Source: BSN Sports
(Dallas, TX.) BSN SPORTS, the nation's largest sporting goods distributor to schools and leagues, today announced the acquisition of Montgomery, IL-based Hayden's Sport Center, the leading independent sporting-goods team distributor in the State of Illinois. Founded in 1946, Hayden's is one of the oldest, most respected and most successful team sports distributorships in the Midwestern United States. The acquisition - BSN SPORTS' fifth in 2012 - highlights the company's expanding geographic footprint throughout the country.
Source: BSN Sports
(Dallas, TX.) BSN SPORTS, the nation's largest sporting goods distributor to schools and leagues, today announced the acquisition of Montgomery, IL-based Hayden's Sport Center, the leading independent sporting-goods team distributor in the State of Illinois. Founded in 1946, Hayden's is one of the oldest, most respected and most successful team sports distributorships in the Midwestern United States. The acquisition - BSN SPORTS' fifth in 2012 - highlights the company's expanding geographic footprint throughout the country.
In addition to its headquarters in Montgomery, Hayden's operates additional offices throughout Illinois, including Danville, Rantoul and Springfield. The company services the entire State of Illinois as well as portions of Iowa and Indiana.
Commenting on the transaction, Adam Blumenfeld, Chairman and CEO of BSN SPORTS stated, "We are thrilled to welcome the wonderful employees of Hayden's Sport Center to the BSN SPORTS family. Ron Kruse, Owner and longtime operator of Hayden's, has also served as the former Chairman of the National Sporting Goods Association and was a Founding Member of the TAG buying group. He is both a special person and industry legend who has built an exceptionally loyal and talented team of sales professionals. Going forward, Ron will remain a valued partner of BSN SPORTS, while his son, Dave, will serve on the BSN SPORTS Management team in Illinois alongside current managers Jeff Mulder, Tony Pusateri and Vice-President Dan Salkeld - all of whom have been instrumental in this successful acquisition."
"From a sales perspective, Hayden's experienced sales professionals will combine forces with our own industry-leading sales force in the region - a 'flood the zone' approach that will directly serve the interests of the team sports needs of high schools, colleges, youth leagues and all other sporting organizations throughout Illinois and surrounding territories," Mr. Blumenfeld concluded.
Ron Kruse added, "This is a milestone day for Hayden's, our employees and our customers - one that I believe will positively impact the communities that Hayden's has served for years. BSN SPORTS shares our commitment to exceptional people and unparalleled execution, and now our customers will benefit from the one-stop shop that BSN SPORTS has impressively built over the years. This includes industry-leading technology, multi-branded product solutions, and game changing service from more than 450 sales and support specialists. This is truly a best of both worlds outcome, and one in which the Kruse family is proud to have an ongoing and direct role."
The Hayden's acquisition represents the latest affirmation that BSN SPORTS' employees have successfully created the most stable and scalable infrastructure in the industry. The Company is now focused on leveraging this strength to extend its footprint further into local communities across the United States. BSN SPORTS' superior platform is built around a unique combination of catalog, telesales, digital and feet on the street assets - all of which work seamlessly to provide the best possible support for nearly 150,000 active customers.
