Sportsman’s Guide closes; employees left in flux
By Tim Spitzack | Editor | May 2025
In mid-July, Sportsman’s Guide will vacate its longtime headquarters and 430,000-square-foot warehouse at 411 Farwell Ave. in South St. Paul and consolidate its distribution centers in Minnesota and Wichita, Kan., into a new single 543,000-square-foot facility in Greenfield, Ind., near Indianapolis. All five salaried and 52 hourly employees at the South St. Paul warehouse were given the option to move to Indiana or receive a severance package. For those choosing not to relocate, Sportsman’s Guide has partnered with Atlas Staffing, Inc. to help them find another local job. In addition, Dakota County’s Dislocated Worker Program offers free assistance in helping displaced workers find work or explore other career opportunities. Assistance is also available at the Workforce Center at 1 Mendota Road W., West St. Paul, and careerforcemn.com/westsaintpaul. Information sessions are held on Wednesdays at 10 a.m.
Crecera Brands, the parent company of Sportsman’s Guide, is currently looking for office space in the Twin Cities for its headquarters, which houses 109 employees. Crecera Brands operates three retailers of outdoor gear, sporting goods and golf supplies: Sportsman’s Guide, The Golf Warehouse, and BaseballSavings.com. Sportsman’s Guide was founded in Golden Valley in 1977 and has operated in South St. Paul since 1992. It once had retail space but now strictly sells online, offering gear for hunting, fishing, shooting sports and camping, as well as military surplus, apparel, tools and other products.
While South St. Paul Mayor Jimmy Francis was disappointed to hear the news, it did not come as a surprise. He said Sportsman’s Guide approached the city a few years ago with their intention to consolidate and find suitable office space.
“South St. Paul does not have the type of office space they need,” said Francis, “but we worked with them and DEED (Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development) to keep them in South St. Paul, or at least in Minnesota.” Sportsman’s Guide leases the space, so the move will not affect the city’s tax base, he added.
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