Skechers Sues Laforst for Patent Infringement
Skechers USA, Inc. reported it sued Laforst Shoes, Inc. for alleged patent infringement of its proprietary Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins design. Skechers filed the lawsuit in The United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Nexgen Packaging Appoints VP of Sales, Americas
Nexgen Packaging, a packaging provider for the retail, apparel and footwear industries, hired Kevin DeSpain as senior vice president of sales for the Americas. He comes from Zebra Technologies.
NSGA Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame Committee Elects Class of 2024
NSGA Sporting Goods Industry Hall Of Fame announced the Class of 2023, which includes Glenn Barrett, OrthoLite; Cathy Pryor, Hibbett Sports; Karsten Solheim, Ping Golf; and Mike Thompson, Rawlings.
BMZ Acquires Nox Cycles and Hawk Bikes
The BMZ Group, a maker of lithium-ion batteries, acquired e-bike brand Nox Cycles Austria, its its sister companies in Germany and Switzerland, and the Hawk Bikes brand.
Varsity Brands to Sell Herff Jones Graduation Business
Varsity Brands, the parent of BSN Sports and Varsity Spirit, said it signed a definitive agreement to sell the Herff Jones Graduation Business, including the Scholastic and Collegiate brand portfolio and manufacturing facilities, to Atlas Holdings.
West Coast Port Workers Ratify New Contract
Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents dockworkers at U.S. West Coast ports, voted to ratify a new six-year contract with the Pacific Maritime Association.
NSSF-Adjusted NICS Background Checks Slide in August
The National Shooting Sports Foundation reported that the August 2023 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System figure declined 13 percent year-over-year to 1.12 million checks year-over-year, but were up from 1.02 million checks month-over-month versus July.
Life Time Breaks Ground on First Ground-Up Pickleball Location
Life Time Chanhassen Pickleball is expected to be completed in early 2024. The 25,000-square-foot building, adjacent to the Life Time Chanhassen, MN athletic country club, will feature eight indoor and seven outdoor pickleball courts, along with a viewing area, lounge, dressing rooms and other amenities.
Vista Outdoor Inc. Files SEC Paperwork to Spin Off the Outdoor Products Group
Vista Outdoor, Inc. publicly filed its Form 10 registration statement on September 5 with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with its previously-announced plan to separate its Outdoor Products and Sporting Products segments into two independent, publicly-traded companies.
Craft Sportswear N.A. Appoints National Sales Agency for Footwear
Craft said that Waypoint Outdoor’s “vast network and experienced team, combined with Craft’s current rep force will provide an immediate increase of boots on the ground to support Craft’s expanding footwear dealer base and pinnacle accounts.”
Roark Adds Global Marketing Chief and New Design Director; Appoints Content Chief
Roark hired Mike Wallace as global marketing director, Greg Bravo as men’s design director and promoted Corey Brindley to the newly formed position of director of content creation.
Arc’teryx Seeks To Block Adidas’ Terrex Trademark Registration
Arc’teryx seeks to block Adidas from registering the “Terrex” name in U.S. retail stores. Earlier this year, the company sued Adidas in Canada for opening a Terrex store in Vancouver.
Survey: Pickleball On the Rise in Community Associations
According to a recent Snap survey by the Community Associations Institute Foundation for Community Association Research, 77 percent of respondents said that the pickleball courts in their communities were in “Moderate” or “High” demand.
RVIA Forecasting RV Shipments to Increase in Strong Double Digits in 2024
The new forecast projects 2024 RV shipments to range between 363,700 units and 375,700 units with a median of 369,700 units representing a 22 percent to 24 percent increase over the expected 2023 year-end range of 287,200 units to 307,000 units.
REI Co-op Hires VP of Merchandise Planning and Inventory Management
REI Co-op hired Jackie Major as vice president of merchandise planning and inventory management, leading its merchandising team, overseeing planning and inventory management strategy and sales and operations planning.
