Corporate Governance

Kohl’s is sponsoring a Milwaukee-area school grant program for the third year in a row.   The Kohl’s Cares Field Trip Grant Program gives more than $1 million in funding to schools throughout the metro-Milwaukee area.  

Seattle - Blue Nile, Inc. has added Robert van Schoonenberg to its board of directors, effective Feb. 23. van Schoonenberg is chairman and CEO of BayPoint Capital Partners LLC, a private equity firm, and a co-managing partner of AmeriCap Partners LLC, a growth capital investment firm.

Prior to sale of the company to a strategic investor in June 2010, he was an investor in and served as chairman of Premiere Entertainment LLC, a company in the business of digital broadcast production.

Dublin, Calif. – Costs and expenses did not grow at the same rate as sales during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 at Ross Stores Inc., resulting in significant net income growth compared to the prior year period. Ross Stores’ net earnings grew 14% to $248.53 million, from $217.95 million.

Sales climbed 10% to $3.03 billion, from $2.74 billion. Same-store sales rose 6%.

Old Navy navigated a big wave of sales during the holidays as Gap Inc. continued to try to revive its namesake Gap brand, with lackluster results.

The apparel retailing company reported that for the fourth quarter, same-store sales rose 11% and total sales rose 12% at Old Navy; company wide at Gap Inc, same store sales rose only 2%.

San Francisco  -- Gap Inc. is looking to add a little pink magic to its product design — and is bringing back a company veteran to do it. The retailer has named Wendi Goldman, creator of Victoria’s Secret “Pink” marketing/merchandising campaign, as executive VP of product design and development, effective March 16.

Los Angeles -- Commercial builder Bernards has appointed industry veteran Joseph Didone to the position of VP. In his role, Didone will provide executive-level oversight for complex Bernards projects.
 
Didone is a 27-year veteran of the construction industry. During his career, he has managed a number of high-profile construction projects, including the renovation of the Hollywood Bowl Museum.
 

The 2,200 store Bridgestone Retail Operations group is refining its approach to a key supplier relationship with a new deal involving Shell Lubricants Americas.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2016, Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO) said Shell would serve as its supplier of choice for automotive lubricants at the company’s more than 2,200 U.S. tire and automotive service centers.

Dublin, Calif. -- dd’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores, Inc., will open a new store in Waco, Texas. The new store is slated to open Feb. 28 and is located in the Parkdale Shopping Center at North Valley Mills Drive and Bosque Boulevard, 13 miles southwest of Baylor University.  

Texas is the retailer’s second largest state with a total of 32 stores.  Including this new location, dd’s Discounts will operate over 155 locations in 15 states.