Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc. has named an Americas president for its DC Shoes unit in a renewed push for a brand that only a few months ago was up for sale amid a financial crisis at Quiksilver.
The company named Anton Nistl as Americas president for DC Shoes, a maker of shoes and clothes inspired by skateboarding.
He takes over running DC Shoes from former global president Nick Adcock and Americas general manager Mark Miller who left in recent months.
Nistl previously worked as senior vice president of sales at New York-based Vida Shoes International Inc., maker of shoes under the Baby Phat, Phat Farm, Osh Kosh, Carters Kids and other brands.
He’ll report to Craig Stevenson, president of Quiksilver Americas, and also work with Chief Executive Bob McKnight, according to Quiksilver.
Quiksilver paid about $100 million for Vista-based DC Shoes in 2004.
The deal doubled Quiksilver’s own fledgling shoe business and made the surfwear maker a contender in skateboarding shoes along with VF Corp.’s Vans Inc. in Cypress, Sole Technology Inc. of Lake Forest and Torrance-based DVS Shoe Co.
Earlier this year, Quiksilver looked to sell DC Shoes as it dealt with a severe retail downturn and a crushing debt from 2005’s $560 million failed buy of French ski maker Rossignol.
Quiksilver sold money-losing Rossignol in a $50 million fire sale late last year that did little to alleviate long-term debt incurred to buy the business or short-term borrowing to keep Rossignol afloat before the sale.
A $150 million, five-year loan from France’s Rh & #244;ne Group LLC that closed in August and other debt refinancing allowed Quiksilver to keep DC Shoes.
DC Shoes, which had been the company’s best performer for much of this year, has seen layoffs as part of larger cuts at Quiksilver and a slowdown in its sales growth.
“As we continue to navigate our way through these challenging times, I’m confident that a return to DC’s foundation of core technical skate products, marketing and distribution and a further integration of DC into Quiksilver’s newly streamlined operation will better position us for years to come,” McKnight said in a statement.
