Perry Ellis International Inc. has expanded its Irvine operation as it looks to become a bigger player in the market for surf-inspired clothes.
The Miami-based clothing company doubled its local operation to about 13,000 square feet after making a few acquisitions and expanding its swim division, said John Sabo, Perry Ellis senior vice president of action sports marketing and business development.
The most recent buy came late last year: Newport Beach’s Gotcha International LP, which owns the licenses for Gotcha, GirlStar and MCD.
Perry Ellis first edged its way into surfwear with its acquisition of Encinitas-based Redsand Inc. some two years ago. The company moved Redsand to Irvine.
The company now has about 15 workers here, up from nine initially.
“For action sports and active swim, Orange County is the center of the universe,” Sabo said. “If you’re going to be a serious player, that’s where you’ve got to be.”
The moves make the Irvine office the West Coast hub for what Perry Ellis calls its action sports and active swim divisions, Sabo said.
For more on this story, see the April 3 edition of the Business Journal.
