More Action-Sports Brands Heading to O.C.
Orange County, Calif., continues to be the focal point of an ongoing influx for out-of-state action-sports brands. Two more companies have relocated to the area.
Gravis Footwear, a division of Burton Snowboards, has relocated to Irvine, Calif., from Burlington, Vt., and Buffalo, N.Y.–based New Era Cap Co. is also relocating its suburban/action-sports division to Irvine.
Gravis is known for its casual footwear and apparel for the surf-and-skate crowd. The line’s designs are inspired by urban music and art.
To launch its West Coast corporate headquarters, the company named former Reef and Callaway sales executive Fabrice Le Det as general manager and plans to have a full team with product, sales and marketing staff by the end of March.
“Moving the Gravis brand to the West Coast will bring the company closer to its core demographics and allow more day-today interaction with the team in their environment,” said Burton Chief Executive Officer Laurent Potdevin.
“Southern California is the epicenter of the action-sports industry and the natural location for Gravis,” added Le Det. “Gravis is backed by a solid group of people who have created a unique brand positioning, developed quality product and built an exceptional surf and snowboard team. I am very excited to join the crew at Gravis and look forward to taking the brand to the next level.”
The move follows one made by Burton three years ago, when it moved its Analog apparel division to Irvine.
Buffalo-based New Era—which produces licensed baseball caps for Major League Baseball, the NBA, the NHL and the NCAA—has opened a 5,000-square-foot divisional office for its suburban/actionsports division in Irvine. The location puts it closer to clients such as Quiksilver, Vans and Volcom.
New Era produces 30 million caps per year and lately has been moving from traditional on-field standards into a range of new designs and styles featuring original art. The company is showing its new line at the Jan. 25–27 run of the Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo in San Diego.
—Robert McAllister
