Sports Excellence, the Canadian buying group, announced that it hired Steve Rixe as director of U.S. retail development.

Rixe has over 30 years of experience in the sporting goods industry, 22 of which he worked at CCM. He has been the senior U.S. sales manager at CCM for the past nine years, overseeing its U.S. independent retail network.

Rixe reports to Jamie Coughlin, VP, retail performance.

“We are proud, thrilled and honored to have Steve join our team. We are confident that he will bring our U.S. network together and elevate their respective businesses. That has been his reputation for many years,” said Coughlin.

As Director of U.S. Retail Development, Rixe will support existing U.S. members in the short term and grow the U.S. Sports Excellence retail network in the long term. He works out of the Sports Excellence Minnesota-based office.

Based in Quebec, Sports Excellence represents 200 independent retailers offering local service for communities across the U.S. and Canada.