HAT WORLD IMPACT SPORTS DIVISION BUYS GREAT PLAINS SPORTS

Hat World’s Impact Sports division recently acquired Great Plains Sports of St. Paul, Minn. Great Plains Sports is a team sporting goods dealer and operates sporting goods store Steichen’s Sporting Goods in St. Paul. Hat World is a subsidiary of Genesco Inc.

Hat World is a mall-based retailer of baseball caps called LIDS. Impact Sports is a team dealer, custom screen printer and embroidery operator based in Madison, Wis.

Great Plains Sports provides institutional sporting goods to colleges and universities, high schools, corporations, and youth organizations. It offers jerseys, warm-ups, fleeces, polo shirts, jackets, t-shirts, shorts, shoes and other team uniform sportswear and equipment.

“We are pleased to add the Great Plains Sports sales group to our existing Impact Sports sales force,” said Hat World President Ken Kocher. “This acquisition is the next step toward our goal of becoming a prominent all-inclusive national team dealer.”

Hat World, Inc. - Founded in 1995 Hat World has 850 mall-based, airport, retail stores and outlets in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico (operating under the LIDS retail brand). They operate Hat Shack, Lids Locker Room and Head Quarters. Hat World also owns Impact Sports Inc., a team uniform and apparel dealer, custom screen printer and embroidery operator.

Genesco Inc., is a Nashville-based specialty retailer selling footwear, headwear and accessories in 2,240 retail stores in the US and Canada, under the names Journeys, Journeys Kidz, Shi by Journeys, Johnston & Murphy, Underground Station, Hatworld, Lids, Hat Shack, Head Quarters and Lids Locker Room.