Two manufacturers that launched catalog divisions last fall recently closed their catalogs. Gun maker Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. dropped its Crossings catalog of apparel, gifts, and home products to focus on its core firearms business. And apparel manufacturer Nautica mailed its last Nautica Home catalog in January. According to sources, its parent company, manufacturer VF Corp., decided to focus more closely on apparel.
Smith & Wesson, which is in the process of moving its headquarters from Scottsdale, AZ, to Springfield, MA, has had a particularly rocky several months. Both its chief financial officer and its general counsel were replaced. Then on Feb. 27, chairman James Joseph Minder resigned after a published report revealed he had served prison time during the 1950s and ’60 for armed bank robberies. Fellow board member Dennis Bingham was named chairman.