SGB Update Sportsmans
Inov-8 Returns As Official Footwear Brand Of OCR World Championships
Inov-8 for the second straight year will be the official footwear brand for the he Obstacle Course Racing World Championships in the U.K.

Academy Sports Appoints Steven Lawrence As EVP And Chief Merchandising Officer
Academy Sports + Outdoors announced that Steven P. Lawrence has been appointed executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, effective February 11. He was most recently CEO of Francesca’s and has also been chief merchandising officer at Stage Stores.
Mossy Oak Names J Scott Judy ProStaffer Of The Year
Mossy Oak announced that J Scott Judy is their 2018 ProStaffer of the Year. Mossy Oak’s winner is chosen from nearly 1,000 ProStaff members.

Former Cabela’s Employees Launch Highby Outdoors
A number of former Cabela’s employees, led by Matt Highby, have officially launched Highby Outdoors, an e-commerce site focusing on outdoor gear.
Winchester’s Revenues Drop 12 Percent In Q4
Olin Corp. reported Winchester’s sales for the fourth quarter 2018 were $145.5 million compared to $165.4 million in the fourth quarter 2017.

Moody’s Lowers Academy’s Debt Ratings Again
Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Academy’s debt for the second time since September 2018. The downgrades reflect Moody’s expectations for continued weak earnings and credit metrics in the near term, driven by a challenging operating environment, the transition of the company’s merchandising assortment, margin pressure from the mix shift to e-commerce and investments needed to improve the store and digital experience.
Yamaha Sponsors 2019 Major League Fishing Events
Yamaha announced that it has joined Major League Fishing (MLF) as an official outboard sponsor of the 2019 Bass Pro Tour.

NPD To Acquire Assets Relating To SportsOneSource POS Sports And Outdoor Tracking Business
The NPD Group has signed an agreement with SportsOneSource, LLC (SOS) to acquire assets relating to the company’s SSI Data POS Sports and Outdoor tracking business. SportsOneSource will continue to support the active lifestyle market through its SGB Media publishing properties, including SGB Update, SGB Executive and SGB Today.

Camping World Holdings Rolls Out Gander RV Super Centers
Camping World Holdings Inc. in an update said it has opened 12 Gander RV locations since the first opened in Kenosha, WI in the late summer of 2018. Eleven more are planned to open soon.
Firearms Background Checks Drop In December
FBI background checks, as adjusted by the NSSF, continued their trend of year-over-year declines, falling 7.8 percent in December to 1.49 million from 1.62 million in December 2017 on an NSSF-adjusted basis.
Sentry Products Group Appoints VP Of Sales
Sentry Products Group announced that Steve Hoffa has joined the firm as vice president of sales. Hoffa, formerly with Alpha Guardian (Cannon Safe/GunVault/Stack-On) and BLACKHAWK!, brings 20 years of sales and operations experience to the team.
RubLine Marketing Hires Bo Adams
RubLine Marketing announced the hiring of Bo Adams as marketing director for their portfolio of brands.
Leatherman Launches Ambassador Program
Leatherman Tool Group Inc. announced the launch of its first-ever ambassador program featuring “a collective of passionate storytellers, each embodying Tim Leatherman’s spirit of unwavering perseverance and commitment to hard work.”

SHOT Show Sets New Record For Exhibitors
The 41st Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show), owned and operated by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), finished its four-day run with many notable successes, including a new record for exhibitors in its Suppliers Showcase and an innovative Pop-Up Preview that proved to be a hit with buyers.

Bass Pro Appoints Mike McDermott As New President
Bass Pro Shops said Michael P. McDermott, a former executive at the Lowe’s home-improvement chain, will replace Jim Hagale as president. McDermott will guide the next phase of the integration of Bass Pro and Cabela’s and accelerate the outdoor retailer’s omni-channel efforts.