Jon dennis images

US licencing specialist ADAO launches in Europe

American licenced watch specialist ADAO Global has launched into European markets with new headquarters in the UK.

Jon Dennis, director of newly established ADAO Europe Ltd based in Farnham, is responsible for growing the company’s network of distributors, agents and retailers across Europe to help grow the profile of the Soleus and Columbia sportswear watch brands it designs, manufactures, distributes and sells.

Dennis said: “I have enjoyed building the Soleus brand from ADAO Global in the UK over the last five years. We have seen the market growing year on year as more people get into mass participation sports and there is a real need for affordable, yet quality specialist sports watches.

“With the launch of the Soleus GO! Fitness Tracker, Soleus is also moving into the fast-growing wearable technology market. IDC has reported that total global wearable technology sales will exceed 19 million units this year. By 2018, international sales will hit 111.9 million units. This presents an exciting opportunity. It is fitness trackers, like the GO! that will see the mainstream consumer using wearable tech. Soleus will be launching two more products in this market later this year. We look forward to growing the brand further across Europe.”

Josh Arnold, of Texas-based ADAO Global, said: “Our goal is to further establish and expand ADAO in Europe. In particular we have seen Soleus Sports Watches, under the leadership of Jon Dennis, go from strength-to-strength in the UK over the last five years. We have worked with Jon in his capacity as managing director of Fit Brands. Fit Brands is a distributor and sales agency specifically created to introduce US sporting goods companies and their products to the UK specialty retail market. This successful partnership has driven our decision to create a new European company. Europe is a key market for us and we continue to see our brands gaining ground in this territory. The opportunity this presents is that we may see growth in Europe outstrip that in the US.”

Soleus watches are already available in Selfridges, speciality sports stores and in the British Airways in-flight magazine.

James Buttery

Editor of WatchPro, the WatchPro Hot 100 and The Luxury Report.

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