VF Corporation appointed Steve Rendle to the newly created role of SVP, Americas, and split its Outdoor & Action Sports Americas coalition into two segments: Outdoor Americas and Action Sports Americas.
Patrik Frisk, currently Timberland brand President, was promoted to coalition president, Outdoor Americas, with responsibility for The North Face, Timberland, JanSport, Lucy and SmartWool brands. A successor to Frisk to lead the Timberland brand in the Americas will be announced in coming months.
Kevin Bailey, currently Vans brand president, Americas, has been promoted to coalition president, Action Sports Americas and Vans. In addition to Vans, Bailey will oversee Reef and Eagle Creek.
Prior to being appointed to his current role in January 2011, Rendle served as president of VF's Outdoor Americas coalition. From 2004 to 2009, he was The North Face’s president.
Rendle’s new responsibilities in the Americas will include leadership of the Outdoor & Action Sports, Jeanswear, Imagewear, Sportswear and Contemporary Brands coalitions. He had been VP & group president Outdoor & Action Sports Americas, and previously was president of VF’s Outdoor Americas coalition since 2009.
“VF is an organization of proven leaders and talented associates,” said Eric Wiseman, VF chairman, president and CEO. “With powerful brands and strong business platforms that unify our organization, we are able to put the right people in the right positions to consistently fuel growth and create value for our shareholders.”
In another development, Wiseman last week joined local and regional government officials for the dedication of its new central distribution center in Kunshan, China.
Representing an investment of more than $60 million (¥372 million), the Kunshan distribution center is VF's largest infrastructure investment in China. When operating at capacity, the 85,000-square-meter facility is expected to handle 30 million units of product each year and employ nearly 400 people. The facility was designed to be environmentally friendly and is LEED Bronze certified because of its low carbon footprint. Also, to support future growth, VF has acquired the option for additional land at the Kunshan location for expansion as needed.
In 2013, VF’s total revenues in China were more than $500 million. By 2017, VF expects China to contribute nearly $1 billion to total company revenues. VF brands sold in China include: The North Face, Lee, Vans, Timberland, Kipling, 7 For All Mankind, Wrangler and Nautica.
“The Central Distribution Center in Kunshan demonstrates our commitment to continued growth in China and persistent focus on operational excellence in our global supply chain,” said Wiseman. “With the expectation that our business in China will nearly double during the next four years, this represents a significant milestone in our ability to manage long-term costs and inventories, while providing measurable increases in speed-to-market for both our customers and consumers.”
During the past year, VF has added four new distribution centers strategically located to competitively manage costs and source closer to end markets. In addition to the China facility, new VF distribution centers have been added in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium; Mexico City, Mexico; Los Angeles, CA; and the company reopened its Hackleburg, AL facility, which was destroyed as a result of a tornado in April 2011.
