SAN DIEGO, CA (BRAIN)—Zoic Clothing's Eric Swenson and Paul Wyandt have bought the company from Nitches, Inc. a publicly traded apparel company.
Both Swenson and Wyandt have been working at Zoic/Nitches for more than 10 years.
"We’ve worked tremendously hard to get Zoic back to its roots as a core mountain bike brand, creating outstanding product and expanding our retail partnerships," Swenson said. "It feels good to be in command of the future of our company.”
In his new role with Zoic, Wyandt will oversee finance and administration, strategy and new business initiatives for the brand. “I have a passion for mountain biking and am energized by the prospect of concentrating all of my efforts on the success of the Zoic brand."
In 2004 Zoic helped pioneer baggy shorts and casual style for cyclists. Unfortunately, the brand was left for dead by its former owner as that company concentrated on the triathlon market.
Sensing an opportunity, Swenson and Wyandt, both avid mountain bikers, structured the acquisition of the brand and subsequent licensing to Nitches. In the ensuing years, with Swenson as general manager of Zoic and Wyandt as president of Nitches, the pair repositioned the brand in its core segment of casual cycling apparel.
For more on this story, be sure to read the March 1 issue of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.
