Edgy, art-inspired clothing maker Sullen Clothing has moved from Irvine to Huntington Beach.
The company, which generates an estimated $4 million-plus in yearly sales, outgrew its 2,200-square-foot office and moved into a 6,000-square-foot warehouse and office on Gothard Street.
Sullen had been looking to move its headquarters for more than a year, cofounder Jeremy Hanna said, as it grew sales, expanded its products and hired more employees.
“We had a growth spurt over the last two years,” Hanna said. “We wanted to stay at the Irvine headquarters for as long as we could because of the economy. But we were just bursting at the seams.”
The new headquarters will handle design, marketing and warehousing.
Sullen now counts about 10 workers in Huntington Beach and a handful of sales representatives that help sell to more than 1,600 stores including those run by Washington’s Zumiez Inc. and Irvine-based Tilly’s Inc.
The company has carved a niche in the clothing business with T-shirts, hoodies, accessories and other gear inspired by tattoos, art, music and action sports.
Sullen’s expansion comes at a time when clothing makers and retailers are struggling for survival in the recession.
The company is offsetting slowing sales by opening new store accounts in different areas, Hanna said.
“Some of the orders aren’t as large as they used to be,” Hanna said. “But the new store accounts definitely make that up.”
Sullen recently signed on Man Alive, a 70-store streetwear chain owned by Indianapolis-based The Finish Line Inc. The company also is selling to more independently owned shops in Canada, the Midwest and the East Coast, Hanna said.
It’s also generating sales overseas.
“A lot more stores are willing to diversify their product mix and that is giving us more opportunities,” Hanna said. “We’re expanding into new territories. There are still a lot of places that are just now starting to experience Sullen.”
Startup Search
Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Digital Media Center in Santa Ana is on the lookout for technology and media companies to house in its incubator.
The center, which opened in 2006, provides a setting for smaller businesses that can’t afford to lease standard commercial space.
Businesses can lease space at the center for about $1.75 per square foot. Most of the amenities and services,including Internet, fax, mail service, conference rooms, onsite educational courses, access to venture capital groups and legal, marketing and accounting counseling,are included in the lease.
The Digital Media Center can house 10 to 12 companies.
It currently houses about five startups including Rcampus.com, a unit of Irvine-based Reazon Systems Inc. geared toward teachers who need to manage their courses, portfolios and other education tools on the Internet.
There’s also Abroad-casting Co., which is developing a technology to stream live television over the Inter-net, and Melrok Corp., a provider of engineering services and developer of wireless sensor modules.
The center wants to attract companies in the technology and digital media sectors, according to director Gustavo Chamorro.
But qualifying for space at the center is competitive, Chamorro said.
The Retailer and the Recession
High-end women’s clothing retailer Pink Mascara is making a push to sell clothes overseas as it navigates its way through the
recession.
The Costa Mesa-based company, which owns Internet store PinkMascara.com and the Pink Mascara boutique in Irvine, will begin selling and shipping clothes to Asia and Europe
this year.
The move could help boost sales as Pink Mascara tries to stay afloat during the recession.
Pink Mascara grew gradually over the years by selling products throughout the U.S. Expanding overseas could further grow sales and help the company build an international brand, said founder Renee McCracken.
“We want to target Asia and the U.K., territories that are huge on Internet shopping,” McCracken said.
Eco-Friendly Furniture
Irvine-based Way Basics is carving a niche in the furniture industry with its signature zBoards,rectangular boards made out of recycled materials that can be assembled without tools into tables, shelves, storage boxes and other articles of furniture.
Way Basics’ zBoards are made from 99% recycled materials.
The boards are sturdy enough to hold heavy books, vases and other objects but are lighter than wood and water resistant.
They can be assembled into furniture with double stick tape.
Way Basics is trying to be the less expensive alternative for consumers looking for green furniture, which generally costs more than traditional furniture, founder Jimmy Chiang said.
“Our furniture is very economical,” he said.
A cube made from zBoards costs about $20.
Way Basics is carving a following among college students who want inexpensive and easy to assemble furniture in their dorm rooms and apartments.
The company is selling its products at college campuses including University of California, San Diego.
Way Basics also is trying to hit the boutique business hard. It currently sells its furniture at Sparrow LA in Los Angeles.
