For weeks, paper signs posted in store windows, on telephone poles and on bus stops in Scotts Valley have announced the final warehouse sale for Sessions, the internationally recognized snowboard, skateboard and surf apparel company.
The warehouse is closing and will move to New Jersey, where Samsung America, the U.S. arm of the Korean electronics giant, will handle Sessions warehouse logistics and finance the company’s production, founder Joel Gomez said.
Sessions will maintain its headquarters, including marketing, sales, design and development, in Scotts Valley. Gomez and President Cindi Busenhart will retain control of the company.
The company, which relies on the sales of winter jackets as its primary moneymaker, did not need warehouse space for roughly half the year, Gomez said.
“We’re just trying to be more efficient,” Gomez said. “You have to be aware of where your monies are going.”
The newly formed Sessions LLC, financed by Samsung, will continue to design, market and distribute under the Sessions name.
“The brand will inevitably grow because of this partnership with Samsung,” said Jenny Coleman, Sessions executive assistant.
Samsung America partners with a handful of textile companies, including FUBU, True Religion and Levi’s, according to its Web site.
Sessions is extending the liquidation sale at its warehouse at 11 Janis Way in Scotts Valley until Aug. 16, but it plans to close its warehouse doors on the West Coast for good after that.
The warehouse is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The company has become well-known in Santa Cruz County for its massive warehouse sales. The warehouse could be seen from Highway 17, making it a visible landmark in Scotts Valley.
