Olympia Sports’ intellectual property and related assets are slated to go on the bankruptcy court auction block on Feb. 9. Final bids are due by Feb. 7. The retailer, founded in 1975 and possessing a 230-unit door count at its peak in 2012, counted more than 415,000 customers that made purchases over the last two years. The sale is being handled by Hilco Streambank.

Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, the specialty outdoor retail trade organization, named Devaki Murch as its new Director of Events. The newly created position reflects the organization’s growth as well as an evolution in how they approach the opportunities provided by the Grassroots Connect buying show, says Gabe Maier, president of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance. He stated, “This new role will enable Devaki to lean in a bit more on the strategic side of our gatherings, and at the same time will open a space for a new Connect-focused team member that we’ll be hiring in early 2023.”

The next Grassroots Connect will gather the specialty outdoor community in early June for the 21st consecutive year (Knoxville, Tenn.; June 12-15, 2023).  The most recent Grassroots Connect (Kansas City, Mo.; Nov. 7-10, 2022) attracted 149 exhibitors, a record tally that included 112 brands on the main show floor, as well as 37 additional brands that were invited to participate in the Grassroots Discovery Marketplace: a showcase held during the evening of the pre-show Education Day. 

Recovery footwear brand OOFOS is partnering with human performance company Exos in a two-year agreement that will run through 2024. OOFOS will be the exclusive recovery footwear provider to Exos coaches and participating athletes, and an integral part of their 2023 NFL combine training program hosted at Exos’ Athlete Performance Institutes.

Exos has 4,000 team members in 13 countries, including health experts, coaches, mental health specialists and physical therapists. Exos trains people for their specific performance needs — from pro-athletes to office workers and everything in between, offering a holistic approach with science-backed tools. OOFOS will provide products for the facilities staff and athletes and an opportunity for clients to purchase as part of their Exos-recommended recovery toolkit.

Puma has been recognized as a top global employer in 2023 in four regions and 22 countries as determined by the Top Employers Institute. The Cat earned the honor for the first time in North America and Latin America and for the second and fourth time, respectively in Asia-Pacific and Europe. Seventy-five nationalities work at the company’s Herzogenaurach, Germany headquarters and 44 percent of leadership positions are filled by women. The Top Employers Institute certifies companies based on their information in the Human Resources Best Practices survey, which includes six overarching dimensions and 20 areas. This includes talent strategy, personnel planning, onboarding, training and development, performance management, executive development, compensation and benefits and corporate culture, among others.