MainGate Hires Director For USGA Business
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndianapolis-based MainGate Inc. has named a program director to oversee all United States Golf Association-related business. Craig Thomas has spent time as a senior manager for the PGA of America. MainGate handles apparel and other accessories for the USGA and manages the organization's e-commerce site. July 8, 2013
News Release
Indianapolis, IN (July 8, 2013) – MainGate, Inc., the premier event retail and e-commerce merchandise company in the country, has named Craig Thomas as Program Director to oversee all aspects the company’s United States Golf Association (USGA) retail business.
Thomas, who has more than 15 years of experience working in golf retail and with the PGA of America, will manage the entire line of apparel, headwear and accessories for the USGA and the U.S. Open Championship. In addition, MainGate manages the USGA’s e-commerce site, USGAshop.com.
“The USGA is an extremely important partner for us and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Craig on board to help grow this already amazing business,” said David Moroknek, President and CEO of MainGate. “His knowledge of golf and his experience with some of the largest tournaments and championships in the world make him an outstanding addition to our team.”
Most recently, Thomas served as the Purchasing and Distribution Manager for Premier Packaging, a national leader in packaging supplies, based in Louisville, Kentucky. More notably, he was the Senior Manager for event merchandising for the PGA of America. During his tenure, Thomas managed all aspects of on-site and corporate merchandise sales for the PGA’s Major Championships, including three Ryder Cups, eleven PGA Championships, eight Senior PGA Championships and one Grand Slam. He is a graduate of Ferris State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing and Professional Golf Management. In addition, he was a member of the Professional Golfers Association of America from 1997 to 2009 and was the guest instructor at the 2008 PGA Merchandise Show where he conducted a seminar entitled, “The Ryder Cup Secret – How to Plan Your Merchandise Buy.”
ABOUT MAINGATE INC.
Current MainGate merchandise partners include the USGA (U.S. Open), the American Heart Association, National Hot Rod Association, Firestone, Kentucky Derby, six NFL teams (Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions), Indiana Pacers, Big Ten Football Championship and Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, among others. MainGate also served as the primary retail partner for the NFL and Super Bowl XLVII held in New Orleans.
MainGate employs more than 300 full-time and part-time workers, operates 10 retail stores in five states, designs, operates and maintains more than 30 e-commerce sites and administers retail sales at nearly 200 events across the country each year.
For more information regarding MainGate, please visit www.MainGateInc.com.Source: MainGate Inc.