Op Hires New President
Irvine, Calif.–based Ocean Pacific Apparel Corp., a subsidiary of The Warnaco Group Inc., announced this week the appointment of Gary Hunt as president of Op Apparel USA. The position is new. A former executive at Melmarc Productions, a Santa Ana, Calif.–based textile printing company, Hunt will be responsible for the design, merchandising and sales of Op’s sportswear and swimwear lines in the United States. He will report to Dick Baker, president of Op.
A veteran of the surf apparel industry, Hunt was formerly president of worldwide apparel at Globe International and vice president of product development and sourcing at Pacific Sunwear.
“Gary brings strong product development and management skills that will support our aggressive long-term plans for the business,” Baker said in a statement.
In 2005, Op began to reposition itself in the market as a better lifestyle brand. The company, which had licensed the rights to produce young men’s, boys’, juniors’ and girls’ apparel to Irvine-based Rays Apparel in 1994, brought its design and production back in-house under the Warnaco umbrella. As part of its new, more high-end image, Op has begun to limit its distribution to department stores and better boutiques.
Warnaco reduced its expected fiscal 2005 revenues this month to about $1.5 billion, which represents a 5.7 percent increase over fiscal 2004. —Erin Barajas
