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Gander Mountain hires two Anheuser-Busch execs
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St. Paul-based Gander Mountain on Monday hired two executives from Anheuser-Busch Companies, four months after the outdoor retailer's CEO resigned amid the toughest sales environments in decades.
Michael Owens, 54, has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer, and is a likely heir apparent to the top spot. Steven Uline will serve as senior vice president of marketing.
Gander Mountain, which declined to make the executives available, sells hunting, fishing, boating and camping equipment through 116 stores and a recently begun catalog and Internet site.
Chairman David Pratt, 64, has been interim CEO since September, when Mark Baker resigned after six years at the helm. Pratt has made it clear that he does not intend to hold the top post indefinitely.
Owens spent 27 years at St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch, maker of Budweiser and Michelob. The brewing company was bought by Belgium-based InBev late last year. Owens most recently served as vice president of business operations and oversaw a $6 billion procurement program. Uline worked at the brewery for 24 years in various marketing jobs.
In a statement, Pratt described Owens and Uline as "proven leaders with a track record of driving business growth and brand awareness." He added that the two will be "instrumental in our continued progress."
Owens, who played professional football with the New York Jets, and Uline were introduced to most of the 200 employees at headquarters late Monday afternoon, said spokesman David Ewoldt. Ewoldt said Owens took questions, and that the mood was generally upbeat.
Gander has seen its sales slide precipitously as consumers have cut back on discretionary purchases.
In December, the company reported that sales among existing stores declined 6.5 percent in the third quarter.
The stock fell nearly 9 percent Monday, closing at $2.02.
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