Lake Forest-based Sole Technology Inc., a maker of skateboarding shoes and clothes, is getting more aggressive about going green and promoting it.
The company, known for its etnies and Emerica skate brands, among others, recently hired its first manager of environmental affairs, Roian Atwood, to lead the company’s push to become more environmentally friendly.
It’s a passion of Pierre Senizergues, the company’s founder and chief executive.
“For the past several years, Sole Technology has been making strides in eco-business practices and now more than ever we are implementing an aggressive companywide sustainability strategy in which Roian is going to help lead and take to that next level,” Senizergues said.
Atwood most recently was director of sustainability at Los Angeles-based American Apparel Inc., where he headed environmental technology projects and the company’s organic products division.
Sole Technology already has gotten a lot of ink for other environmental moves, including installing 616 solar panels at its headquarters and converting to water-based cement manufacturing.
Atwood’s first assignments: conduct a companywide environmental audit, recommend new environmental technology projects and help shoes and clothing teams come up with plans to make things in a nontoxic way.
Ad Launch
Irvine-based RiechesBaird just launched a marketing campaign for client Toyota Material Handling USA Inc.
The work pushes environmental benefits of Toyota’s new 8-series forklift trucks. Irvine-based Toyota Material is a division of Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp., and has been a RiechesBaird client since 2002.
RiechesBaird created a logo, print ads, sales materials, a public relations campaign and Web site, www.toyota8 series.com. The OC shop also is helping Toyota get the word out that it teamed with the National Arbor Day Foundation and will donate a tree to be planted for each 8-series lift truck delivered this year.
RiechesBaird also has been busy working with other new clients, including Optivus Technology Inc. in Loma Linda and Atlanta-based law firm Fisher & Phillips LLP.
Wet Seal Hit
Foothill Ranch-based Wet Seal Inc. has cranked up efforts to promote sales and clear stores of stale holiday merchandise after cutting its profit outlook for the fourth quarter.
The teen and young women’s clothing retailer said it’s quickly transferring old merchandise at its Arden B. chain to clearance centers to make room for new garb, which started rolling in this month.
The company now sees profits for the quarter through January at $7.7 million to $8.7 million, down from an earlier projection of $12.5 million to $14.8 million.
Wet Seal’s shares took a hit on the news. But some remained in its corner.
“Frankly, we believe it was undeserved,” said analyst Eric Beder at Brean Murray, Carret & Co. about Wall Street’s negative reaction.
He said Wet Seal’s move to rid stores of all old clothes in one month instead of stretching it to more was the “final step in management cleaning up the legacy of the prior dysfunctional management team at Arden B.”
“While we understand investor frustration, we believe these results were a necessary evil, and we applaud management for being aggressive in setting up a solid 2007,” Beder said.
This year, the company “will demonstrate the expansion potential of the Wet Seal division and show that Arden B. can regain its place as a fashion-driven, high-margin concept,” Beder said.
“If both these events occur, we believe the Wet Seal story will become very compelling,” he said.
Same-store sales were up 3.6% in January. This month, sales are expected to be up in the low single digits.
More Clothes
Fox Racing Inc. continues to ramp up its clothing division in Newport Beach.
The Morgan Hill-based company, known for making motorcycle equipment and accessories, recently hired a director of merchandising, Tony Sanchez, to grow and promote Fox’s clothing offering.
The division has been building momentum.
In 2003, Fox made a move into surf by opening an office in OC to support the launch of its first surf and casual clothing lines.
It started with 10 workers and now has about 75 in two Newport Beach offices totaling 15,000 square feet.
The company has expanded its lines of men’s, women’s and boy’s clothing, board shorts, rash guards, accessories and shoes as it looks to attract more surfwear buyers.
The garb is sold in surf shops, including Anaheim-based Pacific Sunwear of California Inc., Irvine-based Tilly’s, Jack’s Surfboards in Huntington Beach and Killer Dana in Dana Point.
On the Hunt
Analog, seller of snowboarding jackets and other garb, is on the hunt for a global marketing director.
The company, part of Burlington, Vt.-based snowboard maker Burton Snowboards, continues to get its name out after moving to Irvine in 2004 to be closer to the area’s surf and skate hub.
Analog then counted some 10 workers. It’s now up to about 20.
Burton also has shifted other brands here, including Gravis Footwear, which is in the process of revamping its marketing and close to signing a deal with a local advertising shop.
