COUNTDOWN: THE YEAR’S MAJOR WINONA NEWS
No. 2.Wincraft sold.
The hometown company WinCraft, which had transformed itself from an unglamorous pompom maker into a major licensee of college and pro sports jackets and paraphernalia, was sold. The owner, Dick Pope, was eyeing retirement and wanted out. He found a buyer in Fanatics, a go-go newcomer to the field. What of WinCraft’s 500 employees, mostly in Winona? No problem, Fanatics said. The name WinCraft would survive and the jobs too. Fanatics creator Michael Rubin had built the company from a Florida shoeshop into a $6,2 billion global enterprise. What did WinCraft cost him? Terms were not announced.
Pope. Now he can retire.