The man who holds team sports on his shoulders.

By Jahla Seppanen

While Jim Pisani was selling sodas at PepsiCo as VP of Customer Development and Mac and Cheese at Kraft General Foods as Regional Sales Manager, he used his down time to play sports. The college soccer player turned coach grew up on the field, court and diamond, suiting up for everything from soccer, basketball and baseball.

So, after more than 11 years at PepsiCo, Pisani took to the mound of a more familiar position — leading VF Corporation’s Licensed Sports Group, including its best-known brand Majestic Athletic, the on-field provider for the MLB. The group holds other sports apparel agreements with the NFL, NBA and more. Pisani also sits on the board of the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), the University of South Florida Sport & Entertainment MBA Advisory Board, the Positive Coaching Alliance, and more.

“Sports and competition is in my blood,” he said… and we believe it. SGB sat down with Pisani to talk teams, jerseys and the business of baseball.

How is the sports jersey business doing? The Majestic MLB jersey business is very healthy, especially for the past two years. We have seen an increase of more than 50 percent in sales of jerseys during that time (2015/16) and the retailers not only love the product, but the marketing has been terrific, including player ambassadors from the 30 MLB teams and a 360-degree marketing approach which includes digital, social, in-store, in-stadium activation, micro films and brand films. We introduced a new cool base jersey that players and fans love for it’s performance, comfort and style — we utilized fan and player insights to create the best jersey –– and in 2016 we launched a new on-field jersey for all 30 MLB teams designed to maximize on-field performance. This jersey was in development for more years and is built with player insights and innovation from the best designers in the business at Majestic.

Sounds like a busy couple years. What has been your favorite Majestic partnership to-date? We have been very fortunate to have some outstanding, long-term partnerships with the professional sports leagues including the MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL. We also have enjoyed a successful license with Harley Davidson providing apparel to the many Harley Davidson enthusiasts. Plus, our growing international business includes International soccer, the Nippon professional Japanese baseball league and Australian Cricket. These relationships have been built by more than 1,600 associates at VF Licensed Sports Group who consistently deliver craveable product, first class service and a passion for the business that keeps us on top of the licensed sports apparel business. These partnerships have been in place for more than 30 years.

What’s your go-to team you’ll always root for? We like all of our teams across the leagues and give them 100-percent effort regardless of the size of the market. This is what separates us from the competition.

Outside of the office what’s your favorite team? I grew up in St. Louis, my wife grew up in Chicago, and we spent 15 years in Chicago, so we certainly enjoy those teams.

Not a lot of people know that Majestic invented the batting practice jersey. What are some other fun facts about the company? We make every Major League Baseball uniform (all 30 clubs) in Easton, PA. We take great pride in the fact that an American worker crafts every uniform. Made in America is important to MLB and Majestic.

That sounds like a lot of jerseys. We sell more than 1 million jerseys on an annual basis and our Easton, PA associates along with our associates in Tampa, FL (decoration facility in Tampa) allows us to service our league partners and retailers faster and more efficiently.

There’s word VF is looking to sell the business. What type of new owner are you looking for? As for VF exploring strategic alternatives that is exactly what is taking place right now. We will explore and make a decision; which is in the best interest of our League partners, associates and shareholders. All I can say is the process is fluid.

For young people entering the industry hoping one day to reach a position like yours, what advice would you give them? The best advice I can give anyone is to believe in yourself and never stop listening and learning. My father Angelo Pisani always taught me to work hard, listen, learn and give 100 percent no matter the circumstances.

I have been very lucky to be surrounded by great people who make my job easy. In both my professional and personal life, I have been blessed to have friends and family that support and believe in me including my wife that I have spent 25 wonderful years with and my three children.

Some day in the future when you depart Majestic, what do you hope to leave behind? My hope is that the passion, drive and will to win continues for many more years to come. We enjoy being the underdog, hungry, humble and prepared for the next opportunity.  I hope that the customers, associates and people say they give 100 percent at Majestic, care about us and do things the right way with integrity and honesty.

Lead photo courtesy VF Corp.