K2 Sports plans to close its Snow-Shoe development facility in Berkeley, Calif., and to integrate the U.S. sales, product development and global marketing operation into K2’s new headquarters in Seattle.

The new K2 Snowshoes’ Development organization incorporates product development and testing for the Atlas, Tubbs, Little Bear and Powder Ridge brands under one roof with dedicated resources aligned to each brand. Relocating the development team will enable K2’s snowshoe brands to enhance their technical development capabilities and drive innovation with direct access to K2’s world class on-site prototyping, graphic design, product testing and advanced machine shop capabilities. The Berkeley facility will close January 1, 2007.

Sales management responsibility for Atlas’ independent sales force will be transitioned to Van Brinkerhoff, K2 Winter Outdoor’s newly named National Sales Manager. K2’s Winter Outdoor group is comprised of the Atlas, Karhu and Madshus specialty outdoor brands. K2 anticipates that many key personnel within the Snowshoe development organization will transition to Seattle.

The Atlas Brand team will be re-organized under the K2 Winter Outdoor division. Brand Director Charlie Lozner, Marketing Director Karen Righthand and a newly formed Marketing team will drive market development programs including the popular Explore Winter Women’s Workshops™, Winter Trails®, and the Atlas Resort Partnership Programs. Hayter Communications will continue to support each brand’s public relations programs. The Stowe, Vermont based Tubbs Brand team will continue to be East Coast based and no changes will occur with this site or organization.