Brooks Sports Inc. President and CEO Helen Rockey was
recruited away from Nike in '94 as a "turnaround specialist" to
help pull Brooks out of its "financial rut," according to the
PUGET SOUND BUSINESS JOURNAL. Overhauling the product line was
Rockey's "first, most crucial" step. The Bothell, WA-based
Brooks redesigned shoes with a "speedier aesthetic," including
"an aerodynamic tweak here, a dash of neon there and a new quick
lacing or velcro straps on certain models." Brooks' latest move
is an "aggressive" push into apparel. Next spring, the company
will debut a complete line of "technical" running and fitness
clothing, "its biggest ever," to fill the demand for "head-to-
toe" athletic gear. Rockey says Brooks "won't be a retailer's
largest brand," but it can be "its most profitable." Year-to-
date sales for the company are up 30% over '95, and last year,
Brooks registered double-digit sales improvements "at home and
abroad." Specifically, domestic revenue rose to $27M in '95,
compared to $23M in '94, and overseas revenue increased to $63M
in '95, up from $55M in '94 (Nancy Kim, PUGET SOUND BUSINESS
JOURNAL, 7/8 issue).