This big Canadian producer of waterproof boots has been expanding its presence on the European market since it first exhibited at the Ispo show in Munich at the beginning of last year. Jean-Marc Groell, a former executive of Columbia Sportswear who has been taking care of Kodiak's business in Europe, has launched the brand in France, Switzerland, Germany, the U.K., Denmark, Finland and Norway.
In Norway, Kodiak has signed a distribution agreement with Vertikal AS, which has been representing another big Canadian competitor, Kamik, for 11 years. Vertikal sold that business to the former distributor of Sorel in the country, Portland Norge, after the brand was acquired by Columbia. It still represents brands such as Asolo, Lowe Alpine and Outdoor Research.
Groell is seriously looking now into other new markets for the brand such as the Netherlands, Sweden and Russia, talking to several potential candidates and conducting product tests. Meanwhile, Groell has added a new role as managing director of KT Europe. In this position, he is now also responsible for Kodiak's range of lifestyle footwear and for Terra, the industrial work and safety boot business of the Canadian group.
Groell's 16-year experience in the European footwear sector includes working for Columbia as director of footwear for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region and for Hi-Tec Sports as European sales and marketing manager.
Unfortunately, we have been unable to obtain a figure for Kodiak's outdoor footwear business for our annual rugged outdoor footwear chart. All in all, the Kodiak group is estimated to be generating annual sales of about $110 million. Based in Kitchener, Ontario, it produces around three million pairs a year, with more than 10 percent made at its remaining Canadian factory in Newfoundland. The totals include sales at its 30 Work Authority stores in Canada and the footwear operations of Dickies, which bought the company five years ago.
Aside from the work and safety boot business, more than 20,000 pairs of Kodiak boots are now sold in Europe every year through about 300 points of sale, mostly for the winter season, and about half of them are for children. The focus is on outdoor and sporting goods stores. For the autumn/winter 2013/14 season, Kodiak's new clients include the French Au Vieux Campeur chain, Ochsner Sport in Switzerland and some 50 new stores in Germany. It has been selling already to Baechli and Transa in Switzerland.
