MC Sports opening in Harbor Town

Hunters, fishers, league players expected to make new store a success

By: Charlie Mathews, Herald Times Reporter

MANITOWOC — MC Sports is coming to Harbor Town later this month, and a company executive expects its "Woods and Water" department to be a smashing success.

"By being in the vicinity of Lake Michigan, we expect our new Manitowoc location to be a strong fishing store," said Ed Rix, vice president of advertising for the sporting goods retailer headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich.

"When we did our research, we discovered that quite a bit of fishing and hunting licenses are sold in Manitowoc County," Rix said.

"There also are a strong number of recreation leagues and high school programs, which are good indicators for real opportunity for us," he said. "We believe Manitowoc is an underserved market."

Rix said the 22,500-square-foot store, next to Kohl's on the city's west side, would have a "soft opening" on Feb. 24, followed by grand opening sales and celebration the weekend of March 6-8.

Rix said the store will open with six to 10 full-time employees, and an additional 15 to 20 part-time workers.

The Manitowoc store will be MC Sports' ninth in Wisconsin, joining those in West Bend, Madison, Onalaska, Kenosha, Delavan, Plover, Fond du Lac and one that opened in Kohler in October.

MC Sports also has 25 stores in its home state, 14 each in Ohio and Illinois, 12 in Indiana, seven in Missouri, three in Iowa and one in Kansas, according to its Web site.

Rix said MC Sports' products "will skew higher end than Wal-Mart, and are for serious recreational participants."

Fishing gear will include equipment from Fenwick, Shimano and Diawa, while Traverse Bay Tackle is a line of fishing rods exclusive to MC Sports.

Golfers will see the familiar brands of Calloway, TaylorMade and Nike. Apparel item brands will include Nike, Adidas and Under Armour.

MC Sports had its start in 1946 as Michigan Clothiers, with men's clothing sharing shelf space with military items and recreational products.

In the 1960s, the company shifted its focus to sports equipment and footwear, with the 1970s seeing the beginning of establishing stores outside Michigan.

While the store is empty now, that will change in a hurry, Rix said.

"Starting (Feb. 19), crew and trucks will arrive, and in a four- to five-day window, we'll take an empty shell and turn it into a store," Rix said. "We have this down to a science."

Key seasons and dates, he said, include March and April as youth and adults buy equipment for upcoming baseball, soccer and softball seasons, as well as Father's Day in June, and the Thanksgiving through Christmas holiday shopping timeframe.

The store will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Online: www.mcsports.com

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