Safilo Group has relocated key functions of Smith, its U.S.-rooted sports and outdoor brand located in Ketchum, ID.
The decision was taken after an in-depth analysis conducted over the past year in collaboration with Smith’s top management, and with the goal of evolving Smith from its strong North American snow-sport position into a global eyewear brand.
Portland, OR, will serve as base for the product leadership activities of Safilo’s Global Sports & Outdoor Lifestyle segment. Consequently, Smith design, product development, marketing, artwork and e-commerce activities will relocate to Portland.
The manufacturing of all ski goggles in the Safilo sports portfolio will be concentrated in the Clearfield, UT, site, the current home of the Smith manufacturing and distribution center.
In line with Smith’s goal to become a global brand and integrated part of Safilo’s portfolio, the global Smith business will be led out of Safilo’s Group Headquarters, side-by-side with Safilo’s other global proprietary brands Carrera, Polaroid, Safilo and Oxydo.
To enable joint capabilities with Safilo’s USA Headquarters, Smith’s IT, HR and finance functions will be moved to Parsippany, NJ, where Safilo USA is based.
The objective is to write this new, global chapter of Smith from a range of strategic locations that enable the group to design the future of the brand while capturing important synergies and integration opportunities within the Safilo family. Safilo and Smith officials said they are sensitive to the plan’s implications on employees and the Ketchum community, so the transition will take place gradually between 2015 and 2018.
Luisa Delgado, CEO of Safilo Group, visited Ketchum to discuss the plan with all employees. There are plans to maintain a lasting heritage for Smith in Ketchum and to recall the bond with the community that has been home to Smith for the past 50 years.
“We believe in the Smith brand and we are taking decisions that are aimed at further developing it sustainably across the globe. To do so, we have to create a more efficient platform and Smith can strongly benefit from the synergies deriving from our Group as a whole”, said Luisa Delgado. “We need therefore to organize ourselves to leverage these opportunities”.
For more information, visit our website at smithoptics.com.