Oboz opens design centre “where it all happens”
17/08/2016
Brad Long has joined as director of product and Seth Brown as senior product developer. They will work directly with Portland-based design director, Chuck Roth, and product development manager, Derek Gustafson, who is based at the brand’s headquarters in Bozeman, Montana.
Brad Long, who will lead the team, has more than 35 years’ experience in athletic and outdoor footwear development, engineering and project management, much of it from a long tenure with Nike. He has worked extensively with manufacturers in Korea, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Indonesia and Italy. He has been awarded two Industrial Designer Society of America awards for his accomplishments, as well as two Nike Milestone awards recognising his contributions to that company.
For his part, Seth Brown was most recently the Asia director of footwear product development for Timberland. Earlier in his career, he worked with Nike, adidas, Scott USA and other high profile footwear companies. He has worked with more than 70 different footwear manufacturers in six different countries.
On making the announcement, Oboz founder, John Connelly, said: “Our rapid growth in recent years has made it clear that additional resources and talent were needed as we look ahead. Brad, Seth and a Portland product centre offer that. Our roots are in Bozeman and the surrounding mountains, and Portland adds energy to what we will accomplish in the future.”
Chuck Roth, who co-founded Oboz in 2007 and has designed its shoes and boots since the outset explained that resources in Portland are “second to none” as far as footwear is concerned. “This is where it all happens,” he said.
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