MARINA, CA (BRAIN) Thursday May 31 2012 7:42 AM MT— Sidi Sport is restructuring its U.S. operations to create a "closer collaboration" between its Italian home base and the U.S. market, the company announced Wednesday.
Last week, the company let go its U.S. president, Al Budris. On Wednesday, the company announced the restructuring but revealed few details except to say it will maintain its U.S. office in Marina, California, and that Italy-based international sales manager Paolo Mion would oversee the restructuring.
"We are really excited for the future of Sidi America," Mion said in a company statement. "We feel with the closer collaboration between Sidi Sport and Sidi America, we will secure the success of the Sidi brand in the United States."
In 2009, Sidi ended its long-term relationship with distributor Veltec Sports. Later that year, Sidi hired Budris, who had left Veltec in 2005, to help set up the U.S. office.
Beyond Budris' departure, nothing is changing immediately at the U.S. office, said Christy Nerell, Sidi America's marketing manager.
Budris' consulting company, Alpha Sports Associates, offered Sidi small parts, discontinued shoe models and blemished products consumer-direct through eBay. That relationship ended with Budris' departure from the company, he told BRAIN on Wednesday.
