By TIFFANY MONTGOMERY

Nike executives discussed the performance of Hurley, Converse and Nike action sports for the quarter ended Feb. 28 this afternoon during a conference call with executives.

Overall, total Nike revenue grew 7% to $4.7 billion. In constant currency, revenue grew 2%.

Gross margins expanded to 46.9%, up from 43.9% during the same period last year. Net income grew 2% to $496.4 million, excluding the impact of charges last year.

Nike CEO Mark Parker said Converse “continues to expand in virtually every dimension of business – product, brand and financial,” he said.

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By TIFFANY MONTGOMERY

The announcement that Steve Murray is leaving VF Corp. for a leadership position at Urban Outfitters is big news in the retail world today.

I followed up with Steve and asked him about his decision to move to Urban Outfitters to become president of the Urban Outfitters brand.

Steve is a 12-year veteran of Vans and VF and helped turn around Vans, which has been a top performer and growth vehicle for VF during the recession.

Most recently, Steve was president of VF's Action Sports Coalition, overseeing Vans and Reef.

Here's what Steve said about his new job:

"First, I wasn't proactivel...  Read More...   

Updated 8:40 a.m. with comments from a VF Corp. executive

Updated 10:35 a.m. with salary information

By TIFFANY MONTGOMERY

Steve Murray, president of VF Corp's Action Sports Coalition, is leaving VF to become the president of the Urban Outfitters brand, reporting to Urban CEO Glen Senk.

Steve is a 12-year veteran of Vans and was instrumental in that company's turnaround.

He starts his new job April 12. Steve's base salary at Urban Outfitters will be $600,000, and he will receive a signing bonus of $425,000. He will also get relocation expenses of up to $75...  Read More...     Email to Friend

Press Release:

COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Volcom, Inc. (NASDAQ: VLCM - News) announced it has promoted Ryan N. Immegart to Vice President of Marketing, effective May 15, 2010. At such time, current Executive Vice President of Marketing, Troy C. Eckert, will assume the newly created position of Volcom’s Hawaii Strategic Director and will head the company’s branding and marketing initiatives throughout the region.

“As part of Volcom’s strategic growth efforts, we see a great opportunity to leverage both Troy and Ryan’s strengths in new ways to capitalize on the momentum we are building for the Volco...  Read More...     Email to Friend

43 Vermont employees will lose jobs

Press Release:

Burton Transitions Local Manufacturing Center into New R&D Facility

BURLINGTON, Vt. (March 16, 2010) — Burton today announced that it will shift premium snowboard production from its small, Vermont-based Burton Manufacturing Center (BMC) to Austria, where the company has been building snowboards for over 25 years. Product design and development will still be home-grown in Vermont, where the company will relocate its snowboard prototyping resources from BMC into a new, purely R&D-driven prototype facility at its global headquarters in Burli...  Read More...     Email to Friend

By SHELBY STANGER

Firewire CEO Mark Price gives us a gem of a Core Careers story today.

Mark shares why focusing on big picture strategy is of primary importance, some great tips for juggling work demands and what he learned from his father and Michael Tomson.

What were you like as a child and teenager? Did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up?

From the time I was 10, I wanted to be an electrical engineer. My uncle and cousins all worked in that field and I was always pulling motors apart, etc.

On registration day at Natal University (in South Africa), I drew up my weekly timetable and my jaw dropped...  Read More...   

By TIFFANY MONTGOMERY

I followed up with Blitz Distribution President Per Welinder about Blitz’s announcement on Friday that skateboard brand Black Label was moving under the Blitz umbrella.

I asked Per what the deal means for Black Label and Blitz, and how business is going in general.

Why did you want to bring Black Label to Blitz?

Black Label is one of the most credible brands of all time and has a strong following worldwide. To be able to be a part of and help contribute...  Read More...     Email to Friend