The new agreement was announced in New York on March 16, at Manhattan's Seven World Trade Centre building. Joining PGB managing director Grahame Jenkins on the 40th floor were Ireland's Prime Minister Brian Cowen and Calvin Klein Inc.'s CEO and president Tom Murry, at a reception hosted by Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government agency responsible for driving growth of Irish companies in international markets. The occasion was covered by broadcasters CNBC in the United States and by RTE in Ireland.
PGB had already been European distributor for Calvin Klein Golf since the brand's introduction to the sport in 2008, but the new long-term agreement allows PGB to source, manufacture and distribute Calvin Klein Golf apparel worldwide, and to extend the offering to accessories and golf-related products.
"We are very proud to be working with Calvin Klein," says Jenkins, who intends to keep the production and manufcature of Calvin Klein Golf in-house at PGB in Cork, where he will be adding to his full-time staff of 47. "Calvin Klein is a fantastic company to be associated with and we are in no doubt we can grow the Calvin Klein Golf brand worldwide. This deal is a significant milestone in our company's development as our first global appointment."
The rollout of Calvin Klein Golf promises to be rapid, with the Spring 2009 range already available in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Finland, Turkey, and Sweden. The range is scheduled to be available throughout Europe by the end of June, and distribution is planned to reach Dubai, North America, Africa and Asia in time for Spring 2010.
"Premium Golf Brands is an exceptional choice for Calvin Klein as we expand our presence in the global golf market," adds Murry. "We are confident the company understands the importance we associate with the brand and has the skills, market knowledge, and relationships to take Calvin Klein to the international golf market."
The American brand is renowned for its sophisticated clothing with clean lines and classic cuts, and beyond golf, its men's underwear is perhaps the most famous in the world.
"We fully intend to make Calvin Klein a very serious player in the golf industry," Jenkins tells SGB Golf. "There is no reason why Calvin Klein cannot be as big a brand in golf as some of the other household fashion brands such as Ralph Lauren. We have every intention of introducing new products but we have no details on them just yet."
PGB owns the Dwyers & Co. and Green Lamb apparel brands, and holds the European licenses for Pukka, Fairway and Greene, Zero Restriction and Cutter and Buck.
Calvin Klein Autumn-Winter 2009 revealed
SGB Golf has been given an exclusive preview of Calvin Klein Golf's Autumn-Winter 2009 Collection.
A range that promises quality rather than quantity, it comes in two colour stories: 5th Avenue (Charcoal, Claret and Silver) and Central Park (Black, Silver). The collection features round-neck, crew-neck and zip-neck sweaters in lambswool and Merino, polo shirts, trousers and outerwear.
One of the new introductions is Calvin Klein Golf's first base layer garment, which has been designed to combine fashion with performance, and will be available in black or white.
"We have put together a tight collection of extreme quality," says Grahame Jenkins. "All the products are very highly finished, and items such as the lined sweaters have been made with the finest Merino wool. The range offers a blend of fashion and technology, all in the traditional Calvin Klein look and appeal. It carries the Calvin Klein brand very well."
