PMZ International

Internationalizing Footwear Brands

Background

Phil Zwibel
A Footwear Business Advisory Internationalizing Shoe Businesses

Trade Facilitation:

  • Managed a project in Colombia with Colombian shoe factories to build export expertise to take advantage of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
  • Managed a Project in Indonesia to increase footwear exports to Canada www.tpsaproject.com
  • Managed a Project in Ukraine to take advantage of the Free Trade agreement.www.cutisproject.org

International Expertise: 

  • Opened and supervised buying offices across Europe and the Far East.
  • Distribution agreements in the EU, Russia, Canada and the U.S.A.
  • Secured Agreement with Stride Rite USA and Clarke’s U. K. for BATA Weatherguard™ brand.
  • One of 13 executives invited by BATA to analyze and report on the Czech Shoe Industry.

Product Development:               

  • Product development  expertise in high fashion, comfort, athletic, children’s, protective.                                
  • Sat on Wilson Sporting Goods product development committee.                           Presented Product Development Award by BATA. 

Manufacturing Experience:   

  • Supervised staff of 600, running Canada’s largest footwear production, making 1.2  million pairs annually.   
  • Initiated and supervised TQM implementation resulting in reduced WIP, shorter lead times, quality improvement and increasing sales.                          Advised and implemented on modernization of all leather production at ROOTS™ Canada. 

Brand distribution and Licensing: 

  • Secured licenses from:  Disney, Warner Bros, NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball  and many others.   
  • Secured international  distribution agreements for Brooks, PUMA, Avia, Propet, Aquatalia, Steve Madden, Naturalizer, Betula by Birkenstock and many others.
  • Launched ECCO™ in  Canada.
  • Launched Benetton Footwear.      
  • Expanded Roots™ footwear both nationally and internationally.                             Launched REPLAY, ETRO  and MISSONI footwear brands in North America, securing business with  the top luxury retailers achieving sales of $2.5 Million.                             
  • Merged two disparate  divisions of BATA, with previously competitive strategies into one  company while engineering a bottom line turnaround of $2.5 Million.                             
  • Launched Germany’s  3rd largest ladies shoe company in North America, building the business from $0 to $3 million in two years.                            
  • Represents inventors securing patents and international  sales agreements.                            
  • Ongoing business relations with the top retailers,  wholesalers and brands.              

Retail:                            

  • Bought for a national chain of shoe stores, growing from accessory buyer through all  categories and genders to Merchandise Manager.                                                                          Instituted perpetual  inventory system that streamlined reporting and reaction times and increased sales.

Publications:                                                         

  • Publisher of The Eyefull Report™. A trend survey of the top five global shoe shows. Subscribers were international in scope and included adidas (Germany), ALDO and Nine West(USA).
  • Publisher and Editor of The Farquard™ Report. A secret shopper analysis of the Canadian shoe retail scene. Subscribers were all national retailers.
  • Wrote The Market  Report on Footwear for Trade Facilitation Office Canada.