Moving Day at Reef

After almost 10 years in San Diego, Reef, a division of the VF Corp., based in Greensboro, N.C., is moving to bigger digs in Carlsbad, Calif., next month.

With a view of the ocean and a central location between Orange County and San Diego, Reef’s new headquarters at 5935 Darwin Court will fill 52,000 square feet and accommodate the brand’s 120 employees. Because the company’s new digs are 15,000 square feet larger than its current location, the new space will allow for the addition of 55 new employees over the next five years, the company said in a statement.

“The move is key to supporting Reef’s existing growth along with our plans for the future to launch girls’ apparel, swimwear and girls’ closed-toe shoes in Spring 2008,” said John Wilson, Reef’s president.

Spring 2008 will also see the debut of Redemption, a new line of eco-friendly apparel.

Following its tradition of developing novelty sandals, Reef is enjoying the buzz created by its two latest quirky designs. One creation, called the “Fanning” sandal, features a bottle opener in the sole. The “Dram” and “Stash” sandals, which debuted in late 2006, have a little something extra. The men’s patent-pending Dram features a 3-ounce canteen in the sole with a screw cap. The women’s Stash hides a tiny compartment perfect for a key, cash or a credit card. The sandals, which retail for $46, are both comfy and utilitarian, the company said.

“We really like to have fun with our leading face products. It keeps us from getting too serious with the fact that we are designing footwear,” said Brett Ritter, Reef’s vice president of product creation. “In this case, that light-hearted approach has led to some heavy hitters on the sales side of things.”

Lost Hires New Marketing Head

San Clemente, Calif.–based surf/skate brand Lost Clothing and its sister company, O’Neill Clothing, underwent a major executive shuffle last November.

Now the brands’ new chief executive, Toby Bost, is beefing up his team. The latest addition is Ryan Divel, who becomes Lost’s director of marketing. Divel, who is a Lost alum, leaves his post as surf marketing and promotions manager of Electric Visual, a sunglass and accessories company in San Clemente, Calif., to rejoin Lost.

“Lost has great energy right now, and we wanted someone who clearly understood the brand while helping push us to the next level, and Divel is the man,” said Tim Garrett, Lost’s president.