Charleston, SC – Marolina Outdoor, the parent company of Huk Performance Fishing and Nomad Outdoor, is pleased to announce the hiring of Dean Rurak as Chief Executive Officer, and Bill Ferreira as Sr. Vice President of Sales & Merchandising. Both executives will start their new roles on May 1, 2023.
Mr. Rurak will succeed Mr. Edwin Lewis as CEO, who has served in the role since purchasing the Company in 2018 in partnership with Goode Partners. Mr. Lewis will continue to serve as the Company’s Chairman. “Dean brings extensive knowledge of all of our product categories and has a long track record working with our key strategic partners. He will be an incredible asset as we continue to build out the omni-channel strategy of the Huk brand,” stated Mr. Lewis.
Mr. Rurak brings more than two decades of sportswear industry expertise and executive leadership experience to Marolina Outdoors. He has a proven track record of innovative brand-building and developing omni-channel strategies. He spent the past 25 years in various leadership roles at Columbia Sportswear, most recently as Sr. Vice President – Chief Product Officer. Prior to that he was the Sr. Vice President – North America Sales.
“I am incredibly excited to join this team in this role and for the future of the company. We have an exceptionally talented team at Marolina Outdoors that is focused on continuing to innovate our products in new and diverse ways while connecting with the consumer. This will accelerate and further unlock future growth opportunities for both our brands. I am looking forward to working with Edwin and thank him for building a strong foundation,” stated Mr. Rurak.
As Sr. Vice President of Sales & Merchandising, Bill Ferreira will oversee Wholesale sales and Product strategy. He will be responsible for leading the Marolina Outdoor sales team, developing new business opportunities, and creating iconic products that meet the consumer needs in the outdoors.
Mr. Ferreira is a seasoned veteran in the outdoor industry with over 30 years of experience with positions held in sourcing, planning, manufacturing, and merchandising. Mr. Ferreira was previously an 18-year veteran at Columbia Sportswear. His most recent role being the Director of Merchandising for the PFG brand.
In addition, Bill has a proven record of building long term business relationships across the industry. His personality and winning attitude are key assets that will complement and enhance Marolina Outdoors’ ability to serve customers across the industry delivering high quality and innovative products.
We are extremely excited to welcome these two executives to the Marolina Outdoors leadership team and see them contribute to the overall success of the company.
About Marolina Outdoor
Marolina Outdoor Inc. was founded to bring deep-seated product expertise across all outdoor categories. Our innovative designs and technologically focused products create the foundation of our authentic outdoor apparel. Huk clothing represents a fresh take and a unique understanding of angling needs, offering functional styles that appeal to anglers of all ages. NOMAD is motivated to provide quality apparel so that hunters can maximize their experiences to hunt and provide sustenance regardless of the size of the game or where their pursuits lead them.