Last month, Ed Tobergte stepped down from his position as president and CEO of Stromgren Athletics. At the time, Tobergte was said to be primarily focused on developing Gear 2000. In more recent news, Last week. Gear 2000 was acquired by the Sport Supply Group for an undisclosed amount, adding clarification to Tobergte’s decision to step down, as well as strengthen SSG’s chain of brands.
SSG currently markets most the company’s products under trade names or trademarks owned by other companies. As a result, SSG holds non-exclusive supply arrangements with brands such as Schutt, Riddell, Nike, Adidas, and now Gear 2000.
In an exclusive interview with Sports Executive Weekly, Adam Blumenfeld, CEO of the Sport Supply Group, confirmed SSG's purchase of the football equipment vendor.
“SSG does own Gear 2000,” replied Blumenfeld. “There will be no change related to how Gear 2000 and Z-COOL are sold.” Z-COOL, which the company claims helps athletes feel less heat and perspiration buildup, allowing for faster cooling with less sweat loss.
According to Blumenfeld, “Since we sell a lot of moisture management uniform products, we also see ways for the pad and the apparel/jerseys to work in tandem with each other.”
As for Tobergte, its only speculation as to the significance of his role with SSG, though Blumenfeld did offer a response when asked about Tobergte’s presence within the company. “Ed is totally focused on the promotion of the Z-COOL brand and expansion of both product and distribution, as appropriate. He drives the train. We are lucky to have him and his many years of experience.”
Whether or not the recent Schutt/Riddell lawsuit has fueled SSG’s ambition in seeking out football equipment brands goes again to speculation, though there is certainly an opportunity in market share potential relating to football equipment.
