SGB Update Sports & Fitness

Nite Ize Adds Indie Sales Representation in TALO Region
The Alpine Cowboy, owned by Stephanie and Koby Crooks for over 25 years, will represent the brand in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma (TALO region).

Crecera Brands Appoints Chip Coe as CEO
The parent of the Sportsman’s Guide, The Golf Warehouse and Baseball Savings.com brands has appointed Coe as CEO, effective immediately. He succeeds Corey Bergstrom, who launched Crecera’s strategic transformation.

Pickleball Kingdom Targets Louisville, KY for Three New Locations
Franchisees Sanjay Patel and Dhaval Patel of Pickleball X Equity are expanding Pickleball Kingdom with three new indoor pickleball facilities in Louisville.

Orangetheory Fitness Inks Franchise Partner for Central and South Florida
Bluegrass Fitness, an affiliate of Manna Capital Partners, LLC, has acquired 18 Orangetheory Fitness studios in the Orlando and South Florida markets and has executed a multi-year development agreement covering Central and South Florida.

Concert Golf Partners Acquires TPC Jasna Polana
Jasna Polana boasts an immense history, from its ties to the Piasecka Johnson family to its role in professional golf as a past host of the PGA Tour Champions and the classic Wonderful World of Golf match between Tom Watson and Hal Sutton.

TAG Sports Gear Welcomes New President
Rebecca White has ten years of experience working in sales and direct-to-consumer business, running her own online health coaching company, mergers and acquisitions, private client banking, and investor relations.

REI’s Chris Speyer to Join MEC as New Chief Merchandising Officer
Speyer, who has worked as REI Co-op’s CMO for the last seven years, reportedly brings over thirty years of leadership experience in the specialty outdoor retail, wholesale, and direct-to-consumer businesses.

REI Co-op Appoints SVP, Chief Technology Officer
Guillaume Ledieu succeeds Dan Shull, who will depart REI on July 12 for a new opportunity. Guillaume joined the co-op in 2023 as VP of foundation technology and has already had an incredible impact in his short time working for the company.

Locally Names First Chief Marketing Officer
Karen Sage joins the company as CMO to further fuel Locally’s expansion as it marks a 12-month growth trajectory to over $1.8 billion in retail referral sales.

Macy’s, Inc. Appoints New Chief Information Officer
Keith Credendino, who is currently SVP of technology product development, customer experience, will succeed the retiring Laura Miller as CIO, effective August 4, and join the company’s Corporate Strategy Group.

Omni Hires Product Development & Merchandising Chief for Bodybuilding.com
Steve Marada will reportedly manage the rebuilding of Bodybuilding.com. He has a history of leading and executing strategic business plans that create and refresh health and wellness brands.

MSG Sports Names Chief Operating Officer
Before joining Madison Square Gardens Corp. in 2008, Jamal Lesane worked as an associate counsel at HBO, providing legal support and counsel to HBO Sports and HBO Licensing and Retail. Before that, he was a corporate lawyer at Covington and Burling LLP. He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Garmin Releases Cycling Activity Report for Garmin Connect Community
Based on the data compiled by Garmin over the last 12 months, cycling activities have increased seven percent for consumers that are part of the Garmin Connect community of cyclists and who logged their miles on Garmin Edge cycling computers.

Life Time Transforms Harbour Island Athletic Club in Tampa
Life Time Harbour Island spans nearly 6.5 acres. Following a multi-million-dollar renovation, the company transformed the space into a luxury athletic and social venue.

NRF: Inbound Cargo Volume Forecasted to Grow 14.4 Percent for 2024 First Half
Importers are looking at issues including high shipping rates, unresolved port labor negotiations and continuing capacity and congestion issues from the ongoing disruptions in the Red Sea.