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>> Glen Jusczyk of AMgC Sports, right, learns more about QuickHitch MouthGuard products from John Moore during the Speed Networking at the 2019 Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit.
AMgC Quickly Establishes Itself in Team Dealer Community
Former Division I and professional soccer player Glen Jusczyk figured one foray into the sporting goods industry would be enough. But a serious family medical situation led him back into it after a hiatus and Jusczyk started AMgC Sports in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. In less than 10 years, Jusczyk has helped establish AMgC as a go-to team dealer and it received NSGA Verified Independent All-Star Dealer status for its quality service and expertise. Jusczyk talked about building AMgC and the importance of giving back with NSGA Director of Communications and Team Dealer Division Director Marty Maciaszek.
Q: What attracted you to the sporting goods industry?
A: I went to Northeastern University (in Boston) to play Division I soccer and then played minor-league soccer. We had soccer camps at Northeastern with over 500 kids there each summer and one of the expenses was T-shirts. We wanted to make our own T-shirts and that morphed into the sporting goods business from there in 1998. I never thought I’d be going that long 20 years later.
Q: How did that lead to the formation of AMgC Sports? A: In 2008 I sold my share of the company to my business partner and said I’d never do it again. I moved to Florida with my family and a few years later my daughter was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma pediatric cancer. We moved back to Boston and my wife lost the job she had. My non-compete was over, so I reached out to some old clients to ask if they would work with me if I started up again. I started from scratch in 2013 and now I’ve built it back up here in 2019.
Q: What were the big challenges when you returned to the industry? A: Getting a customer base back was difficult. So was getting manufacturers and vendors to believe in me that I could do it a second time and to get the bigger brands to open with me and prove I was in it for the long run. What helped with that was I became a member of NBS (Nation’s Best Sports). Once I had a small footprint and store and opened with a few people, I worked with NBS to become a member and it took off from there.
Q: Were you surprised how much the industry had changed in time you were out? A: You had the big-box stores and online sellers, consolidation and the independent dying. It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do. Some people like that I’m small enough to have a personal touch that’s been lost in this industry. We’re able to provide that, and once we started up again, customers have stuck with me from the beginning. People value that a ton. They trust me and I care about them enough that I’m not going to lie to them and I’m not going to overpromise. Word of mouth and loyalty has helped my business succeed thus far.
Q: What were some of the other big changes the second time around? A: How many people I used to know in the industry were out of the industry. Even at that time you had people doing price comparisons on-line and you wondered, ‘How is anyone making any money?’ We try to navigate that by being a one-stop shop from uniforms to equipment to pins to water bottles. We do in-house printing and vinyl printing of banners. Anything they need we’ll do it for them. A lot of our customers are volunteers, and if they have someone they trust to be fair to them and can get everything in one place, it’s helpful. That has also morphed into a lot of corporate business through our sports clients. We try not to say no to anyone. If we say no someone else will say yes. We do a lot of on-line stores and OrderMyGear stores. People love it because it gets the brand out there for them without a lot of heavy lifting for them. We drop-ship to parents directly and parents can complain directly to us. It makes other people’s lives easier and more people want to use us.
Q: What are some big keys to AMgC’s success? A: Staying small. My business partner and I haven’t scaled up to the point we don’t have that personal touch. We only bring in people to work for us that we trust and will do a great job and will be lifers for us. I don’t want to just grow for the sake of growing if it’s not meaningful growth. We want to provide good service for the community.
A: We’re into the pediatric cancer world for better or worse because we’ve lived it and we want to help people navigate it any way they can, with any support we can give in any way. It drives me to work harder in the for-profit world. A portion of our proceeds in the for-profit business is earmarked for altruistic means and that motivates me to continue to work hard. I’ve met a lot of people who need gear for their non-profit and different events they are doing. I have no problem giving them the deal of the century because it’s going for such a good cause. It doesn’t have to be just my cause but it can be any cause they believe in.
Q: How valuable was attending the Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit? A: When I first started back in the industry a few years ago I went and I met some good people. I went again this past year and I plan now to try and get there each year. It’s just great to learn and see the industry at that high of a level. I really liked the speed networking. The Esports session was pretty cool and it was great to hear Jen Welter and what she’s done for girls and women’s sports. Everybody has got a struggle and is climbing up that hill and it made you feel you weren’t alone. Everybody is working their tail off to make a living and to be relevant in this industry.
Q: Corporate social responsibility and community involvement are becoming more and more important for businesses. How vital is your For Kids Sake Foundation and other causes for you and AMgC?
— Glen Jusczyk the community.”
