MC: I have learned a little bit about how sporting goods products move through the chain. I have learned about the important relationships we have with the buying groups and how important it is for the NSGA to maintain and invest in those relationships. The management conference last year was my first, and it really helped me accelerate my learning curve about who are the key people in the industry. I also had an opportunity to visit with Sports Inc., NBS, ADA and the TAG groups at their shows and that gave me a tremendous opportunity to reach a lot of people in one location. My predecessor had 28 years of building relationships in the industry so I'm just starting on that journey.
SEW: How would you define NSGA's purpose?
MC: From our perspective, our core mission is to provide the right mix of services and relationship building opportunities that help our members be successful. It's about providing a mix of high-quality services that people expect and to be there to support our members as they try to navigate through these rough waters.
SEW: What new programs are you looking at?
MC: We're almost ready to release information about a new program we're working on in the health insurance arena. There are still some moving pieces to that equation but we're optimistic that we can put together a program that responds to our members needs to get a better handle on health insurance costs. The issue of controlling costs is very critical on the team side.
SEW: How are you supporting new brands and retailers?
MC: The biggest thing we can do is to provide them with time-tested research and current information that the NSGA compiles. It's important to get new brands and retailers the right information at the right time and give them access to education about the best practices that have worked for other retailers. We've also kicked around the idea of doing some regional education seminars. It might be a half-day or one-day seminar that would be targeted specifically to those smaller operators looking for the latest information on personal loss or how do you interpret a financial statement the really nuts & bolts kind of things.
SEW: How is the economy impacting your members?
MC: The restriction of credit has definitely impacted our members, whether they're private or publicly held. The terms and conditions of financing are getting increasingly difficult. When it's difficult to get capital it limits your ability to grow. But historically, it seems that sporting goods retailers have done okay during recessionary periods and we've seen an increase in sales for fishing and other outdoor activities. I also think as a parent, you will buy the equipment or the uniform that is necessary for your children to participate in sports. As a parent, we find value in having our kids' participation in activities and so we will support those kinds of things. We may withhold a little bit or our buying patterns might be different, but I think there is an underlying sentiment that as parents we do what we can to help our kids have a better life than what we had and sporting goods participation plays right into that.
SEW: What are your priorities for NSGA this year?
MS: For us, our biggest goal is to be a reliable business partner so that the organizations that we do business with find us valuable. We need to build those strong relationships with those industry partners and those relationships need to be based on shared values and mutual interest. If we do those things, we'll be successful.
