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  Professional skater and Black Box Distribution Founder Jamie Thomas. Shop-eat-surf file photo.

I followed up with Black Box Founder Jamie Thomas, Black Box CEO Frank Messmann and Westlife CEO Mike West to find out more about their new licensing deal with New Balance for the skate market.

 

The companies announced today that Black Box will bring New Balance to the skate market in footwear and apparel via a licensing agreement and Westlife will help with design and creative direction. The new skate line will be called New Balance Numeric. See the press release here.

 

Here are some questions I asked Jamie, Frank and Mike.

 

Why get involved with New Balance?

Some fans taking their picture with Jamie Thomas at the Zumiez 100-K event

Jamie Thomas: New Balance is an inspirational company, they have always done things their way and contributed positively to everything they’re involved with. With where the trends have been headed for skate footwear, this partnership helps us even the playing field.

 

What does this mean for Fallen?

Jamie: I feel that Fallen and New Balance Numeric complement each other perfectly, therefore I feel that this partnership will only help our current relationships while also creating new opportunity.

 

What does the skate market need right now?

Jamie: I feel the skate market will always need brands with a heart for skateboarding that support those who keep it alive at the retail level. This will be our continuous mission with Fallen, and New Balance Numeric will only strengthen our cause.

 

What role will you play in this new arrangement?

Jamie: I am lending whatever design, marketing and skate business experience I have to the project, New Balance Numeric’s success will only help strengthen Fallen and Black Box Distribution as a whole.

 

See Page 2 for more about the New Balance deal

 

 

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What does this add to Black Box?

Frank Messmann: It adds a great new project that everybody here at Black Box can get motivated and excited about. It adds economies of scale while allowing us to stay focused on skateboarding and specialty retailers.

 

How will Black Box and Westlife divide duties?

Frank: Formally Westlife is responsible for product design and creative development of New Balance Numeric and Black Box will be responsible for manufacturing, logistics, sales and marketing. From a practical perspective Black Box and Westlife will be working quite collaboratively on the design/creative process as well as the marketing strategy and execution.

 

Does Black Box have the infrastructure for this arrangement or will you be adding people, resources, etc.?

Frank Messmann and Mike West. Shop-eat-surf file photo.

Frank: Black Box does have the general infrastructure in place to handle New Balance Numeric out of the gates. Over time we will of course be adding quite a few resources. Having said that there are some areas where we had to add resources right away.

 

First and foremost we hired Sebastian Palmer as the New Balance Numeric Brand Manager. Originally from the UK Sebastian comes to New Balance Numeric with many years of Brand Management experience from some of the most prestigious brands in skateboard footwear.

 

Black Box currently has the licensing and/or distribution agreement with Insight. What do you like about the licensing model? 

Frank: Our agreement with Insight is a combination licensing and distribution agreement. This has now worked well for more than 3 years during which time Insight has grown substantially in the US. Our business model does not necessarily work better with licensed brands and it is not that we prefer to license brands. However we are open to it if there is a good fit and a compelling reason to license as oppose to distribute or acquire.

 

In the case of the New Balance Numeric project the viable option was to license the name and then work closely with New Balance (and Westlife) to make sure our marketing strategy, product and sales channels would be sufficiently complimentary New Balance’s existing marketing strategy, product design and sales channels. With everything I have seen so far I am confident that we will be achieving this.

 

How did this deal come about?

Mike West: Westlife had been doing special footwear collaborations with New Balance through 686 for several years. There was an opportunity to connect New Balance and Black Box around the skateboard market.

 

Is there room in the market for another athletic brand entering skate?

Mike: The market will determine what it determines. In my mind, the foundation of a brand that has 107 years of building the best products in footwear and stands for quality, heritage, performance and excellence is something that will never go out of style. NB# will translate these core competencies into something unique in skateboarding.

 

How will New Balance stand out?

Mike: Our focus on New Balance Numeric is based on doing good business with great partners, while supporting skateboarding. We will make sure that our product is superior and offers a point of differentiation in the marketplace and remain true to what got us into skateboarding in the first place.

 

Frank, Jamie and I all share this common bond and we’re stoked to finally do this.