Beall's exec joins prominent national board

BRADENTON — Beall's Inc. CEO Steve Knopik has been named to the board of the National Retail Federation, the largest retail trade association in the world.

Knopik, according to a release, joins five other new board members, including J.C. Penney Co. CEO Myron “Mike” Ullman, Walmart U.S. President and CEO Bill Simon and Tractor Supply Co. President and CEO Greg Sandfort. Knopik, moreover, joins another Gulf Coast executive already active in the NRF: Mindy Grossman, CEO of St. Petersburg-based HSN, is second vice chair of the board, secretary and chair of the NRF Foundation board.

The new board announcement was made Sunday at the opening day of the federation's 103rd Annual Convention and EXPO in New York City. Knopik and the other new board members, elected to serve three-year terms, join a star-studded board of retail executives. The list includes Neiman Marcus President Karen Katz; Macy's Chairman, President and CEO Terry Lundgren; L.L. Bean President and CEO Chris McCormick; and Dick's Sporting Goods CEO Edward Stack. '¨'¨“These executives are among the top thought leaders in the world of retail and will only strengthen an already diverse and well-respected board,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay says in the release. “Their knowledge and experience will be invaluable as we address the many issues facing retailers at a time when our industry is rapidly changing.”'¨

Bradenton-based Beall's includes a department store division, with 74 stores in Florida, in addition to an outlet store unit that has 460 locations in 17 states and a fast-growing e-commerce business. The firm had $1.23 billion in 2012 sales, up 5.6% from $1.17 billion in 2011.