Results for ""eric smith""

Winnebago Industries Inc. began its fiscal third quarter on March 1 with high hopes and enough momentum to fuel a fleet of motorhomes. But like it has for many companies, the coronavirus knocked Winnebago off course. On the fiscal Q2 earnings call with analysts, CEO Mike Happe explained the difficult decision to shutter operations just as spring and the prime RV season kicks off.

Nike Inc. didn’t escape the fiscal third quarter entirely unscathed, and headwinds remain globally in Q4 and beyond, but the company managed to evade a revenue and earnings plunge thanks to the “playbook” it deployed as the coronavirus spread across China in recent months.

Fallout from the coronavirus pandemic continues to rankle the active-lifestyle marketplace. Most retailers have temporarily closed their doors. Sports leagues show no signs of resuming play. And now the Summer Olympics has been postponed until 2021. The ripple effect of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is reaching new pockets of the U.S. economy and will linger for months to come.

Mergers and acquisitions are slowing to a crawl due to the coronavirus outbreak, but buyers and sellers can use this time to prepare for the surge of activity that’s sure to occur once business normalcy returns. SGB Executive examines the current M&A landscape and offers tips for navigating either side of the deal.

The coronavirus has forced many retailers to temporarily close their doors, but Birmingham, AL-based Hibbett Sports Inc. believes its locations are better positioned than big-box competitors and isn’t issuing a companywide shutdown. Hibbett CEO Mike Longo spoke on the fourth-quarter earnings call Friday morning—his first since being named to the top post last December—about the company’s resiliency amid this current crisis.

The coronavirus has taken a huge toll on Vail Resorts Inc., which closed its 34 North American resorts (with the chance of reopening three of them). Vail remains in a strong financial position, but such an abrupt end to the ski season quickly turned the company’s fiscal 2020 into a “year to forget.”

A burgeoning ski category includes three relative newcomers—Dahu Boots, Envy Snow Sports and Mad Jack Snowsports—plus a longtime player, all of whom aim to remove foot pain by making more comfortable boot systems. SGB Executive breaks down their efforts to bring more people to the sport and keep them on the slopes for longer.

The chaos that coronavirus is causing across the active lifestyle marketplace is unprecedented. And while it’s hard to claim any “winners” when an outbreak such as Covid-19 is wreaking so much havoc on everyday life, a couple of categories in this space stand to benefit—firearms and at-home fitness manufacturers.

Sequential Brands Group Inc. began 2020 with a key leadership change, and the New York, NY-based parent of Avia, And1 and Gaiam is eyeing further transformational moves this year with a strategic review that could include acquisitions, divestitures and more.

The coronavirus has hit mountain towns especially hard, and Saturday afternoon was an inflection point for the ski industry. When Vail Resorts Inc. announced it was suspending operations at its North American ski areas, most others followed suit.

John Walbrecht, president of Clarus Corp. and its flagship brand Black Diamond (BD), said the Salt Lake City, UT-based company could be adding another asset to its portfolio that also includes Sierra Bullets, Pieps and SKINourishment. His comments came after a strong Q4 led by double-digit growth at Black Diamond.

Vail Resorts on Monday withdrew its fiscal 2020 guidance because it’s not yet sure how badly the coronavirus outbreak will sag its financial performance. The company plans to provide an update next week, but right now Vail plans to keep all its resorts open as scheduled, according to CEO Rob Katz, who addressed this issue and others on the fiscal second-quarter earnings call.

On Sunday, Eric Artz, REI’s president and CEO, became the latest retailer to try to reassure customers it’s safe to shop amid the coronavirus outbreak. A number of sporting and other events have already been canceled due to concerns.

Bjorn Fjellstad, managing director of the Norwegian apparel and protective gear maker Sweet Protection, is working to build momentum across the globe but especially in the U.S., which represents the brand’s biggest growth opportunity. He spoke with SGB Executive about Sweet Protection’s sharpened focus on this market, including the launch of a new category.

The fiscal third quarter brought significant change to American Outdoor Brands Corp. (AOBC), whose portfolio includes the iconic firearms maker Smith & Wesson plus several brands in the sportsman’s and outdoor gear categories. Despite some stumbles in Q3, look for AOBC’s post-spinoff companies to prosper.