Jason Loney Reflects on Three Decades of Building at Scheels

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

It was only supposed to be a college job. That was what Jason Loney was thinking when he got a job at Midwest and Great Plains sports staple, Scheels All Sports. Loney spent the last year of his undergrad building bikes and stocking shoes in the basement of the Grand Forks, North Dakota, the first all-sports superstore the company opened in 1989.

His college job was 30 years ago, and Loney is still at Scheels, but he’s moved up from the basement. Over myriad promotions, Loney became vice president of store development for Scheels in 2012. In that time, Loney has led some unique initiatives that most executives in his title can’t boast, including helping assemble Ferris wheels (a noted staple of select Scheels locations)  and choosing fish for 16,000-gallon saltwater aquariums.

“This job has never felt like work,” Loney says. Even through obstacles he and his company have faced through the pandemic and the subsequent challenging construction environment, he feels camaraderie and knows the company cares about its employees. “For me, the job is about what we do and who we do it with. That makes all the difference.”

Loney feels empowered by a culture that he explains is never completely satisfied with what it’s accomplished. The VP jokes that over three decades, he’s probably cost his organization millions in bad decisions, but those are decisions he’s learned from and never made again. As soon as a project is completed, he and his team are already wondering how they can tweak it for the betterment of Scheels customers everywhere.

That constant push for innovation isn’t for everyone, and Loney knows it. That’s why he takes mentorship of those younger employees who fully connect with the culture of the company. The VP says any time he sees an employee with the same spark, he’ll do whatever he can to support their development.

“Those are people you can see moving from a support position into managing a shop or becoming an assistant store leader,” Loney says. “They might want my job someday, and I want that for them, too. When you see people putting product on shelves or sweeping floors and understand that they also see the bigger picture, you know they’re going to be special to your company.”

Over his career, Loney has helped build out about 30 stores, and there are more on the way. In 2023, Scheels opened its first store in Chandler, Arizona, facing a bevy of new challenges for a construction group more accustomed to building a store that could withstand sub-zero temperatures rather than the blistering summer months of the Southwest.

The build involved repurposing a former Nordstrom location, adding precast panels that matched the existing finish, and installing SageGlass electrochromic glass for its skylights to both reduce UV glare and minimize the building’s cooling load. The glass is made in Faribault, Minnesota, in keeping with the store’s Great Plains roots.

Construction time included three of the hottest months in Arizona’s history, but the store opened on time.

There are new building environments and markets on the way in 2024. Scheels will open its first Idaho location in Meridian just outside of Boise. Loney says building in high seismic zones requires altering structural systems to accommodate those particular needs. A new store in Tulsa will be Scheels’ first foray into the Sooner State.

---

Advertisement

---

Expanding outward from its Midwestern base has required extensive education for subcontractors and partners for a Scheels team that takes craftsmanship seriously. “There is a lot of joy for us explaining how important they are to how this all works,” Loney says. “The quality and pride they take in their own work is a major component of what sets us up for success.”

And the VP’s partners are proud to be part of his team. “Jason Loney embodies the Scheels All Sports’ brand, driving the success of Scheels projects with passion,” says Dan Vokoun, president of Sampson Construction. “His leadership has built a culture of excellence, loyalty, community, and a commitment to an exceptional customer experience.”

Loney says leadership at Scheels has also worked to succeed by investing in development. He reflects that he wouldn’t be where he is today had it not been for the leadership of Steve D. Scheel, former CEO and current board chair of Scheels.

“Steve pushed us to convert our thought process from management to true leadership,” Loney explains. “We all started educating ourselves and helping each other, reading more books on the subject, and there was real-time application of what we were learning to our day-to-day lives.”

That learning has evolved over the years. When Scheels moved corporate offices in 2020 during COVID, product buyer offices were renovated with sliding doors that offer both privacy when necessary and, more importantly, the chance to listen and learn on the job.

“The amount of time you can just sit and listen to what is going on in the office—you can’t put a price on that kind of education,” Loney says.

Outside of work, he is providing a lasting education and mentorship for his daughter. Loney, his wife, and teenager have devoted time to the New Life Center, a faith-based nonprofit that provides shelter and services to the homeless. Loney acts as board president and has helped the organization open thrift stores to fund their services and jobs for those trying to get back on their feet.

“It’s just something we do to be of service to others,” Loney says. “Having my daughter help me at the shelter and work to put together a store was pretty meaningful to me. It’s a great way to spend time together as a family.”

Scheels was only supposed to be a college job, but for Loney, he’s landed a family both at home and at work.

---