers, and a long-time moderator of the NSGA Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit. The NSGA inducted Saunders into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame in 2013.

Jack Smith
Founder, Chairman & CEO, The Sports Authority

Jack A. Smith, founder of The Sports Authority, died at his home on June 26. He was 88.

Smith was the visionary who turned Sports Authority into one of the largest sporting goods retail brands worldwide. He also served as chairman of the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) Board of Directors and was inducted into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame in 2016. He was also named to the NOVA Southeastern University Hall of Fame.

Mike Ullman
Former CEO, JCPenney 

Mike Ullman led JCPenney twice — first joining the retailer in 2004 as chairman and CEO, advancing turnaround events by his predecessor, Allen Questrom, who had prevented JCPenney from going into bankruptcy. Helping the retailer resonate louder with a younger consumer and its middle-income audience, Ullman brought the retailer to its historically high operating profit level, 9.7 percent, and a share price of $88.

Ullman unceremoniously left JCPenney in 2011 but reassumed JCPenney’s CEO role from 2013 to 2016 and restored the business and brand. Prior to JCPenney, Ullman’s retail career included stints as chairman and CEO at Macy’s and chairman and CEO of the DFS Group. Ullman also had significant experience in government work, including serving as a White House Fellow in the Reagan administration and in academia and philanthropic work focused on health care for those disadvantaged, among other humanitarian initiatives.

Chris Walsh
Former Reebok and Crocs Sales Executive

Chris Walsh was Reebok’s VP of national accounts for many years after running the footwear business for the company’s Southeast region. He spent 26 years at Reebok, culminating in the role of VP of U.S. sales. He moved on to Mizuno as corporate VP of sales for a short period before landing at Crocs, where he served as the brand’s VP of sales for the Americas from 2015 to 2018.