Meet the manager

The general manager of the new Sport Chek store in Cranbrook comes from B.C.’s Lower Mainland

Ryan Alvernini, 29, is the manager of the Sport Chek store scheduled to open in Cranbrook, B.C., on April 10, 2014. — Photo courtesy Ryan Alvernini

The general manager of the soon-to-open Sport Chek store in Cranbrook, B.C., is 29-year-old Ryan Alvernini. His first job with Sport Chek was at the Penticton store, where he started as an associate. He moved to B.C.’s west coast, working at the Park Royal store in West Vancouver for about 18 months and then moving up to be the assistant manager at the Coquitlam store for the past three-and-one-half years.

Alvernini has enjoyed vacationing in the Kootenays in the past, and when he attended a wedding in Cranbrook with his wife and new baby daughter in the summer of 2013, he looked at the area from a new perspective.

“When the Cranbrook (Sport Chek) opportunity opened, my wife and I went for it,” Alvernini said. “We’ve bought a house in Kimberley, where we have good friends. I’m an avid skier, and I couldn’t resist the temptation to live so near to the hill. All of the people I’ve met in the area have been very friendly and very kind, and I’m happy to have this opportunity.”

Alvernini and a hiring team were in Cranbrook for Sport Chek’s hiring fair from March 5 to 7, first screening the applicants and then calling back those who were short-listed. All of the people who were called back for interviews actually showed up—a fact that impressed Alvernini. In his experience at the coast, that’s not what usually happens. Wasting no time, the team hired 32 of these local applicants—a full complement of new Sport Chek associates. Alvernini plans to arrive in Cranbrook on March 28, and staff training will begin on March 31.

Sport Chek has a philosophy of supporting local communities through its sponsored charities and foundations. The company brings that focus on contribution to the individual, with its stated mission “to inspire every Canadian toward a fit, healthy and active lifestyle.” Sport Chek will open for business in Cranbrook at 9:00 a.m. on April 10.