Photo courtesy VA Runner
RSG ACQUIRES VA RUNNER Running Specialty Group (RSG) has acquired the two VA Runner stores with locations in Fredericksburg and Woodbridge, VA south of Washington D.C. from current owner Carol Van Horn. The addition of the two stores will bring the total number of RSG retail stores nationwide to 49. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Van Horn will assist through the transition period and current employees will continue their employment under the new ownership. The first VA Runner opened in Fredericksburg in July 1999 with 3,400 square feet and the Woodbridge store, also approximately 3,400 square feet, opened in April 2003. Both specialtyrunning stores are known for their community focus and match the profile of other stores acquired by RSG in the past 18 months. Besides their knowledgeable staff, the two VA Runner stores are known for developing relationships with their customers, sponsoring local races and fun runs, providing training opportunities, and offering outreach programs to elementary and secondary schools in the region to foster interest and involvement in sports and activity for youth. It plays a sponsorship role in all of the Fredericksburg Area Runner’s Club (FARC) race events, including the upcoming Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix Series that kicks off its 12-race series on February 9 with the Sweethearts 4ever 4mile run. “We feel that RSG is the best company to carry on our mission by keeping the stores and staff local,” explained Van Horn. “We believe that caring about our community and our customers is a vital part of a specialty running store and we feel that RSG also shares this outlook. Being part of a larger company like RSG will enable VA Runner to have an even bigger impact in our area,” she added. “When we find running stores that have the same goal of connecting, not just selling, to their customers, we are very interested in helping them expand their ability to reach more runners and walkers by utilizing our existing platform and resources,” explained Ken Gart of Gart Capital Partners. “That philosophy aligns with our vision of what a running specialty store should be and is what provides value to the customer.” The Denver-based RSG, a joint venture partnership between Finish Line and Gart Capital Partners, has nearly doubled in size during the past year - growing from a collection of 25 to 49 stores in the past 13 months. Key acquisitions have included Run On!, Boulder Running Co., BlueMile and Bob Roncker’s Running Spot. It will reach 50 locations with the opening of store in Cherry Creek, CO, in February.
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