Legendary designer and founder of Nautica to develop worldwide strategy and creative direction for the Golden Bear’s licensing business
(New York, NY, July 16th, 2009) – The Nicklaus Companies and David Chu Management Group (DCMG) announced today that they have established a strategic partnership to develop and evolve the Nicklaus Brands in the lifestyle category.
Chu, famed designer and branding icon, and his firm DCMG, will work with Nicklaus Companies in the planning and development of a new vision for Jack Nicklaus®, Nicklaus® and Golden Bear® products, including everything from product design consulting and creative direction to distribution strategy, brand management and new business development. This venture will also provide expert advice to Nicklaus Marketing, Inc., in its ongoing efforts to enhance its existing licensing business and support the global network of licensees.
“This is an important day for our business as we develop long-term plans for all of our brands,” said Jack Nicklaus, founder and chairman of the Nicklaus Companies. “To be able to form a relationship with David is a unique opportunity for us to tap the expertise of one of the world’s most recognized designers and developers of successful brands. This is not business as usual.”
“I have always admired Jack Nicklaus and what he represents in the world of golf and sports,” Chu said. “He has invested a lifetime establishing an iconic name that is globally recognized for being the best. Starting with apparel, I want to invigorate the Nicklaus brands by creating a compelling story through products with appeal that reaches beyond golf. This will be an important part of Jack’s legacy.”
Nicklaus Marketing has developed a global licensing business with sales of over $250 million, which has been built upon relationships with major apparel companies and distributors in the U.S., key Asian territories, and other emerging markets worldwide, dating over 40 years.
Under the new partnership, Chu and DCMG’s COO, Christopher Heyn, will work with Nicklaus Marketing to maintain the value of existing licensing relationships, while developing strategies to enable Nicklaus to take these brands to the next level globally. DCMG and Nicklaus plan to transform the label into a lifestyle brand with product, marketing, merchandising that reflects Jack Nicklaus’ core values as a sports icon with a commitment to excellence. A message of excellence and style will be reflected in the product and all consumer touch points, from retail stores, e-commerce, and catalogue, as well as travel, corporate and alternative media distribution.
“When I partnered with Jack, building the Nicklaus brands and licensing business was a major priority for the long-term strategic growth of the company,” said Howard Milstein, Chairman and CEO of New York Private Bank & Trust, the largest privately held bank in the United States, which partnered with the Nicklaus family in June 2007 to form Nicklaus Companies LLC. “This is a significant step for our company, and there is no better partner for us than David and his team to accomplish our goals for the future of the brand.”
About Jack Nicklaus and the Nicklaus Companies
No name is more synonymous with greatness in the sport of golf than the name Jack Nicklaus, and no single person has changed the face of the sport more than Jack Nicklaus-the player, the designer, the philanthropist, and the good-will ambassador. His brands represent the core values he has exuded as a champion, a sportsman and a gentleman.
For close to 40 years, the mission of the Nicklaus Companies has been to enhance the golf experience, and to bring to the national and international consumer golf-related businesses and services that mirror the high standards established in the career and life of Jack Nicklaus, the man voted by every major media outlet as the “Golfer of the Century.” Last October, Golf Inc. magazine ranked Jack “The Most Powerful Person in Golf” for the fifth consecutive year, due to his impact on various aspects of the industry through his course design work, marketing and licensing business, and his involvement on a global level with various charitable causes. His thriving golf course design firm, Nicklaus Design, is considered the world leader. Jack has been named GolfWorld’s Architect of the Year, and Golf Digest named him the world’s leading active designer.
For more information on Jack Nicklaus or the Nicklaus Companies, visit www.nicklaus.com.
About David Chu
Hailed as one of Forbes’ “Top Chinese-Americans in Business,” designer and entrepreneur David Chu first rose to prominence in the eighties with the success of his lifestyle brand, Nautica. It was his interpretation of his six sailing jackets, marrying technical function and all-American style, that helped turn Nautica into a global brand. When Nautica was acquired in 2003, its worldwide sales were in excess of $1 billion.
Today, from his studio and showroom in a refined Manhattan townhouse, Chu designs the LINCS collection alongside other brands managed and operated by his firm DC Management Group (DCMG). This includes Mallory & Church, a century-old company that designs, manufactures and markets luxury accessories under several brands, including Cole Haan, Kenneth Cole and Kate Spade; as well as David Chu Bespoke, a custom-clothing atelier located on the penthouse floor of the “Townhouse” that embodies Chu’s ultimate statement on style, sophistication, and the well-lived life.
Chu’s firm, DCMG, is a strategic brand management and design development firm focused on the apparel and accessories sector. This encompasses a multitude of services ranging from strategic planning, branding, design development, merchandising and sourcing, and licensing-all guided by David Chu’s strong creative vision, sophisticated sensibility, and management direction. With a diverse team of over 40 design, merchandising, sales, marketing, and sourcing professionals, DCMG has a demonstrated track record of handling and advising on all aspects of a brand’s management and operations.
Contact:
Nelson Mui
DCMG
(646) 723-8756
Scott Tolley
Nicklaus Companies, LLC
(561) 227-0458
