Asics said it’s establishing a Product Creation Studio in Boston. The move punctuates the brand’s overall growth strategy, adds the brand’s presence in Boston to its already existing global digital hub that opened in Spring 2016 and grows its U.S. presence on both coasts: Irvine, CA and Boston, MA.
According to the Boston Globe, the 25,000-square-foot office space will be located near South Station and include about 50 people. About 25 of the employees will transfer to Boston from the U.S. company’s headquarters in Irvine, CA and global headquarters in Kobe, Japan, while another 25 will be new hires.
Asics is targeting phased move-in beginning this summer and continuing through 2018.
“As this industry continues to evolve dramatically, it is crucial for our brand to be represented on both coasts in the U.S. At the dynamic crossroads of innovation and sport, Boston is that place for us on the East Coast,” said Gene McCarthy, president and CEO, Asics America Corp. “There is incredible energy behind this brand right now – we have the right people, in the right places to drive our business and our industry forward not only in the Americas, but globally as well.”
Asics has hired T3 Advisors, a leading real-estate and workplace advisory firm that is led by Roy Hirshland, to help identify the bespoke new location, and the Boston office of IA Interior Architects will handle the look and feel of the office interior design.
“I am thrilled to welcome Asics, a global brand with a rich history of innovation, to the City of Boston,” said Boston Mayor Martin Walsh. “With a vibrant, highly educated and tech-savvy workforce, Boston is fast becoming a destination for companies seeking to be a part of that culture. I look forward to Asics being a major contributor to Boston.”
Key members of Asics’ executive leadership team will be based in Boston, including Andrew Richard, vice president of North American commerce, who oversees all wholesale, e-commerce and retail divisions and one of Asics’ most recent hires, and 20-year industry veteran and former Under Armour executive, David Ayers, who serves as the vice president of apparel merchandising.
Global executive leaders in Boston include: Craig Gillian, GM of digital commerce; Takaaki Kondo, GM of multi-channel marketing; and Kazuya Kawakami, GM of consumer IT.
Asics first established a footprint in Boston in the spring of 2016 through the acquisition of fitness tracker Fitnesskeeper Inc. FitnessKeeper’s Winthrop Square headquarters have been established as Asics’ global digital division and is led by Chief Digital Officer Jason Jacobs and Fitnesskeeper CEO Dan Smith.
Photo courtesy Asics
