Outdoor Insight

N E W S / A N A L Y S I S OUTDOOR EYE Outdoor accessory brand Turtle Fur, founded in 1982, is on the selling block . The company says it has engaged Vermont-based Venture 7 Advisors to help find a "philosophically aligned buyer" to take Turtle Fur to the next level. Steamboat Springs, CO-based equipment brand Big Agnes announced that it has committed to using 100-percent renewable energy to power each of its three US facilities. For its company headquarters, the brand has partnered with the City of Steamboat Springs to purchase renewable energy from its local utility provider, Yampa Valley Electric Association, through its Green Choice Program. "We pride ourselves at Big Agnes for walking the walk when it comes to sustainability and conservation," said Bill Gamber, co-founder and president of Big Agnes. "This latest transition to fully renewable energy offset programs is another modest step in the right direction as we work toward reducing our global impacts." Schoeller Textil AG, the Swiss textile and technology company, announced a shift in leadership as Joachim Kath takes over as CEO. Following a 10-year career at the global textile solutions brand known for its innovative technical fabrics and smart textile finishing technologies for more than 150 years, CEO Siegfried Winkelbeiner is moving into retirement later this month. Joachim Kath, who comes from the chemical industry, has been working closely with Winkelbeiner as COO at Schoeller for the past year and a half. Rossignol Group announced the appointment of Jeff Courter as Rossignol Nordic Category Manager, North America. Courter will oversee Rossignol's Nordic business throughout North America, working with both regional and global sales, marketing, and commercial teams to drive category growth in both the U.S. and Canada. Hoka One One recently added two key new hires to its product team. Evie Moe has been hired as the brand's first Senior Director of Apparel and Matt Rask has been hired as the Senior Director of Footwear Design. With 20 years of experience in apparel, ranging from performance running to lifestyle and swimwear, Moe most recently served as the Vice President of Design at Cotopaxi, where she led the team designing sustainably minded apparel and packs. Rask's design and creative leadership experience includes serving as Senior Creative Director for the Running and Outdoor divisions at Under Armour, Lead Designer at Smith Optics, and Senior Designer at Nike. # T H E B U Z Z K nife manufacturer W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery, known for its premium knives, is expanding its offerings, bringing its 130- year brand legacy to everyday carry (EDC), an entirely new category for the brand. Case recently introduced two EDC options — the Marilla and Kinzua. "The Case brand has maintained deep roots in the outdoor enthusiast community for decades, but with our new Marilla and the Kinzua knives, we are now engaging with the new outdoor consumer looking for more versatile, one-handed opening knives with modern materials and styling," says Brent Tyler, AVP of Marketing at Case Knives. The knives are assembled by Case artisans in the same Bradford, Pennsylvania factory where the brand's traditional pocket knives are made. The Marilla and the Kinzua, named after local landmarks in the Bradford area, incorporate contemporary materials like high quality S35VN stainless steel blades and anodized handles. And they are engineered with a lightweight aluminum handle and one- handed flipper opening for quick and reliable deployment. The Marilla has a Drop Point blade with a rounded belly for longer cuts, while the Kinzua features a Tanto blade that maintains its thickness to the point, making it a perfect tool for making fine, precise cuts. Both available in black, red and blue handle colors, the Marilla retails for $165 and the Kinzua for $140. l Case Knives Launches EDC Line Wolverine Worldwide Sets Succession Plan B rendan Hoffman, president and a director of Wolverine Worldwide, will become CEO of the Rockford, MI company at the end of 2021. He will succeed Blake Krueger, WWW's CEO since 2007 and Chairman since 2009. Krueger, 67, is set to move into a newly created position as Executive Chairman. Before joining Wolverine last September, Hoffman, 52, was CEO of publicly traded Vince Holding Corp., a global contemporary fashion brand. His prior roles include CEO and President roles at The Bon-Ton Stores, Lord & Taylor and Neiman Marcus Direct. Over the past year, Krueger and Hoffman have worked together to leverage the global reach of Wolverine's extensive brand portfolio, navigate impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and position the company for post- pandemic growth. One near-term objective is to get WWW's annual ecommerce revenues to $500 million, doubling the 2019 level. l 6 • Outdoor Insight • August 2021 Blake Krueger and Brendan Hoffman. outdoorinsightmag.com

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