
Crunch Fitness Opening in Lynchburg, VA in Summer 2025
Crunch Lynchburg will be located in a former Big Lots building on Wards Road. The 40,000-square-foot fitness facility will be operated by Crunch Fitness franchisee Fitness Ventures, LLC.

Cole Haan Opens Store in Flatiron District, its Third Location in New York City
The store is in a 1904 Neo-Renaissance landmark building. The company said the 1,622-square-foot retail space represents the company’s global store expansion initiative.

Nordstrom, Inc. Plans to Open New Rack Store in Lake Grove, NY
The new retail location expands the company’s physical footprint and economic impact in New York, where it currently operates five Nordstrom stores and 10 Nordstrom Rack stores, generating over 1,900 jobs statewide.

Club Pilates Franchisee Adds Master Franchisee Agreement for Three Additional Countries
TMCP Fitness LP and its Founders, Chris and Susan Fichaud, existing Club Pilates master franchisees in France, Ireland and Switzerland, and domestic franchisees in Texas, have added a new MFA for Belgium, Luxembourg and Monaco.

Ortholite Appoints Commercial Director for OrthoLite India
Pankaj Kumar joins OIN in its newly expanded manufacturing facility in Ambur, Tamil Nadu, India, which “enables increased capacity to two million pairs of insoles per month.”

Report: Flat U.S. Footwear Retail Sales Led by Sport Lifestyle Growth in 2024
Circana reports that U.S. footwear industry sales totaled $89.2 billion in 2024, a flat performance year-over-year, with the sport lifestyle category generating $31 billion in sales to lead all categories for the year.

Global Defense to Relocate Corporate Headquarters to Coral Springs
The U.S.-based importer, exporter and wholesale distributor specializing in firearms, parts, components, accessories, ammunition, and specialized equipment for commercial, military and law enforcement, will move its corporate headquarters to Coral Springs, FL, effective February 2, 2025.

Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit Promotes MD Kabir
Kabir was promoted to division manager, Operational Excellence, Manufacturing Support. In his new role, he leads support for North American Monozukuri (NAM) activities, Monozukuri-Lean Transformation and Continuous Improvement with a focus on profitability for Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit.

Turtleson Toasts Grover Walker on Account Exec’s Retirement
Grover Walker has represented Izod Lacoste, Corbin, Bobby Jones, and, most recently, Turtleson over his 50-year career. Turtleson has named Tammy Kaminsky, who joined the company in 2022 with over 30 years of experience representing global brands, to replace Walker.

Outdoor Retailer and Surf Expo Parent Re-Works Term Loan and Revolver
A portion of the proceeds of the Term Loan Facility were used to refinance all existing loans outstanding under Emerald’s previous senior secured credit facilities, and to pay costs and expenses in connection with the refinancing.

Health & Fitness Association to Induct First Class Into HFA Hall of Fame
The HFA has selected six industry leaders to induct into its inaugural HFA Hall of Fame class. The inductees are Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Rick Caro, Red Lerille, Julie Main, John McCarthy, and Augie Nieto.

Winchester Ammo Sales Grow 10 Percent Despite Lower Commercial Sales
Winchester Ammunition’s increase in sales was said to be primarily due to higher military sales and military project revenue, partially offset by lower commercial ammunition sales.

Pickleball Kingdom Franchisee to Open Facility in Centerville, Ohio
Franchisees Dhaval Patel and Sanjay Patel, co-leaders of Pickleball X, will open a new venue in Centerville, OH, on Main Street. The 36,000-square-foot space will include 13 indoor courts with a target opening in April 2025.

Arc’teryx Makes Three Strategic Leadership Appointments
Industry veteran Matt Bolte has been named chief merchandising officer, with Marissa Pardini as general manager and Ben Stubbington as creative director of its Veilance brand.

Chaparral and Robalo Parent’s Q4 Boat Sales Fall Sharply Again; Margins Improve
Marine Products Corporation reported that 2024 fourth-quarter net sales fell 33 percent from the prior-year corresponding quarter. The decline comes on top of a 35 percent decrease in the 2023 fourth quarter.