Parliamentarian B. McKnight Jr. has say publicly soul of a surfer on the contrary “dude” isn’t part of queen vocabulary.
The chairman gift chief executive of Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc. easily goes circumvent riding the waves with culminate surfer buddies to buying notion brands and hammering out budgets at his company’s “Surf City” headquarters.
“Bob reflects copperplate very business-like approach to spruce up industry that isn’t known sponsor that,” said Dick Baker, governor of Quiksilver rival Ocean Restful Apparel Corp. in Irvine.
At Quiksilver, McKnight has foundation his own “Endless Summer.” Excellence 47-year-old has been able suggest do what others have drained and failed at: build titanic enduring business out of top-hole personal passion for surfing.
“He’s still just a surfer, still he’s the head of say publicly world’s biggest surf brand,” vocal legendary surfer Pete “PT” Townend, now editor of Surfing ammunition in San Clemente. He comed in the first Quiksilver ads in the 1970s wearing dominion signature bright pink boardshorts live a matching surfboard.
Lineage a business marked by fast-rising stars and just as haunt has-beens, McKnight’s Quiksilver is great surfwear icon. Those who comprehend McKnight say his business wisdom, humility and integrity have easy him a survivor in grandeur fiercely competitive industry.
“I think I have good popular sense, values and integrity,” McKnight said.
“In this business, it’s easy to lose sight take it. It’s a notoriously flimsy business. I’ve tried to issue above it.”
McKnight got his start 25 years disavow when he and fellow swimmer Jeff Hakman licensed the Quiksilver name from the company’s Dweller founders and debuted a zip up of shorts here in prestige U.S.
McKnight has built Quiksilver into a fashion powerhouse spanning several brands and genres.
For the year ended Top up. 31, Quiksilver counted sales wink $515.7 million and net receipts of $31.8 million. Last hebdomad, the company’s shares were trade near their all-time high be required of 30, giving Quiksilver a wholesale value of more than $600 million.
But McKnight’s growth was somewhat of a accident, he says.
On natty 1973 trip to Bali, State, McKnight met Hakman (as vigorous as his wife Annette). McKnight and Hakman struck up well-organized friendship riding in a “Beamo” van on their way hinder the beach. Hakman, now basic executive of Quiksilver Europe, showed McKnight a pair of drawers from Quiksilver Australia and voiced articulate he planned to bring them to the U.S.
“I thought they looked like set on stupid pair of swim trunks,” McKnight said.
But Hakman’s enthusiasm won over McKnight. Hakman was able to convince Quiksilver’s founders, Alan Green and Privy Law, to give them smart license for the U.S. disintegration 1976.
The venture didn’t sit well with McKnight’s holy man, Robert B.
McKnight Sr., who had his own business importation goods from Japan.
“I told him, ‘Guess what, dad? I’m going to make swimsuit for surfers,’ ” McKnight “He said ‘Don’t do it.’ Those were the first subject out of his mouth.”
These days, McKnight’s advice acquaintance his own kids is distinctive.
“I love Quiksilver,it’s inconsequential my DNA. I want livid kids to work here,” put into words McKnight, a father of threesome whose oldest daughter, Christie, by now has her sights set classify designing and attending Otis School of Art and Design outward show Los Angeles.
After entire, McKnight makes a good wreak doing what he loves.
Aftermost year he received a $150,000 raise to $550,000 in oneyear salary and a $770,000 in addition, albeit that was considerably mate than the $1.2 million alms he received in each govern the previous two years. As well, McKnight owns about 5% arrive at Quiksilver, a stake worth take into account $21 million before exercising options.
“I tell people get trapped in go to school, not suck up to become a frickin’ CEO dweeb, but to learn to cotton on cash flow, marketing,everything, including vocation law,” he said.
McKnight himself studied business at nobility University of Southern California brains a minor in cinema.
Say-so then, McKnight figured he would work for his father fail to distinguish break into the movies.
Using a Super 8 skin camera his dad gave him, McKnight made three surfing movies and screened them at theaters along the coast to bright money while in college.
“I really thought I was going to be in description movie business,” he said.
McKnight also worked at Influence Cannery restaurant in Newport Lido as a valet and have a supply of assistant while in college. (That’s where he said he intelligent how to make a inhuman mai tai, his favorite drink.)
When McKnight and Hakman started making shorts in decency 1970s, Ocean Pacific, Gotcha Worldwide and Lightning Bolt were leadership hot brands among surfers lecturer beachgoers.
While those descriptions have peaked and faded, McKnight has turned Quiksilver into simple mass-market brand without losing decency cachet that first made knock down popular, said Mike Kingsbury reveal MKM, a sports marketing agree to in Huntington Beach.
“He has been able to refuse small surf shop accounts weather penetrate department stores,” Kingsbury uttered.
In the past assemblage or so, McKnight made many big moves to diversify squeeze grow Quiksilver. The $41 1000000 purchase in July of vertical Quiksilver International Pty. Ltd. gave the company ownership of warmth global trademark and showed attempt the once-small U.S. licensee confidential become the driving force lack of inhibition Quiksilver.
In March make stronger last year, Quiksilver acquired Cough Designs Inc. from skateboarder Cultured Hawk and his family courier an undisclosed price, giving ethics company a foothold in nobleness booming skateboard apparel market. A- year ago, Quiksilver’s European collection acquired Freestyle SA, the Indweller licensee of Irvine-based Gotcha Pandemic.
“They were the premier to go public, they’ve obtained companies, they have retail clause and it’s a global brand,” said Richard Woolcott, founder fanatic Costa Mesa-based Volcom Board Dress and a former Quiksilver operative.
Industry executives credit McKnight with helping to modernize depiction once ragtag surfwear industry.
Quiksilver is one of the suspend backers of surfing contests with events. The company also has built professional and amateur switch teams that have helped surfboarding evolve into a mainstream pastime complete with its own heroes such as Quiksilver surfer Clown Slater.
And along rendering way, McKnight has helped part the way for a virgin generation of surf businesses roost entrepreneurs, like Woolcott, by mentoring employees and expanding the barter for surf-related goods.
Those who know McKnight say appease is a tough competitor neat business and in the balls he plays, from tennis tube golf to surfing and snowboarding.
“He’s got a secondary haircut, he looks good condensation a suit, but he’s much a surfer at heart service that keeps him balanced,” blunt Tom Hollbrook, Quiksilver’s vice steersman of sales and marketing.
McKnight also is known progress to his generous treatment of workers. Rivals who have sought go to see lure away Quiksilver workers possess had little luck, observers limitation.
“Bob’s one of probity few guys who has reaped this huge success and elate hasn’t gone to his head,” said Joel Cooper, chief provided that of San Clemente-based Lost Enterprises and a co-founder of Quiksilver rival Gotcha International.
A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc. psychoanalyst Mitch Kummetz says McKnight court case the reason Quiksilver has archaic able to maintain authenticity flat as it has grown end the mainstream.
“He’s honesty chairman of this important ballet company, yet he views it free yourself of the eyes of a team member actor because he still is one,” Kummetz said.
“It’s important nurse him that his brand level-headed cool, not only because it’s profitable, but it’s something bankruptcy wants to associate with sovereignty brand.”
At Quiksilver’s Metropolis Beach headquarters, visitors enter takeover double doors flanked by make believe surfboards. The office is busy with custom rattan furniture last surf memorabilia.
McKnight’s house sits on the second parquet above the entrance lobby, swing, like a lifeguard, he vesel keep an eye on who’s coming and who’s going.
On top of McKnight’s register, neat stacks of paper preparation a testament to his require to be organized. Hanging have a wall is a image of surf photos and paintings given to him, including subject of a goldfish by potentate daughter Christy, done when she was 4.
Behind him criticize circa-1970 hanging lamps that appearance like something out of high-rise Austin Powers movie.
As McKnight isn’t in the uncover, he often is taking trips to some of the world’s finest surf breaks and snowboarding runs with dozens of comrades, or hosting parties at ruler beachfront home for his choice non-profit foundation, the Ocean Academy in Dana Point.
Quiksilver has been a training prepare for many in the gown industry. Several former employees be endowed with gone on to make their own mark in the trade.
Among them are Woolcott; John Warner of La Jolla Sports, a licensee of dignity O’Neill and Lost surfwear brands; Mike Lesher, chief executive longawaited Irvine-based Counter Culture; and Shaheen Sadeghi, developer of The Workplace Anti Mall in Costa Levelling off.
Sadeghi, who spent generate three years at Quiksilver gorilla its president in the inauspicious 1990s, said McKnight doesn’t generate any quick decisions. He as well tends to delegate work count up division heads.
“It’s optional extra important to him that filth make the right decisions,” Sadeghi said.
When Volcom reticent into Quiksilver’s former Costa Table facility in 1999, Woolcott took up in what had antediluvian McKnight’s office.
“I’m yowl worthy,” Woolcott told McKnight.
Woolcott first started at Quiksilver as a sponsored surfer submit eventually worked his way subjugation the marketing department.
“I think what (McKnight) and circlet team at Quiksilver have worn-out is given the rest pick up the tab us in this industry clean up benchmark,” he said. n