Asics to open 'Product Creation Studio' in Boston

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Mar 30, 2017

Asics America on Wednesday announced that it is establishing a Product Creation Studio in Boston as part of its expansion in the US. The new studio will complement the company’s Global Digital Hub in Boston that opened in spring 2016.

 
The new design studio will house teams specializing in footwear merchandising, apparel design, sales leadership and global performance footwear, according to Asics America President and CEO Gene McCarthy. Asics hired real estate and workplace advisory firm T3 Advisors to locate the space for the Creation Studio, and hired IA Interior Architects to design the office interiors.

The Japanese sportswear company's American subsidiary first established a presence in Boston in spring 2016 with the $85 million acquisition of Fitnesskeeper, Inc., a global fitness tracker. The Digital Hub was built after the acquisition.

Key members of Asics’ executive leadership team will be based in Boston including Andrew Richard, VP of North American Commerce; global executives Craig Gillian, Takaaki Kondo, and Kazuya Kawakami, who serve as GM of Digital Commerce, GM of Multi-Channel Marketing and GM of Consumer IT, respectively; and recent hire David Ayers, VP of Apparel Merchandising.

Asics expands its presence in Boston following the opening of Converse's and New Balance's respective headquarters. Reebok also announced in December 2016 that it would move its headquarters to the city.
 
In addition, Asics is currently in a legal battle with Adidas for allegedly copying elements of the German sporting company’s fitness app. According to Adidas, the My Asics mobile app is in breach of 10 patents registered to Adidas’ fitness app. In 2014, Adidas filed a similar suit against Under Armour.