Saturday, May 19, 2007
DUBAI (Dow Jones)--Nike Inc. will open its first Middle East corporate office in Dubai in 2007 as the athletic shoe and clothing maker eyes expansion into the oil-rich region, an official said Saturday.
"We want to be closer to our customers," Netherlands-based Hans Van Willige, General Manager of Nike CEMEA distributions, told Dow Jones Newswires on the sidelines of a conference in Jordan.
The Beaverton, Oregon-based Nike's brands include Converse, Nike Bauer Hockey and Cole Haan as well as its namesake label.
The company also wants to take advantage of the growing markets in the region and boost sales by having a greater input, Willige said.
"We want to have more control over the brand," he said. "For example, we see marketing as an investment, while our suppliers see it as an expense," he said.
-By Ayesha Daya, Dow Jones Newswires; +9714 364 4962; ayesha.daya@dowjones.com
Copyright (c) 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
19-05-07 1309GMT
