Important transitions are part of a longer-term succession planning process
Family owned and operated since 2001, leading performance sock brand Feetures is celebrating 20 years of making socks to help people perform at their best. As the brand enters its 20th year of producing products to support a healthy, active lifestyle, Feetures is implementing some organizational changes that are part of a longer-term succession planning process.
Since the beginning, Feetures has been focused on one singular goal; designing the best performance socks in the world so that everyone can achieve their personal best. This goal continues to be the company’s priority to this day as the brand has entered new categories outside of running, such as Everyday, Golf, Cycling, and Youth performance socks.
CEO and Founder Hugh Gaither has announced several changes within the Feetures leadership team that went into effect on January 1, 2021 to support his succession planning process. Gaither’s vision is to evolve the organization so it will continue to support and maintain its founding principles and culture amidst a significant growth period expected within the next three to five years. Gaither will remain CEO to leverage relationships he’s developed with key specialty accounts while cultivating new ones. He will also maintain strategic responsibility for all sales channels, including Specialty Retail, National Accounts, E-commerce, and International Sales.
Feetures National Sales Manager for footwear specialty retailers, Steve Hallinan, will be promoted to Key Accounts Manager. In this role, Hallinan will become the point person and primary account manager for key accounts that were managed by Gaither for many years. Feetures National Sales Manager for Run Specialty, Dan Gardner, will be promoted to National Sales Manager for all specialty accounts, including both run and footwear specialty retailers.
In addition to these changes and as part of the long-term planning, Gaither’s son, John Gaither, will become the Chief Operations Officer for Feetures, handling overall responsibility for all operations, including distribution, supply chain, production planning, product development, and innovation. In his previous role as VP of Product Development, John has already made an impact in these areas of business and now he will have a strategic responsibility at the highest level.
Gaither’s other son, Joe Gaither, will also be promoted to Executive Vice President, where he will oversee all e-commerce, marketing, and customer service. Joe’s previous role as VP of Marketing means he brings a deep knowledge of these departments. After successfully overseeing immense growth of Feetures’ e-commerce department in 2020, this role will allow Joe to guide the growth of the brand even further in the coming years.
“2021 marks our 20th year in business and that is a huge milestone for a family-owned business such as ours,” states CEO and Founder, Hugh Gaither. “As we prepare for the future, we know it is necessary to have a proactive approach to the succession planning process to ensure growth and stability for our retail partners, our customers, and internal team to feel confident in the long term health and viability of this very special company.”
About Feetures
Feetures, a leading performance sock brand, has been family owned and operated in North Carolina for 20 years. Since day one, Feetures’ goal has been to create products that help people achieve their personal best and live healthy, active lifestyles. Feetures are engineered for performance with Targeted Compression and Anatomical Design to create a custom-like fit. As a testament to the quality of Feetures, each pair is sold with a lifetime guarantee. Go. Do. Live. In Feetures. Feetures.com / @feetures
