St. Paul, Minn. – Nov. 2, 2020 – Building upon a track record ofpublic lands support for upland birds and backing of local chapters throughout the nation, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever is pleased to announce SCHEELS as the organization’s newest national sponsor and merchandise fulfillment partner. The North Dakota-based company will help market new and existing merchandise lines for Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever starting on July 1, 2021, ultimately supporting the passion of wingshooters with an investment in the nation’s foremost upland habitat conservation group.
“We are particularly proud to partner with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever as the heart of pheasant country is where our company is based and as we continue to grow, our footprint continues to overlap more and more,” stated Steve M. Scheel, CEO of SCHEELS. “Our partnership with ‘The Habitat Organization’ is a genuine fit as we work to protect the natural resources which are vital to North American upland populations. SCHEELS has been a supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever for many years, and now as a national merchandise partner, SCHEELS is excited to bring that support to another level while continuing to assist local banquets in communities where we have stores.”
SCHEELS is an employee-owned and operated sporting goods company with 28 locations across thirteen states – Colorado, North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Nevada, Illinois, Utah, Kansas, and Texas – who has offered incredible support over the last decade to local chapters of Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever. Of particular note is their donor support for the organization’s signature Build a Wildlife Area program that has permanently protected more than 13,000 acres of public lands in 10 states through a unique, partner-driven matching gift program. Additionally, SCHEELS was a major supporter of Pheasants Forever’s Learn-to-Hunt initiative during its early stages of development in North Dakota, which is now a nationwide program.
“SCHEELS’ commitment to the nation’s upland hunting culture and our habitat mission is what prompted partnership discussions from the very beginning,” said Chris Kalis, director of corporate partnerships for Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever. “We’re elated to bring our chapter volunteers and the general public an exceptional merchandise program moving forward that will not only help brand Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in a new light, but also give back to the wildlife and public lands we cherish most. For that, we can’t thank SCHEELS enough for their steadfast support.”
Look for new and existing Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever upland/lifestyle clothing lines in SCHEELS stores after July 1, 2021. Additionally, watch for SCHEELS merchandise at Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever banquets nationwide starting next year.
About SCHEELS
Three acres of potatoes were the seed for the first SCHEELS store in 1902. Frederick A. Scheel, a German immigrant, used the $300 he earned from that first harvest as the down payment on the first SCHEELS, a small hardware and general merchandise store in Sabin, Minn.
Over the years, SCHEELS opened in surrounding communities including Fargo, N.D. in 1930 and as growth continued, Fargo became the corporate office for the company. From the beginning, SCHEELS focus was the hardware business along with a small inventory of sporting goods. Customer interest grew for sporting goods and more sports lines were added over the years including athletic shoes and clothing in 1972.
Today, SCHEELS is a 28-store operation across 13 states including Colorado, North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Nevada, Illinois, Utah, Kansas, and Texas. Two additional stores are scheduled to open in 2021, one in Colorado Springs, Colo. and another in Missoula, Mont. Currently, Steve D. Scheel, the great-grandson of SCHEELS founder, is the company’s Chairman of the Board, and great-great-grandson Steve M. Scheel is the CEO. Bill Nelson serves as President and oversees SCHEELS daily operations of nearly 8,000 associates.
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 138,000 members and 760 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent over $900 million on 550,000 habitat projects benefiting 19 million acres nationwide. In fact, more than 200,000 of those acres are now permanently protected as public lands.
The post Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever Welcomes SCHEELS as New National Sponsor and Merchandise Fulfillment Partner appeared first on Hunting and Conservation News.
Source: Huntinglife
