JanSport, Inc., which is part of VF Corporations Outdoor Coalition, will move its JanSport Equipment business to new offices in San Leandro, CA, bringing it closer to other ODC brands and Mike Egeck, the former president of The North Face who now heads the Outdoor Coalition. The transition is expected to conducted in the first half of 2005. The Jansport Custom Apparel business, which provides licensed products to College Bookstores and sporting goods stores, will remain in Appleton, WI.
It makes sense to bring the brand closer as the various elements of the ODC business start to feed off of each other in a more meaningful way. A new Jansport Apparel line made its debut at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market and Jansports know-how in the bag and luggage category is expected to be utilized across a number of the Coalitions brands.
The company announced that 40 positions will be eliminated, while 15 others will make the move. One person not making the move is Mike Cisler, who has been running the Jansport business. The company said he decided not to relocate for “personal reasons”.
