Eastern Mountain Sports
 |
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Founder | Alan McDonough & Roger Furst |
| Headquarters | Meriden, Connecticut |
|
Number of locations
|
53+ |
|
Area served
|
United States |
|
Key people
|
CEO - Mark Walsh |
| Products | Outdoor gear and clothing |
| Owner | Versa Capital Management |
|
Number of employees
|
500+ |
| Website | www |
Eastern Mountain Sports (or EMS) is an outdoor clothing and equipment retailer in the U.S. Northeast headquartered in Meriden, Connecticut.
EMS sells outdoor equipment and clothing from both name brands and its own EMS line. The company also has a set of EMS Schools that offer classes in rock and ice climbing, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, trekking, and skiing. The EMS Schools headquarters is located in the White Mountains in North Conway, NH; and has other locations near Boston, the Shawangunk Ridge and the Adirondacks in NY, etc.
EMS is owned by Vestis Retail Group LLC, and its current CEO is Mark Walsh.
EMS was founded in 1967 in Wellesley, Massachusetts by two climbers – Alan McDonough, who was running the family hotel chain, and Roger Furst, a lawyer whose office was in the McDonough complex. They targeted the outdoor equipment market in Boston. The first store on Linden St. in Wellesley carried the Gerry outdoor equipment line as well as downhill skis.
In 1968, the two enterprises merged and built the 1041 Commonwealth Avenue store – at 10,000 sq. ft. the largest outdoor equipment/mountaineering store in New England. (citation needed)
McDonough and Furst sold the company in 1979 to The Franklin Mint, which was acquired by Warner Communications in 1981. Four years later Warner sold the Mint but retained EMS, subsequently selling it to the American Retail Group, owned by the Brenninkmeijer family.
In July 2003 Will Manzer became President and CEO and shifted the company focus back towards specialty outdoors gear. A new logo, store reorganization, and a shift from stores in shopping malls to freestanding community-based stores followed.
American Retail Group sold Eastern Mountain Sports to investors led by J.H. Whitney & Company in 2004.
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Wikipedia