Johnson Outdoors Inc. appointed the former CEO of Shopatron to its board of directors and bid adieu to W. Lee McCollum, who is retiring from the board after a decade of service.
The company appointed Edward Stevens to the board of directors effective November 1, 2016. Stevens is joining the board as a class B director, and will stand for re-election at the annual meeting in 2017.
Stevens is the chief operating officer of Kibo Software Inc., a cloud-based, omni-channel commerce platform company. Stevens was previously a founder and CEO of Shopatron, a provider of cloud-based, e-commerce order management services. Stevens is also the author of “Allied To Win: How I Launched And Led A Leading eCommerce Company.”
“Ed brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in e-commerce, ranging from strategy to execution, just as we are beginning transformation of Johnson Outdoors’ digital presence to enhance the online experience and expand access for consumers to our family of great outdoors brands,” said Johnson Outdoors Chairman and CEO Helen Johnson-Leipold. “We are pleased and excited to welcome Ed to the Board.”
McCollum, whose retirement takes effect Nov. 1, is the former executive vice president and CFO of SC Johnson and has served as a director of Johnson Outdoors for over a decade.
“Lee’s financial acumen and breadth of experience have been invaluable to the Board, particularly throughout our emergence from the 2008 recession as we laid the foundation for continued success and sustained long-term profitable growth,” Johnson-Leipold said. “We thank Lee for his service and many contributions, and wish him all the best in the future.”
On Thursday, the board approved a quarterly cash dividend of 0.090 cents per Class A share and 0.082 cents per Class B share – a 12.5 percent increase from the dividend rates declared in previous quarters.
“We have continued to pay down our debt and add to our healthy cash position. This dividend increase reflects our confidence in our business performance and strategic plans,” said David W. Johnson, vice president and chief financial officer.
The quarterly cash dividend is payable on October 27, 2016 to shareholders of record at the close of business on October 13, 2016.
Johnson Outdoors brands include, among others: Old Town canoes and kayaks; Ocean Kayak and Necky kayaks; Carlisle paddles; Extrasport personal flotation devices; Minn Kota motors; Cannon downriggers; Humminbird marine electronics and charts; SCUBAPRO dive equipment; Silva compasses; Jetboil outdoor cooking systems; and Eureka! camping and hiking equipment.
