New Exec at Manhattan Beachwear
Long-time swimwear executive Howard Greller has joined Manhattan Beachwear as its vice president of merchandising.
Greller has been in the swimwear business for decades, most recently at Apparel Ventures, where he was president of the BluewaterDesignGroup, a division of Apparel Ventures in Gardena, Calif.
Greller, who was at Apparel Ventures for four years, said he left the company onFeb. 12 because of “philosophical differences.”
Greller’s new duties at Manhattan Beachwear will cover many areas. “In a nutshell, I’ll be overseeing all product development for the company specific to the brands,” he said. Manhattan Beachwear’s brands include Hobie, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, Split and Maxine. “Along the way we hope to develop additional brands through our own or through licensing opportunities,” he added.
In 1987, Greller co-founded the now-defunct swimwear company Beach Patrol. Several years after Greller left, the company was taken over by a receiver to pay debts owed to the swimwear maker’s principal lender. Beach Patrol closed its headquarters in Carson, Calif., in 2006 and had its brands sold off.—Deborah Belgum
