Knives & Axes ISSUE 1612 | March 21, 2016
The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Active Lifestyle Market
CEO Group Publisher James Hartford jhartford@sportsonesource.com 303.578.7004
Editorial Director David Clucas clucas@sportsonesource.com 303.578.7007
THE INTERSECTION OF YOUR ACTIVE LIFESTYLE AND CAREER THE RIGHT TALENT IS EASY TO FIND IF YOU LOOK IN THE RIGHT PLACE
Senior Business Editor Thomas J. Ryan tryan@sportsonesource.com 917.375.4699 Associate Editor | Sports & Fitness Editor Jahla Seppanen jahla@sportsonesource.com 303.578.7008 Contributing Editor Charlie Lunan clunan@SportsOneSource.com 704.996.4463
Creative Director Teresa Hartford teresa@sportsonesource.com
Art Director Chris Loving-Campos chrislc@sportsonesource.com Media Sales Buz Keenan buz@sportsonesource.com 201.887.5112 Circulation & Subscriptions admin@sportsonesource.com 303.997.7302 SGB Media Print Magazine: SGB Digital Magazine: SGB Weekly Executive Newsletters: Sports Executive Weekly, The B.O.S.S. Report Email Updates: SGB Today Daily Emails: SGB Update, SGB Apparel, SGB Footwear, SGB Outdoor, SGB Hook & Bullet, SGB Sports & Fitness SSI Data SSIData.com Career Services SGBJobs.com
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Knives & Axes ISSUE 1612 | March 21, 2016
The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Active Lifestyle Market
The Ether Photo courtesy Brandblack
MARKET REPORT
16 Industry Calendar
5 By The Numbers
ONE-ON-ONE
6 Fast FIVE
10 Brendan Bannigan, Owner, Grizzly Hackle
7 Movers & Shakers
FEATURE | ACTIVE LIFESTYLE KNIVES & AXES
8 Hoka Co-Founder Announces a Change in Stride
12 Knives Reinvigorated The Collective Movement Toward Our Primal Roots Cover photo courtesy DPx Gear
MARCH 21, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com
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MARKET REPORT
BY THE NUMBERS
6.2 Percent Increase In skier visits to Colorado Ski Country USA’s 21 member resorts season-to-date through February 29, 2016.
8.9 Percent Increase In bookings made at western mountain resorts in February 2016, for reservations covering the remainder of the winter season and the first months of summer, according Denver-based DestiMetrics.
20 Cargo Planes
Actionable Weekly Sales Trend Reporting for the Active Lifestyle Market To schedule a personal demo or to learn more about the SSI Data Point-of-Sale trend-reporting platform, contact SportsOneSource Client Solutionsat 303.997.7302 or email Solutions@SportsOneSource.com or visit SSIData.com
Leased by Amazon.com to launch its own air cargo fleet to ensure two-day delivery of its growing Prime shipments.
25th Location For the fast-growing TopGolf driving range and entertainment business in Midvale, UT near Salt Lake City, in mid-May 2016.
12,000 Kids Will spend five minutes (between 11:00 a.m. and 11:05 a.m.) on April 8 during their school day to practice fun yoga poses to celebrate the annual Kids Yoga Day, created by author and yogi, Teresa Anne Power.
1,500 Homes Will receive rooftop solar on their homes in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York thanks to Patagonia partnering with with Kina'ole Capital Partners LLC to create a $35 million tax equity fund for the project.
$2.4 Billion In sales posted by REI in 2015 - a record amount boosted by a 7 percent increase in same-store sales.
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MARKET REPORT FAST FIVE
With a ton of new spring/summer footwear soon to launch, SGB picked five of the coolest new kicks we think are hitting the right trends.
Allbirds Wool Runner
Brandblack Ether
Superfeet Outside Flip Flop
ALLBIRDS WOOL RUNNER We all love the benefits of wool socks — temperature regulation, odor control, etc. So why not bring these performance boosters to shoes? That’s the story behind start-up brand Allbirds with the debut of its Wool Runners, $95, for men and women. After careers in professional sports and biotech, Co-founders Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger teamed up with Italian textile mills to create the dualfaced, knitted material shoes with a soft, itch-free interior and a durable exterior. Designed with no unnecessary seams or embellishments, the shoe’s upper is cut as a single piece for a more sock-like fit. SUPERFEET OUTSIDE FLIP FLOP Flip flops have never been known for great support. While they’re
Saucony Green Line Kinvara 7
Vans Old Skool
great for bumming around the beach or at home, you’re not going to walk across town in a pair. Challenge accepted by sturdy solemaker Superfeet. It paired its iconic highsupport foot bed with synthetic leather and neoprene straps to launch its first sandal product, the Outside Flip Flop, $60, for men and women this April.
Runners also use the subway line for speedwork training, racing the “T” side-by-side down Commonwealth Avenue. Online presale begins March 16 at Marathon Sports. Saucony’s VP of PR attested, “As a Bostonian and ‘T’ rider and a runner, the Green Line shoe couldn’t be a better mash-up of everything great about living in this city!”
SAUCONY GREEN LINE KINVARA 7 Saucony designed its 2016 Green Line Kinvara 7, $160, as a salute to the Boston Marathon. Putting on these hulk-colored shoes is comparable to Braveheart face paint and a throwback to Boston’s Green Line — the oldest subway system in the country; which runs alongside much of the marathon course, and transports thousands of cheering friends and family to the sidelines.
BRANDBLACK ETHER “It is a time when the intersection of sports and fashion are not only accepted, but expected,” said Brandblack about its new Ether, $120. The high-performance basketball shoe pays homage to the “Blucher construction” that dominated the sport’s sneaker designs from 1900 through the 1970s. The heritage model is built to lock down the forefoot and give extra lateral structure during cutting maneuvers.
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Brandblack fused this old-world know-how with its modern cushioning technology, a durable nylon upper and nubuck support panels. VANS OLD SKOOL COLLECTION Sticking with the heritage theme … if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Vans celebrates its 50th anniversary in March, bringing back its oldschool canvas shoes and classic silhouette. Accurately dubbed, the Old Skool, $50 to $75, these shoes are anchored in traditional canvas, with the multi-panel construction from the days of yore. What’s new is the prints for spring 2016, which came about from a collaboration with skater Elijah Berle, Cherry Glazer and front woman Clementine Creevy. Overall the collection is a little bit grunge, a little bit rock and roll, and a whole lot classic.
MOVERS & SHAKERS Arccos Golf, maker of GPS + Live Shot Tracking + Tour Analytics platform appointed Tom Williams to VP of Marketing. Banana Republic signed Kevin Love, the star power forward of the Cleveland Cavaliers, as its inaugural style ambassador. This is the first time Banana Republic has teamed with a pro basketball player. Dynamic Sponsorships added former Bass Bro Shops Marketing Manager of Partnerships and Business Development, Andy George, as Director of New Business Development. Feetures! performance running socks entered a partnership with Anna Frost, 2015 Hardrock 100 champion female runner. Global Surf Industries, maker of surfboards and stand-up paddleboards, hired Jesse Faen, formerly of Quiksilver, as its Marketing Communications Manager. GU Energy added ultra runner Rob Krar, cyclist Sonya Looney and Every Man Jack to its athlete ambassador roster. H&M signed Caitlyn Jenner to be the face of its new athleisure apparel brand, H&M Sports. Ibex Outdoor Clothing welcomed Bill Schmid and Parallel 33 Sales Group, Inc. to its sales rep team. Parallel 33 Sales Group’s territory will cover the states of California, Nevada and Arizona. Jordan Brand signed defensive back Jalen Ramsey and wide receiver Corey Coleman as brand ambassadors. Leatt Corporation bolstered its helmet design and production team by hiring designer and product manager, Dominic Hamel. Patagonia said Marie-France Roy, professional snowboarder and climate activist, joined its ambassador program. PolyCase Ammunition hired Jake Phair as its new Centerfire Product Manager. Phair comes to PolyCase after working with Sportsman's Warehouse. Puma unveiled its latest women’s training campaign headlined by Kylie Jenner, the reality television personality, model and beauty entrepreneur. Jenner will support the launch of the Puma Fierce. Superfeet appointed Keen veteran Linda Balfour as its new Global Director of Marketing. The United States Tennis Association named former WTA Chairman and CEO Stacey Allaster as the new Chief Executive for professional tennis for the USTA. Yakima Products Inc. named Jason McGibbon as its VP of Sales, while Chris Sautter was appointed as the brand’s first Product Development Center Director.
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Hoka Co Founder Jean-Luc Diard. Photo courtesy Matt Trappe
HOKA CO-FOUNDER ANNOUNCES A CHANGE IN STRIDE The maximalist brand takes a step toward minimalism. By Jahla Seppanen
SGB was in attendance at the Hoka Clayton release party (if you consider running a 5K and testing new shoes a party…which we do), hosted at the legendary Boulder Running Company. Athlete legends and run-devoted writers mingled over the very surprising new feel of the Clayton shoes, and were the first to take them for a test drive. Where Hoka users may expect to find a curved sole with extra cushioning in the middle of the foot instead was a neutral bottom. Hoka Cofounder, Jean-Luc Diard, verified our suspicions, sharing a new and unexpected direction for the brand…a step toward minimalism. SGB got a few minutes to chat with Diard about the motivation behind the down-shift. “I wanted to focus on protection and rebound, because it used to be one or the other, and not for us, but for all shoe brands,” said Diard. “We strive for light with tons of protection, and used materials in a completely different way. It’s popular to use materials by layering, but we took a three-dimensional approach that becomes adaptive to different profiles of users. These are technologies you already see, but not in running footwear. It’s like how the car engine has evolved. There are still a lot of things to make shoes smarter.” 8 SGBWeekly.com | MARCH 21, 2016
Diard’s vision came through in the Clayton, where the oversized active foot frame lends stability and support, while the Meta-Rocker prompts a smoother ride. Take note: the Clayton isn’t technically minimalist footwear, but compared to older Hoka models, they’re not as lofty. The Clayton’s RMAT outsole layer eliminated the excess weight of traditional shoe rubber and adds a responsive edge. And in Hoka fashion, designers made the new shoe even lighter, with the men’s weighing in at 7.3 oz and women’s at 6.3 oz. It’s a risky step to go smaller, when the brand’s cult following caught the Hoka bug through its love for max cushioning. But when you look at the history of the company, it’s no newbie to risk. The French company came to U.S. markets during the height of the minimalist running trend (think Five Fingers and barefoot running via endurance idols like the Tarahumara). Hoka’s maximalist style was a little, or in truth a lot different. But somehow it caught. And although the cushioned yet stable Hoka shoe was first introduced for trail and ultra runners, the company has expanded into the road, track and tri spaces. Hoka is now owned by Deckers Brands, which acquired it in 2013.
S H A R P E N YO U R P E R S P E C T I V E START SEEING CLEARLY
Boulder Running Company hosted a release party and 5K to test the new Hoka Claytons
The breath of Hoka’s usability was clear at the Clayton release party, where sponsored athletes from track to trail rallied to support the newer, lighter model. The all-star athlete lineup (who set the pace for a very fast “fun run”) included: • Sage Canaday, the 2014 TNF Endurance Challenge 50-mile champ, two-time U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier in Marathon, American record holder at the Mt. Washington Mountain climb, and three-time Speedgoat 50km Champ. • Darcy Piceu-Africa, three-time Hardrock 100 Champion, 2012 Rocky Mountain Slam Champion, Bighord 100 and Bear 100 course record holder, and third-place female UTMB finisher. • Danielle Mack, 2015 Ironman Canadian Champ, 2015 Ironman New Orleans Silver finisher, and 2014 Ironman Boulder Champion. • Lauren Goss, 2015 Ironman 70.3 New Orleans and St. Croix top finisher, 2015 Challenge San Gil Champion, 2015 NYC triathlon secondplace finish, and 2014 Mont Tremblant 5150 Champion. •nDrew Scott, 2015 Ironman 70.3 St Croix third-place finisher, 2014 Silverman 70.3 Champion, and 2014 New Orleans 5150 Champion. • Drew Scott’s father, Dave Scott, six-time Ironman Triathlon Hawaii Champion and first inductee into the Ironman Hall of Fame. The event was capped off by Upslope brews, and a general refusal to take the Claytons off.
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Hoka Claytons
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ONE-ON-ONE
Brendan Bannigan Grizzly Hackle owner leads a new generation of specialty fly shops. By Greg Thomas
B
rendan Bannigan wouldn’t say that owning a retail fly shop was a lifelong goal, but at the relatively tender age of 29, after 11 years in the fly-fishing industry, that’s exactly where he found himself on January 1 having taken the helm at Grizzly Hackle in Missoula, MT. While the health of independent fly shops is a matter of grave concern among manufacturers and reps, Bannigan sees a bright future with a singular goal — to be the best fly shop in the flyfishing saturated state of Montana. How’s he going to do that in the landscape of big-box stores and direct online sales? We sat down with Bannigan to find out. How did you end up being a fly-shop owner in Missoula, MT? I started fishing as a kid in Georgia, mostly for bass. When we moved to Houston, I got into fly fishing for redfish and that’s when I discovered the opportunities for fly
Brendan Bannigan
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fishing in the western cities where I wanted to go to college. Missoula was a frontrunner and that’s where I ended up. I probably could have bought a shop just about anywhere and made it work, but I’m attached to this shop. I like our space. I like our name. I think I will be here for the rest of my life. I love the culture, the community, the people. It’s a fun place to be. So when the previous owner offered it to me I went for it. With all the competition from big-box and direct-to-consumer sales, why were you willing to buy Grizzly Hackle when so many other people might have considered it too risky? I’m a firm believer that there’s a marketplace for specialty retailers. I’ve even seen some research that says where big-box stores go in, small retailers see growth in their businesses. I think it’s because Joe Blow walks into someplace like Cabela’s and the guys don’t really know what they’re talking about. They come to a specialty shop like
Grizzly Hackle and they get all the information they need, on product, locations, river levels, access… But to do what we do best, and to offer that kind of support, we need to constantly critique what we do and modify it to become even more successful. You’re 29 and hold degrees in environmental studies and history. And you’ve told me that these degrees have not helped you tremendously in this work. Where did you gain your business sense? A lot of this stuff is new, but a lot of it I’m already comfortable with having been in the industry so long. And I learned a lot from my father. He was an attorney and also in the pipeline industry. He was pretty hard-nosed as far as dealing with things right away and not letting them get away from you. I believe that you need to treat your employees and your customers really well, but if something comes up you have to deal with it right away.
So does that make you a hard-ass? I don’t think I’m a hard-ass, but I will confront people immediately if there’s an issue. If you don’t do that, it’s a slippery slope. People may resent things and it turns to shit if it’s not taken care of.
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What plans do you have to expand the brand? Can you survive alone on retail sales and guided fly-fishing trips? Or do you need to do more? We’re focussed on retail sales through the shop and online, and on our guided trips. But we’re also looking at local lodging options where we could handle the entire process for a client — we pick them up at the airport; we bring them to the shop for flies and gear; we set them up with lodging in downtown Missoula where they can walk to the bars and restaurants; and then we take them out on the water for few days. We’re also trying to paint a broader stroke than just Missoula fishing. When you come into our shop you see that we have spey rods and a great selection of steelhead gear. And we have most of what you might need for a saltwater trip. So whether you are going to the Seychelles for saltwater fish or to Idaho or British Columbia for steelhead we can get you set up. The former owner had a travel business attached to Grizzly Hackle. Are you going to do full-service travel bookings, too? We might do a handful of book-and-sends for commission, but the bulk of what we may do is hosted travel where one or more of our guys can appeal to their clients and take a group to some cool place that they may not have been able to experience otherwise. It’s a good way to get them out of the shop and to have fun for a week. But overall, right now, I’m in a walk-before-I-run mentality. I want to ease into all of this and make sure it’s going smoothly. What is your greatest fear about being a shop owner? It’s all very exciting, but it’s also terrifying to be in an industry like ours where it can be hit or miss seasonally for a variety of reasons outside our control, including weather and water conditions. We have to start off strong this first year under new management and make it the best year this shop has ever had. And then we can build off that. So, is it fun? I pinch myself every day to say that I own a fly shop. To wake up and come to work here every day is great. I just want to know that the business is growing and that we are the best shop in Missoula and one of the best, or the best, in Montana. That is the goal.
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MARCH 21, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com
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ACTIVE LIFESTYLE | KNIVES & AXES
Knives, Reinvigorated The collective movement towards our more primal roots is bringing more customers into the fold of the active lifestyle knives category. By Odie Tucker
All Good and Caroline Woodham Photo courtesy Helle
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W
hether attached to the pack of a bike commuter, to the belt of an outdoorsman, or in the hands of someone splitting wood for their family’s wood fired stove, quality knife and axe sales are an opportunity for specialty retailers. The data for the knife market has been tied to the activities they are meant for. Where we have seen change, according to SSI Data* is within the non-activity specific knives that would fit into the so-called everydaycarry, or EDC, category. In these EDC knives in 2015 SSI Data reported double-digit decreases in the units sold for these folding knives, however there were only marginal losses in dollars. What that tells us is that people are buying fewer, but more expensive knives. Coincidentally, we see an inverse trend in the Internet channels, where there has been a sharper decrease in dollars and marginal losses/gains in units over the trailing 52 weeks, as of February 27, 2016. Bushcraft Business Is Good Quality bushcraft fixed-blade knives (a knive that does not fold or slide) have seen a strong resurgence in 2015, a trend that has ridden the wave of overland hunting and backcountry sustainment, but has now become relevant to the general outdoor enthusiast.
DPx Hest II fixed-blade knife with hex driver Photo courtesy DPx Gear
Bushcraft knives are the knives carried by those who are ready to survive. These knives have been recognized as being trendsetters for the individuals that are “useage and user based” according to Claire Pelton, director of sales and marketing at DPx knives. The trend is representative of a larger broadening perspective in the outdoor world, as Benchmade Sales and Marketing Director David Fee put it “the use of quality knives in the occupational capacity is transferring into the outdoor world." There is also a degree of comfort and connectedness when using knives in this fashion. The knife in its original purpose was to secure ourselves in the environment that surrounded us, and that purpose is still true today. The quality and functionality of a Bushcraft knife is essential to the value it poses to their users. Manufacturers have had to be responsive, providing modern functionalities to an ancient category of knife. DPx is incorporating devices such as a hex driver; Benchmade using kydex for a sheath; or Mora using rubberized handles has shown the responsiveness and willingness of modern manufacturers to use modern materials, techniques, and features in their blades. The market has shown that it understands the value of a quality fixedblade knife, with the average selling price of fixed blades rising by as much as 40 percent in the last 52 weeks, as of February 27, 2016.
Benchmade Bushcrafter fixed-blade knife (with kydex sheath not shown) Photo courtesy Benchmade
MARCH 21, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com
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DPx HIT Cutter with locking patent-pending edge protector Photo courtesy DPx Gear
Specialization of Everyday Carry Knives Everyday Carry (EDC) Knives have been a category that has seen considerable shifts in the past few years and will continue to be a trend-driven category. The trends in the EDC market have been user-focused, resulting in the creation of knives that are more user-friendly by design and relevant to the needs of a user. One of the ways that these goals can be accomplished is simply by shrinking the size of the knife without compromising on the quality. This accomplishes the goal of creating a package that someone is more likely to carry, while simultaneously lowering the cost of the knife to the potential first-time buyer. Putting higher quality knives at a lower price point, instills a great deal of faith amongst returning customers “When they do (buy their second knife), they will pay for premium materials in a high-end folder or fixed blade to get them through another 15 to 20 years,” said Joyce Laituri, head of public media relations for Spyderco. This opens up for the ability for knife companies to make very 14 SGBWeekly.com | MARCH 21, 2016
specialized knives with unique feature sets for the customers who understand the value of owning and using a high-quality knife. These unique feature sets can create very atypical knife designs; a knife that is designed for a bike commuter will ultimately look different from those who use their knife to open boxes all day. Pelton from DPx calls this “designing knives from a non-knife perspective”, which is a poignant way of creating knives that will attract customers that typically would not be a knife customer. A knife will only be used if it is relevant to the user, and that relevancy has to be displayed to the customer in order to facilitate a purchase. Displaying this relevancy and quality to a customer who can be looking at two very similar knives with two very different price points continues to be a challenge to manufacturers. Creating educational point-of-purchase materials as well as having a well-trained staff is essential to selling higher price-point knives. Not every customer is going to be a “steel junkie” so it is essential for manufacturers to deliver purpose driven knives and for retailers to ensure that the right knife gets into their customer’s hands.
A Trip to Scandinavia The edged tool in Scandinavia has been a cornerstone of cultural and practical importance for centuries. While the variance between countries and regions can be subtle, the common thread between all Scandinavian knife and axe manufacturers that we have seen in the U.S. has been one of extremely high quality and reliability. There has been a generational gap in quality in the U.S. for tools such as axes. The centuries-old foreign forges have been able to bring back these quality hand tools, as accessible domestic sources for these tools have dried up. Maintaining quality is essential for the brands to maintain their European customer base, and it has created a delicate balance between production quantities and and production quality. The problem of availability has become apparent as the demand for these axes and knives continue to rise. What has been developed within these companies is a strict adherence to the traditions of knife and axe making, as well as an undying commitment to the knowledge base of understanding how a knife or an axe should be made. James Graven at Treehouse
Photo courtesy Helle
Communications, who represents Scandinavian knife maker Helle said the brand will spend years training their employees on making cutlery such as forks and knives before they are given the opportunity to work on crafting their hand-made knives. Another prominent Scandinavian highend manufacturer, Hultzbruk, has extremely high levels of quality control when accepting raw materials for the production of their axes. These practices, makes for long-lasting and heirloom quality knives and axes that can still be used frequently, and without a major hit to a customer’s wallet. This tradition is one that has been lost in U.S. manufacturing, and its absence has created higher demand stateside. The burden lies with the Scandanavian brands and their retailers to bring about the understanding that although competitively priced, the quality is much higher. *SSI Data, powered by SportsOneSource, provides weekly point-of-sale data and analysis to retailers and manufacturers in the active lifestyle market. To schedule a personal demo or learn more, call 303.997.7302 or Solutions@SportsOneSource.com.
Hults Bruk Almike axe Photo courtesy Mike Alcott
MARCH 21, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com
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INDUSTRY CALENDAR
TRADE ASSOCIATIONS BUYING GROUPS Athletic Dealers of America 1395 Highland Avenue Melbourne, FL 32935 t 321.254.0091 athleticdealersofamerica.com National Shooting Sports Foundation Flintlock Ridge Office Center 11 Mile Hill Road Newtown, CT 06470 t 203.426.1320 nssf.org National Sporting Goods Association 1601 Feehanville Drive I Suite 300 Mount Prospect, IL 60056 t 847.296.6742 nsga.org Nation’s Best Sports 4216 Hahn Blvd. Ft. Worth, TX 76117 t 817.788.0034 nbs.com
Photo courtesy DPx Gear
MARCH 15-16 SFIA National Health Through Fitness Day Washington, D.C. 17-19 Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS) Atlantic City, NJ 21-24 IHRSA Orlando, FL
APRIL 1-2 SFIA Litigation & Risk Management Summit New Orleans, LA 12 SFIA/NFHS/NCAA Rules Conference Indianapolis, IN 19-21 Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS) Nashville, TN
23-25 Sports Inc. Athletic Show Minneapolis, MN 24-26 SGB 40 Under 40 Awards Boulder, CO
JULY 13-17 IDEA World Fitness Convention Los Angeles, CA
AUGUST 3-6
Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Salt Lake City, UT
11-13
Sports Inc. Outdoor Show Minneapolis, MN
MAY
25-28 NBS Fall Market Fort Worth, TX
22-25 NSGA Management Conference and Team Hilton Head Island, SC
OCTOBER 28-30 ADA Fall Buying Show Phoenix, AZ
JUNE 9-10
The Running and Fitness Event For Women Chicago, IL
13-17
Grassroots Spring Summit & Connect Albuquerque, NM
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NOVEMBER 7-11
Grassroots Fall Summit & Connect Knoxville, TN
17-19
Athletic Business Conference & Expo Orlando, FL
Outdoor Industry Association 4909 Pearl East Circle I Suite 300 Boulder, CO 80301 t 303.444.3353 outdoorindustry.org Sports & Fitness Industry Association 8505 Fenton Street I Suite 211 Silver Spring, MD 20910 t 301.495.6321 sfia.org Snow Sports Industries America 8377-B Greensboro Drive McLean, VA 22102 t 703.556.9020 snowsports.org Snowsports Merchandising Corp. 235 Cadwell Drive Springfield, MA 01104 t 413.739.7331 Snowsportsmerchandising.com Sports, Inc. 333 2nd Avenue North Lewistown, MT 59457 t 406.538.3496 sportsinc.com Sports Specialists Ltd. 590 Fishers Station Drive I Suite 110 Victor, NY 14564 t 585.742.1010 sportsspecialistsltd.com Tennis Industry Association 1 Corpus Christi Place I Suite 117 Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 t 843.686.3036 tennisindustry.org Worldwide 8211 South 194th Kent, WA 98032 t 253.872.8746 wdi-wdi.com
40 UNDER 40 Honoring the Industry's Best Young Talent The nomination period for the 2016 40 Under 40 Award is now closed. SportsOneSource and SGB Magazine will recognize the industry's talent who have performed exemplary service to the active lifestyle industry. The 40 Under 40 Award is among the highest award an industry executive can receive and this year is no exception. All submissions are being reviewed and honorees will be announced in the coming weeks. Thank you for submitting your nomination for this extraordinary honor! For more information call 303.578.7004 Under40@sportsonesource.com