Results for ""eric smith""

SGB recently sat down with Drew Saunders, country manager for Boulder, CO-based Salewa North America—the U.S./Canadian headquarters for Oberalp Group and its four brands (Salewa, Dynafit, Pomoca and Wild Country)—to discuss Oberalp’s goal for its latest portfolio addition, Evolv, as well as other changes happening at the company. Here’s what he shared.

Vail Resorts Inc., the Broomfield, CO-based ski resort and real estate behemoth, grew even bigger Monday morning with the (estimated) $264 million acquisition of Wildwood, MO-based Peak Resorts Inc. The purchase adds 17 ski areas to Vail’s already massive portfolio and dwarfs recent deals taking place in the rapidly evolving ski industry. Here’s what we know about the deal now.

Thule Group AB’s $9.5 million acquisition of rooftop tent maker Tepui Outdoors Inc. last December gave the Swedish company quick entry into the booming category of overlanding without the time and energy needed to expand organically. Now that the integration is complete, Thule this week shed some additional light on the company’s global plans for its newest asset.

Garmont International S.r.l. is focused on four drivers—people, efficiency, pricing and marketing—as the brand works to amplify its North American business. Bill Dodge, CEO, Garmont North America, breaks down how the company is pulling each lever in hopes of growing both mind and market share here.

Hibbett Sports Inc. CEO Jeff Rosenthal in March announced he would retire from the Birmingham, AL-based company’s top post later this year as soon as his replacement was on board. He recently spoke with SGB Executive about his “tough” decision to leave Hibbett, the legacy he’s leaving and what’s needed for a retailer to survive in today’s changing landscape.

Italy-based Oberalp Group on June 21 broadened its focus on mountain sports by announcing the acquisition of U.S. climbing shoe brand Evolv. That was just one highlight from a busy month for M&A in the active lifestyle space that also included deals in the fishing and fabric categories. Our June M&A Roundup breaks them down.

Matt Lyon, president of Oakland, CA-based hydration company HydraPak LLC, sat down with SGB Executive at the recent Outdoor Retailer Summer Market to discuss the acquisition of Polar Bottle. Here’s what he shared about the ongoing integration and what’s in store for the longtime bottle brand—including a focus on the specialty channel.

Nike Inc.’s ability to connect in multiple ways—with existing consumers and with new marketplaces, across supply chains and across sports—is helping the company continue to grow and remain on pace to hit $50 billion in annual revenue by 2022. On Thursday afternoon’s earnings call, CEO Mark Parker stressed the importance of connectivity in all company pursuits.

SGB goes behind the scenes of fishing hook manufacturer O. Mustad & Son’s recent acquisition of recreational fishing line brand TUF-Line, the roots of which trace back to the chance placement of two booths at a trade show. Company execs break down why the deal was such a catch for both parties.

Boulder, CO-based outdoor accessories brand Nite Ize Inc. has teamed up with the world’s largest online retailer to stop what it calls the “wanton” counterfeiting of one of its patented and trademarked products. Nite Ize and Amazon.com Inc. on Wednesday filed a joint lawsuit against counterfeit product importers and sellers who faked Nite Ize’s Steelie technology and attempted to sell the imposters on Amazon’s third-party marketplace.

Amy Beck, who is taking the reins of Obōz/Kathmandu North America from Obōz founder John Connelly in an ongoing succession plan, spoke with SGB Executive at last week’s Outdoor Retailer show about her new venture, including the impact Connelly has had in the past three months and how she expects to measure success for the brands she now leads.

This year’s Outdoor Retailer Summer Market was marked by change, but the spirit of the outdoor world’s premier B2B extravaganza remained the same—uniting the industry tribe under one roof. SGB Executive digs into the business trends and themes culled from three days of walking the trade show floor. Here are our takeaways.

Two years after forming, Maine Outdoor Brands (MOB)—the nonprofit that promotes the state’s outdoor assets to benefit businesses and residents alike—has appointed Jenny Kordick as its first, full-time executive director. In advance of her debut at this week’s OR, Kordick spoke with SGB about MOB and her role in helping it grow.

Thule Group AB is typically a mainstay on the Outdoor Retailer show floor, but the Swedish outdoor and bags brand will exhibit off-site this year to better showcase the company’s explosive category growth—and to spotlight its most recent acquisition. Fred Clark, president, outdoor & bags, Region Americas, spoke with SGB about the latest happenings at the company.

The big news out of Walmart this week that the retail behemoth is wrapping its Jet.com operations into Walmart.com raised questions about the impact on e-commerce at its outdoor outfitter, Moosejaw. But everything will be business as usual at the outdoor retailer that Walmart bought in 2017 for $51 million, a company PR rep told SGB Executive on Thursday.