MARINA del REY, Calif. (BRAIN) — Jim Whitsett, longtime industry member and former Supergo, Cynergy and Performance general manager, died Saturday from an apparent heart attack.
He was 56 and survived by his 10-year-old son Jesse and adult son Jason. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Whitsett was co-owner of South Bay Cycle, a new local bike shop in Manhattan Beach, California, with fellow industry veteran Alan Goldsmith. The 2,100-square-foot shop was scheduled to have a soft opening next weekend and host a staff organizational meeting Sunday, said Goldsmith, who told BRAIN in December that aside from investing, his only function was to be advisory. "Jim is well-known as one of the best shop managers in the game," Goldsmith said then.
"We have numerous highly qualified sales people that Jim trained," Goldsmith told BRAIN Sunday afternoon. "Their and our suppliers' encouragement and belief in the shop gives me extra strength to carry out our plans. So, we will probably open Feb. 15. I will announce personnel and other information in the near future."
The pair decided to go into business after Whitsett lost his job in the Performance bankruptcy last year. Whitsett grew up in the Manhattan Beach area and had numerous area connections, Goldsmith said in December.
