Joe’s Sports & Outdoor has named Hal Smith as the new president & CEO of the company. Mr. Smith has also been appointed as a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Smith succeeds Norm Daniels, a 42-year veteran of the company, who will continue to serve on the Joe’s Sports & Outdoor Board of Directors and be involved in the strategic direction of the company. Mr. Daniels will also continue his active roll in the community, particularly in the Portland area.


Mr. Smith is the former president of Bass Pro Shops and has been the president/CEO of several other leading retail companies. Most recently he was EVP of Pep Boys, the nation’s leading full service automotive chain. He has also been active in civic and industry leadership, having served on the boards of several civic and industry associations, including Big Brothers, the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, and the Home Improvement Industry Council. He is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization Alumni. Mr. Smith is a cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame, and earned his MBA from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA.


Having lived in the Seattle area for much of his life, Mr. Smith is an avid Northwest outdoorsman, and is anxious to combine his passion with his skills as a retailer to offer the best selection and value to the Northwest sporting goods consumer. He comes to Joe’s Sports & Outdoor at an exciting time for the venerable 56 year-old Northwest brand. The company opened five new stores in the past 15 months, and it continues to be the leading specialty sporting goods retailer in the Northwest.  


“I’m thrilled to be joining Joe’s Sports & Outdoor at this point in its evolution. Norm and the team have done a great job of establishing a strong following throughout the Northwest, and we can now build on that foundation to take the company to a whole new level of solid growth,” said Mr. Smith.


Norm Daniels said “It is exciting for us to hire a CEO with the expertise that Hal brings to the company; I look forward to working with him during the transition over the next several weeks and continuing my participation as a member of the Board of Directors.”