Burton Snowboards Sees Opportunity As Beijing Bids For Winter Olympics

Burton Snowboards said that China may account for about 10% of sales within 10 years, and the company will "seek to take advantage of Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics bid to add business," according to BLOOMBERG. Burton Founder & Chair Jake Burton Carpenter said, "It depends on lots of resort development, something out of our hands. But I think that giving the mountains here, the snow here, even in the west, there are lots of opportunities." Carpenter said that emerging markets such as China are "becoming more important" to Burlington, Vermont-based Burton as "slower economic growth hurts demand in Europe." He added that China is already a "major production base for the company," accounting for more than 35% of manufacturing (BLOOMBERG, 1/12).