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World Industries
World Industries is an American brand that offers skateboarding products, accessories and clothing. The company was founded by Steve Rocco in 1989. Later that year, Rocco was joined by skater, Rodney Mullen, and then Mike Vallely. As of 2014, World Industries operates under GVS America, a subsidiary of INA Sports Inc. & FGL Sports Ltd. The company also makes and sells longboards.
The company was initially known for its cavalier attitude through its marketing and handling of their team riders, most notably through their use of attack ads mocking rival skate companies as well as board designs that are either deemed offensive or bordering towards copyright infringement, with which they simply brush off any cease-and-desist letters they receive from companies such as Disney and the Church of Scientology among others.
In late-1989, Mark Gonzales approached Rocco with the desire to be involved in his own company. Gonzales was riding for Vision, which was one of the top 3 skateboard companies in the world at the time, alongside Santa Cruz and Powell Peralta. Gonzales and Rocco decided to name the company Blind, in contrast to Gonzales' former sponsor. Jason Lee, who was, at the time, a World Industries team member, assisted with the development of the brand.
In 1991, wanting to break from H-Street, co-founder Mike Ternasky formed the company Plan B with an exclusive production and distribution alliance with World Industries. In the deal, Plan B marketed itself from San Diego while World Industries did the rest, paying a royalty fee to Plan B.[citation needed] Mike Ternasky was able to convince perennial freestyle world champion[citation needed] Rodney Mullen to switch to street skating thus becoming a member of the Plan B team.[citation needed]
In September 1993, Rick Howard defected with seven other riders from the fold of World Industries and started Girl. Mike Ternasky was killed in a car accident in 1994. Plan B and World Industries parted ways in 1997, and was run by Danny Way and Colin McKay, closing its doors shortly thereafter in 1998. In March 2005, Plan B was resurrected by team member and part-owner, Danny Way.
The years of 1996 to 1999 were years of significant restructuring and explosive growth for the company, led by the newly appointed executives, and subsequent shareholders, CEO Frank Messman and CFO Scott Drouillard. By the end of 1998, World Industries and Blind had achieved the status of number one and number two brands in skateboard hardgoods.[citation needed] This was in large part due to the re-positioning of the brands with Marc McKee's hugely popular cartoon characters of Devil Man, Flame Boy and Wet Willy for World Industries, and the "Blind Reaper" for Blind.[citation needed]
In October 1998, Steve Rocco and his then five other shareholder partners (including Rodney Mullen, Frank Messmann, and Scott Drouillard), sold a 70% majority interest of the company to an outside private equity group, SPC, while maintaining all key management and employees.[citation needed] The company was valued at $29 million at the point of sale. A parent company emerged by the name of Kubic Marketing ("Kubic") which owned World Industries and Dwindle Distribution.
In 1999, the parent company Kubic bought the then-largest retailer (catalog and internet) CCS in the skateboard industry for $21 million. In 2000, due to financial issues, the company sold CCS to Alloy, a publicly listed company for approximately $50 million.
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World Industries
World Industries is an American brand that offers skateboarding products, accessories and clothing. The company was founded by Steve Rocco in 1989. Later that year, Rocco was joined by skater, Rodney Mullen, and then Mike Vallely. As of 2014, World Industries operates under GVS America, a subsidiary of INA Sports Inc. & FGL Sports Ltd. The company also makes and sells longboards.
The company was initially known for its cavalier attitude through its marketing and handling of their team riders, most notably through their use of attack ads mocking rival skate companies as well as board designs that are either deemed offensive or bordering towards copyright infringement, with which they simply brush off any cease-and-desist letters they receive from companies such as Disney and the Church of Scientology among others.
In late-1989, Mark Gonzales approached Rocco with the desire to be involved in his own company. Gonzales was riding for Vision, which was one of the top 3 skateboard companies in the world at the time, alongside Santa Cruz and Powell Peralta. Gonzales and Rocco decided to name the company Blind, in contrast to Gonzales' former sponsor. Jason Lee, who was, at the time, a World Industries team member, assisted with the development of the brand.
In 1991, wanting to break from H-Street, co-founder Mike Ternasky formed the company Plan B with an exclusive production and distribution alliance with World Industries. In the deal, Plan B marketed itself from San Diego while World Industries did the rest, paying a royalty fee to Plan B.[citation needed] Mike Ternasky was able to convince perennial freestyle world champion[citation needed] Rodney Mullen to switch to street skating thus becoming a member of the Plan B team.[citation needed]
In September 1993, Rick Howard defected with seven other riders from the fold of World Industries and started Girl. Mike Ternasky was killed in a car accident in 1994. Plan B and World Industries parted ways in 1997, and was run by Danny Way and Colin McKay, closing its doors shortly thereafter in 1998. In March 2005, Plan B was resurrected by team member and part-owner, Danny Way.
The years of 1996 to 1999 were years of significant restructuring and explosive growth for the company, led by the newly appointed executives, and subsequent shareholders, CEO Frank Messman and CFO Scott Drouillard. By the end of 1998, World Industries and Blind had achieved the status of number one and number two brands in skateboard hardgoods.[citation needed] This was in large part due to the re-positioning of the brands with Marc McKee's hugely popular cartoon characters of Devil Man, Flame Boy and Wet Willy for World Industries, and the "Blind Reaper" for Blind.[citation needed]
In October 1998, Steve Rocco and his then five other shareholder partners (including Rodney Mullen, Frank Messmann, and Scott Drouillard), sold a 70% majority interest of the company to an outside private equity group, SPC, while maintaining all key management and employees.[citation needed] The company was valued at $29 million at the point of sale. A parent company emerged by the name of Kubic Marketing ("Kubic") which owned World Industries and Dwindle Distribution.
In 1999, the parent company Kubic bought the then-largest retailer (catalog and internet) CCS in the skateboard industry for $21 million. In 2000, due to financial issues, the company sold CCS to Alloy, a publicly listed company for approximately $50 million.