Speedo moves U.S. headquarters to Long Beach ahead

Long Beach’s wager on the Olympics to help reshape its economic system has attracted at least one sportswear company to the port metropolis.

Speedo’s mum or dad company, Pentland Brands, plans to transfer its North American headquarters from Orange County to Long Beach, which has emerged as a hub for aquatic sports activities for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The privately held, U.Okay.-based company that manages a portfolio of fashion and sportswear manufacturers — including outside gear model Berghaus and biking attire model Endura — plans to transfer to a 25,000-square-foot facility at Aero Long Beach this summer season.

Pentland Brands’ North American headquarters has since 2015 been positioned in a 69,000-square-foot workplace in Cypress, a company spokesperson said in an e-mail.

The company cited the Olympics as a driving issue in its determination to transfer.

“Being based in Long Beach places Speedo — a brand trusted by swimmers on the world stage — at the heart of one of the world’s most anticipated sporting events,” the company said in a assertion.

Bo Martinez, the town’s financial development director, said in a assertion that Pentland’s relocation to Long Beach is “a powerful vote of confidence” that strengthens the town’s efforts to “diversify the local economy, create more high-quality jobs and build an ecosystem where creative, forward-thinking companies can thrive.”

Pentland Brands’ Long Beach facility, which can accommodate more than 130 staff, is predicted to embody a devoted Speedo showroom, open workplace space and rooms for product design, according to the assertion.

Long Beach will host 11 sporting occasions during the 2028 Olympics, that are scheduled to run July 14 through July 30, according to an April assertion from the town.

Many are water sports activities, including coastal rowing, open-water swimming, seaside volleyball, crusing, creative swimming and water polo. Also on the lineup are non-water sports activities such as sport climbing, handball and goal capturing.

Events might be unfold across seven venues, including non permanent buildings as effectively as the Long Beach Arena, which hosted occasions during the 1984 Olympics, and Marine Stadium, constructed for the rowing occasions of the 1932 Olympics.

Long Beach will also host seven occasions for the 2028 Paralympics, scheduled to happen from Aug. 15 to Aug. 27, according to the town’s web site.

Long Beach Councilman Daryl Supernaw said in an e-mail to The Times he was “thrilled” for the company behind Speedo to transfer into his district, which encompasses neighborhoods around the Long Beach Airport.

“It is an ideal company to help diversify our economy and [reinforce] the City’s long history in aquatics,” Supernaw wrote.

Long Beach in 2023 unveiled plans to spend over $900 million on infrastructure over the next 5 years, with about $200 million earmarked for Olympics-focused tasks.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson told The Times in 2024 that he thought of the Olympics an alternative for his metropolis, which has long relied on oil income, to “build a new economy.”

Pentland Brands is a division of the Pentland Group, which was based in the Nineteen Thirties as the Liverpool Shoe Co.

In the Nineties, Pentland acquired Speedo International and Speedo Australia. In a transfer to consolidate the global swimwear model, the company purchased Speedo North America from attire company PVH Corp. for $170 million ahead of the Tokyo Summer Olympics that have been postponed to 2021.

Speedo is a major Olympic sponsor and has partnerships with the national swimming governing our bodies in the U.S., Canada, China and Australia, among others.

The Australian swimwear model traces its origins to 1928, when Scottish immigrant Alexander MacRae produced a sleeveless Racerback swimsuit.

Speedo’s tight-fitting fits sparked a transient controversy at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, when a criticism was filed about Australian swimmer Clare Dennis’ uncovered shoulders, according to the Daily Telegraph. The criticism was dismissed and {the teenager} went on to win gold in the 200-meter breaststroke.