Quiksilver expanding

Jenny Marder

Trendsetter and surf-wear pioneer Quiksilver Inc. is expanding its

Huntington Beach headquarters by nearly 210,000 square feet to

accommodate a growing screen printing operation, additional offices

and a “vibe area.”

Acquiring two new buildings will make the internationally esteemed

snow, skate and surf-wear company more efficient and will cut costs

in the long run, said Greg Ziegler, chief operating officer.

The two 104,000-square-foot buildings were formerly occupied by

Midwest Air Technologies Inc., and Emerson Electric Co.’s Bond

Technologies Inc.

One building will house the expanded screen print operation. In

the other, Quiksilver will house corporate offices, the growing

footwear division, additional warehouse space and create a fun zone

for employees.

The vibe area will have skate ramp and art studio for Quiksilver’s

team riders, creative designers and other employees. It will not be

open to the public.

“It will be a place where people can get inspired,” Ziegler said.

Quiksilver moved its headquarters to Surf City from its Costa Mesa

location in June of 1999. Over the last four years, the company has

grown from 250,000 square feet to 700,000 square feet.

They chose the property because it would give them the opportunity

to expand as business grows, Ziegler said.

The company’s Surf City property has 1,140 employees working out

of six buildings. The headquarters include Quiksilver’s distribution

and warehouse centers, its screen print facility, cutting and

embroidery operations and all corporate offices.

Quiksilver offers a clothing collection geared toward surf,

snowboard and extreme sporting enthusiasts, including accessories,

eyewear, footwear and wetsuits. It is also known for sponsoring

snowboarding legend Tony Hawk and six-time world professional surfing

champion Kelly Slater.

“We have a team that travels to destinations all over the world to

keep up with the latest styles and markets and to stay in tune with

music, fashion and trends,” Ziegler said. “They go around the world

to places like Europe, New York, the Orient and Hawaii, and they

figure out what’s up.”

The company plans to convert and move the screen printing

operation by mid-February and to move into the second building by

November.