Dana Design will relocate in November from Vashon Island, WA, and operate under K2s Marmot division in Santa Rosa, CA. Zac West, Danas head designer and product manager, will continue in that capacity for the Dana brand, focusing on the development of large volume and mid-volume back packs, day packs, multi-sport packs and travel bags.
Dana Design and Marmot products will continue to be developed and marketed as separate brands. K2s Chairman and CEO, Dick Heckman told SEW when the company acquired Marmot in June that Dana would roll up under Marmots management (see SEW_0425).
Before Heckman took the reins of K2 Inc., the company acquired Dana Design in 1996 and moved the brand from Bozeman, MT to Vashon Island in 2001. Dana Gleason, who many would argue was the driving force behind the Dana Design Brand, did not make the move.