Hi-Tec Sports opens new US headquarters in Portland, donates $10,000 to Friends of Trees
By Emily Petterson and Anneli Ballard
Hi-Tec Sports, a leading global outdoor footwear and apparel brand, celebrated the grand opening of its new North American Headquarters in Portland, Oregon on June 16 with an event drawing Mayor Sam Adams, officials from Senator Wyden’s office, prominent business people, and the media. Held in its new downtown Portland location, the event was hosted by Bill Berta, CEO of Hi-Tec Sports USA, and Ed van Wezel, Global CEO of Hi-Tec Sports and son of company founder Frank van Wezel.
The evening event showcased the beautiful Hi-Tec space and provided a glimpse at exciting new product to be launched for Spring 2012. It kicked off with a welcome from Berta and was followed by comments from Patrick Quinton, the Executive Director of the Portland Development Commission, and Mayor Adams. In his remarks, Mayor Adams welcomed Hi-Tec Sports to Portland. He noted that this city is known as a “living laboratory” for outdoor gear and apparel–the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia Gorge, the Cascade mountain range and the high desert are all in close proximity to Portland.
“Portland is the right city for Hi-Tec and Hi-Tec is clearly the right company for Portland,” Mayor Adams said. “When you look at just a sampling of the companies located in the region, it’s a who’s who in the athletic and outdoor world: Nike, Adidas, Columbia, Icebreaker, Pendleton, Danner/LaCrosse–and I am thrilled to add Hi-Tec to that list.”
“We’re truly privileged to have been welcomed as we have into this community,” said Berta. “Portland is such a vibrant city in a wonderful state filled with unmatched outdoor enthusiasts. The location is a natural fit for us and we are looking forward to celebrating our future successes and contributing to those of Portland’s.”
“This year has marked significant change for our company,” noted van Wezel. “Hi-Tec has invested heavily in an exciting new product line for Spring 2012 coupled with four new offices around the globe to set the foundations for future growth. The new global head office opened in Amsterdam last month and the move to Portland from California comes at a time when the South African subsidiary moves from Johannesburg to Cape Town and the Eastern Europe office is due to open in Prague. It was critical for us to identify the right creative environments that will deliver us continued growth, would inspire our team, and that are located in important gateways to the rest of the world. I couldn’t be more pleased with our choices.”
Additionally, a gift of $10,000 was presented by Hi-Tec to Portland’s esteemed nonprofit organization, Friends of Trees (FOT) at the event. Through its Plant It Portland campaign, FOT is spearheading the city’s tree planting effort and has plans to plant a total of 16,000 street trees throughout East Portland neighborhoods over the next three years. This season alone, FOT planted 4,545 trees, 24 percent more than last year.
“This donation is symbolic to us,” continued Berta. “We want to show Portland that we are a business that gives back to the community, and planting trees seemed most appropriate, as we too begin to establish our roots here.”
About Hi-Tec Sports
Founded in 1974 by company Chairman Frank van Wezel, and with annual sales exceeding $250 million, Hi-Tec created the lightweight hiking category with the introduction of the Sierra Sneaker and Sierra Lite hiking boot. Today, Hi-Tec remains true to its heritage, offering technical footwear and apparel for outdoor adventure. With over three decades of product and performance technology innovation, Hi-Tec is committed to making rugged, durable products for work, trails and life, authentically inspired by the real outdoor experience.
Hi-Tec Sports USA is a subsidiary of Hi-Tec Sports, PLC, Amsterdam. Hi-Tec products are sold in over 70 countries worldwide. For more information, visit the Hi-Tec web site and follow us on Facebook and Twitter at twitter/hitecusa.
–Petterson and Ballard work at Lee Weinstein & Associates.