Vans' checkered shoe

Vans' checkered shoe

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Vans Starts Americas Division

photo

Doug Palladini

Vans Inc. announced that a new division has been formed at the Cypress, Calif.–based skate brand, which is owned by VF Corp.

The new Americas division will handle the popular skate company’s business from Canada to Chile, said Doug Palladini, recently named vice president/general manager for the Americas. He formerly served as Vans global vice president of marketing. He started his new job May 6.

Before the reorganization, general managers for different regions in the Western Hemisphere worked independently. With the new organization, they will report directly to Palladini, who said it will be a more efficient, profitable way of conducting business.

The new Americas division is organized in a similar way to Vans’ other global divisions, one for Europe, the Middle East and Africa and a third division that handles Vans’ business for Asia and the Pacific.

Vans will focus on expanding sales domestically and abroad, Palladini said. He declined to state the company’s 2012 sales, but he said that Vans’ sales were $300 million in 2004, when it was acquired by VF Corp.