Perry Ellis International, Inc. (PEI) has entered into an exclusive, long-term licensing agreement with Nicklaus International Brand Management to design, develop, manufacture and distribute men’s and ladies’ sportswear, tailored clothing and accessories under the Jack Nicklaus brand and Golden Bear icon. The licensed territories initially include the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“We are thrilled to feature Jack Nicklaus in our global portfolio of lifestyle brands. Jack personifies the meaning of a golf and sports icon, as well as a first-class gentleman and sportsman, and he continues to be an outstanding role model through his commitment to family and philanthropy,” said Oscar Feldenkreis, president and chief operating officer of Perry Ellis International. “This partnership is evolving during a very exciting time in Perry Ellis International’s golf history. As we take Jack’s legacy to the next level, I am confident that the rich heritage associated with his brand will resonate with a broad and loyal fan base across the globe.”
The addition of Jack Nicklaus represents a diversification strategy which enables Perry Ellis International to leverage its resources and core competencies in product, marketing, and operations to drive consistent growth and profitability.
“The success of Perry Ellis International’s golf division emanates from our exceptional capability to offer quality, innovative products,” commented George Feldenkreis, chairman and chief executive officer of Perry Ellis International. “We are focused on meeting customer needs across a variety of product categories, and each brand under our golf portfolio represents a unique lifestyle, directed toward a defined consumer, which diversifies our opportunities for long-term growth.”
Nicknamed the “Golden Bear,” Jack Nicklaus is widely regarded as a sports icon and the greatest champion in the history of the game of golf, winning a record total of 18 professional major-championship titles, 73 official TOUR victories and 120 total victories worldwide.
“We chose Perry Ellis International for a number of reasons,” Nicklaus said. “It’s a company with an enthusiastic focus on building a lifestyle business, and that is something that resonates with me as well as my business partner, Howard Milstein. They are a company with ideas that are fresh and innovative. As an extension of the way I approached my golf career, our business has always operated with a philosophy focused on excellence, and Perry Ellis has a like-minded commitment to excellence. This is an important step for our brand as we look to expand into a variety of lifestyle categories in a quality way.”
The partnership with Perry Ellis is the latest venture since Nicklaus partnered with Howard Milstein in 2007 to help further the growth of the company and to realize the full potential of the brands and the business. Howard Milstein is Chairman and CEO of New York Private Bank & Trust, and is actively involved in the Nicklaus Companies as Co-Chairman along with Jack.
Milstein added: “We knew we had the right partners after spending some time with Oscar and his father.”
Nicklaus, who also holds the record for senior major championships with eight and remains the only player to have won all four of golf’s modern majors on both the regular and senior tours, will serve as a brand ambassador for the collection.
The legacy Jack Nicklaus has left as a champion can be rivalled by the legacy he is leaving as a golf-course designer, businessman and philanthropist. His thriving golf course design firm, Nicklaus Design, has helped grow the game worldwide with more than 380 courses in 36 countries. In addition, Nicklaus-branded products in a number of golf and lifestyle categories have been marketed worldwide since 1962.
The Golden Bear is the only industry professional to have been named by Golf Inc. magazine as “The Most Powerful Person in Golf” a record six consecutive years, due to his impact on various aspects of the industry through his course design work, marketing and licensing business, his ambassadorial role in promoting and growing the game worldwide, and his involvement on a national and global level with various charitable causes.
Perry Ellis International www.pery.com
Jack Nicklaus www.nicklaus.com