Clothier Paul Frank Tripling its Space in Costa Mesa Move
By JENNIFER BELLANTONIO
Apparel maker Paul Frank Industries Inc. is moving to a bigger building in Costa Mesa after outgrowing its Newport Beach digs.
The company, named after designer Paul Frank, recently signed a $1.4 million lease for a 55,000-square-foot building at 960 W. 16th St. in Costa Mesa and plans to move in October or November, said Ryan Heuser, the company’s co-founder and president. The new building is nearly triple the size of the company’s current one.
“We’re expanding because we are simply out of room and have outgrown the building,” he said. “We have two and three people per office and are making make-shift office space in our mezzanine to accommodate the influx of new staff.”
The new building “will be much more equipped to handle our anticipated growth over the next five years,” he said.
The company, best known for its T-shirts and accessories featuring a nostalgic monkey logo, could’ve found cheaper space in Irvine “with more room to grow,” Heuser said. But it chose the Costa Mesa space for its unique feel, he said.
“Architecturally, this new ‘old space’ has that mid-century design aesthetic and the space just flows,” he said. “Besides, what’s fun about a box with cubicles?”
Paul Frank has big plans for the new building, including an art room and a sound-proofed band room equipped with a full range of musical instruments.
“Many of our employees are still 25 years old or younger, so most are in bands themselves,” Heuser said. “We as a corporate culture are very influenced by music and the people that make it.”
Designer Paul Frank doubles as a guitarist on the weekends for rock band The Moseleys.
The seven-year-old company also plans to have an in-house photo studio for catalog shoots and make room for a new electronic commerce division, which is in the works.
Plus, the building will have a corporate showroom featuring Paul Frank products including home furnishings and a new line of men’s apparel, which debuts this fall and ships to stores in August. There also may be an outdoor basketball court (plans are up in the air), complete with Los Angeles Lakers’ colors and the company’s trademark Julius character painted at center court.
Paul Frank, which counts yearly sales of about $10 million, has been on a growth curve. In 2000, the company had about 30 employees and now counts 52, with plans for more.
“By the time December comes, we should be around 60,” Heuser said.
