11 Feb Wolverine Worldwide Named ‘Company Of The Year,’ Receives Five 2013 Plus Awards
Wolverine Worldwide (NYSE: WWW) and its brands have been honored with five Plus Awards, including Company of the Year, a high-profile distinction conferred annually by retailers nationwide. The awards were announced at an event hosted by the Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY) and the footwear trade publication, Footwear Plus.
Footwear Plus launched the Plus Awards for Excellence in Design 15 years ago and each year features awards in a variety of different categories. The Plus Awards are unique because they are voted on by thousands of U.S. retailers, including department stores, outdoor specialty stores and independent retailers.
This year, Wolverine Worldwide received top accolades in the following key categories:
-- Wolverine Worldwide, Company of the Year -- Wolverine Worldwide was also
named Company of the Year at the 2011 and 2012 Plus awards, making this
its third consecutive win. Wolverine Worldwide is the parent Company of
16 dynamic lifestyle brands that market footwear, apparel and accessories
in every corner of the world. With an industry-leading portfolio of
brands, including brands such as Merrell, Sperry Top-Sider, Saucony, Cat
Footwear and Sebago, the Company has more than 1,000 years of combined
brand equity and is committed to developing, marketing and distributing
products that bring style to purpose and consistently exceed consumer
expectations. Through a strong global network of partners, the Company
annually markets approximately 100 million units of footwear, apparel and
accessories around the world, with sales approaching $3.0 billion. The
Company also owns and operates over 460 stores and 60 websites globally
through its consumer direct operations.
-- Sperry Top-Sider, Brand of the Year -- Sperry Top-Sider has been a
footwear leader and icon of American style since Paul Sperry invented the
world's first boat shoe in 1935. As the brand's momentum and leadership
in boat shoes has grown, Sperry has successfully expanded into new
classifications designed specifically for all wearing occasions in, on
and around the water. In addition to the brand's high-performance
technical product, Sperry Top-Sider is also the leading casual footwear
company in the U.S. for Men's and #2 for Women's, according to recent NPD
data; evolving into a global performance and lifestyle choice for those
who share the brand's "Passion for the Sea."
-- Wolverine, Work Boots -- The Company's Wolverine brand has been honored
in the Work category an unprecedented 14 times in the 15 years the Plus
Awards have been given. Wolverine first introduced its comfort technology
in 1992 with exclusive, patented innovations such as Wolverine
DuraShocks(R). Wolverine has since built on this tradition with a long
line of proprietary comfort systems that include Wolverine DuraShocks
SR(R), Wolverine Fusion(R), Wolverine MultiShox(R), Wolverine Contour
Welt(R) and its most recent introduction, Wolverine ICS(R). Since its
inception in 1883, Wolverine has designed and built innovative products
and continues to lead the U.S. work/utility market.
-- Keds, Athletic Lifestyle -- In 1916, Keds redefined footwear with the
introduction of the Champion sneaker. The simple and chic design ignited
a style revolution, capturing the hearts of girls everywhere from fashion
icons to the girl next door. Today, Keds is breaking out internationally
as the sweetest, boldest, sneaker on earth, helping a new generation of
brave girls step out and shine. This spring, Keds is launching its new
campaign "Million Brave Acts", starring teen icon Taylor Swift. The
campaign builds on Keds' partnership with Taylor Swift, and introduces
the Keds Brave Life Project, a pioneering new program that will encourage
girls to take positive risks, develop practical skills and build
supportive networks.
-- Merrell, Outdoor -- Merrell is an outdoor brand that empowers people to
challenge themselves in the great outside. The brand's mission is to
inspire people to "Achieve. Never Settle. Hit the Trail. OUT. PERFORM."
Merrell is for seekers of outside challenges, personal firsts and those
who seize the outside today--not this weekend. Built on a proud history
and a led by a passionate team comprised of outdoor enthusiasts, gear
testers and people inspired to achieve outside -- Merrell shoe, clothes,
and accessories are high quality and built to be used on the trail --
right out of the box or off the hanger.
“We are very proud to receive the Footwear Plus Company of the Year Award for the third year in a row,” commented Blake Krueger, Wolverine Worldwide Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “This recognition and the other Plus awards for our brands are extra special to us because they are voted on by our numerous retail partners across the United States. Delivering our very best to those partners and creating powerful brand experiences with our consumers is something to which our entire team is dedicated every single day.”
Greg Dutter, Editorial Director of Footwear Plus magazine also commented, “Congratulations to Wolverine Worldwide for again being recognized by an influential list of retailers. By receiving an impressive five Plus Awards for 2013, Wolverine Worldwide has certainly cemented its status as a leader in the footwear industry.”