Dakine Equipment, owned by Dakine licensee JR286, will be closing the brand’s iconic Hood River headquarters and moving it to Southern California because of challenges stemming from the coronavirus crisis.
After hearing about the news, we reached out to Dakine Equipment Leader David Orr to find out more. He shared with SES the following letter the company sent to retailers.
“Today we made the difficult decision to cease operations for Dakine Equipment in Hood River.”
“This challenging decision was based on the significant pressure and the financial and operational impacts that the COVID pandemic have had on the business, and although this decision was difficult to make, it in no way reflects the commitment to the Brand and the outdoor community it serves.”
“Our focus at Dakine has and always will be serving our consumer by staying committed to developing trusted, innovative, sustainable, purpose driven product for the water, mountains and lifestyle in between.”
“Hood River’s heritage built over the past 36 years will not be lost. As the Brand moved from its birthplace of Maui (where we still have a Dakine Brand shop) to Hood River to cement the business in the wind and kite space over 36 years ago, it is now moving to its new home in Southern California to further pursue the global opportunity in lifestyle, travel, and accessories – while still maintaining focus on the core sport equipment categories of surf, snow, and bike.”
“We will be transitioning operations and a number of employees to our global headquarters in Southern California. This transition will be phased and as appropriate, we will communicate timing, points of contact, and next steps.”
“We do not anticipate any further disruption to the business or its operations throughout the transition.”
“Again, this decision was not made lightly, and we understand the impact this move has on our associates; we remain committed to supporting all through this transition. However, our long-term commitment to Dakine remains and the moves we are making now will ensure that we are able to make the long-term investments needed for the Brand.”
Dakine has gone through many changes in the past decade including having several different owners such as Billabong, Altamont Capital Partners and now Marquee Brands.
