Beach Patrol Weathers Storm Damage
Carson, Calif.–based swimwear manufacturer Beach Patrol Inc.—maker of Esprit Beach, L.E.I., Baja Blue, Jag and Rebel Beach—suspended its operations for three days after a 40-by-40-foot section of the swim manufacturer’s rooftop collapsed during heavy rainstorms in Southern California on Christmas Day. Although nobody was injured in the incident, a broken water pipe caused further damage throughout the building’s interior, the company said.
“There is significant damage, but it’s certainly something we will recover from,” said Beach Patrol President John Wickham.
The company has not yet determined the total amount of damage caused by the incident, Wickham said. He said the distribution center, where aisles of swimwear on racks were exposed to rain, was hit the hardest by the incident. Wickham said most of the affected inventory is for the current season. A portion of that inventory was intended for backup orders, he said.
Beach Patrol has separated about 15 percent to 25 percent of its entire swimwear inventory— roughly 150,000 units—for closer inspection. The company has hired about 100 workers to help sort through boxes of swimwear and other damaged goods. Located in an industrial park, Beach Patrol’s 100,000-square-foot facility is about 32 years old, Wickham said. The building houses administration and sales offices, a design and cutting facility, a raw-material warehouse, and a distribution center.
To minimize shipping delays, the company has relocated its inventory to a nearby warehouse facility.
In the meantime, sales reps have been calling retailers to explain what happened.
“We’ve contacted every major account and advised them of any possible delay, and all of them have been extraordinarily understanding,” Wickham said, adding the company will be “fully on track and operational” by Jan. 5.
—Claudia Figueroa
