Brooks announces first Asian Subsidiary, Brooks Sports K. K. (Japan), release, note by Larry Eder

Brooks Running, the number one performance footwear brand in the US in run specialty, has announced its first Asian subsidiary, Brooks Sports K. K., in Japan. The Japanese running footwear culture is the launch site for many new technologies in our sport. Brooks Sports K. K. will begin operations in 2012.

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Brooks Sports Brings Run Happy Spirit to

World’s Second Largest Running Market

Leading Running Brand Bolsters Global Presence with Japanese Subsidiary

Bothell, Wash. – Feb. 2, 2012 – Leading running brand Brooks Sports, Inc. (www.brooksrunning.com)
today announced an important mile marker in global brand growth: It
will open its first Asian subsidiary, Brooks Sports K. K., in the
world’s second largest running market, Japan. Partnering with Custom
Produce INC. (CPI), Brooks will bring its industry-award-winning
emphasis on customer service and its unique Run Happy approach to the
Japanese market in 2012.

“To
reach our goal to be the leader in performance running by 2020, we need
partners who share our passion for running and an appreciation for our
Run Happy spirit,” said Jim Weber, president and CEO of Brooks Sports,
Inc. “CPI is that partner for us in Japan. They share our values and an
understanding for what it takes to build a premium brand. We look
forward to working closely with them to introduce Brooks to Japan’s 28
million runners.”

Brooks
K. K. was officially launched to Japanese retailers and media on Jan.
24, 2012, in Tokyo at a retail selling exhibition known as a “Tenjikai.”
As the brand’s first step in growing the Asia-Pacific region, the event
drew incredibly positive retail response, leading Brooks to double its
2012 forecast for the Japanese market.

“We
are very excited about this new partnership with Brooks and the sales
potential for the brand in the Japanese running market,” said Sadao
Goukon, president of CPI. “We believe in the quality and innovation of
Brooks’ products and that CPI will be able to grow Brooks into a major
running brand in Japan. We look forward to taking the next steps to
reach that goal.”

Brooks
K. K. is the second international subsidiary for Brooks Sports, Inc.
Brooks opened its first subsidiary in Germany nearly a decade ago.
Focusing on Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Brooks EMEA experienced
sales revenue growth of nearly 40 percent in 2011, relative to 2010, and
more than 600 percent since its inception.

With
product in more than 60 countries worldwide, Brooks is seeing brand
momentum across the globe. In 2011, its international business grew by
26 percent, relative to 2010.

Photographs courtesy of Brooks Running

About Brooks
Brooks
Sports, Inc. is a leading running company that designs and markets a
line of performance footwear, apparel, and accessories in more than 60
countries worldwide. A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Brooks was
founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Bothell, Wash., near Seattle.
The company’s mission is to inspire everyone to run and be active by
creating innovative gear that keeps them running longer, farther, and
faster. Visit www.brooksrunning.com for more information, and follow frequent brand updates on Twitter (@brooksrunning) and Facebook (www.Facebook.com/brooksrunning).

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 50-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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