About a year ago, Japanese running shoe brand Asics acquired Boston's Runkeeper, among the first companies to make a fitness tracking smartphone app for runners and bikers, in a deal worth $85 million. Since, the shoe company has expanded its U.S. presence by announcing offices in Irvine, CA, and here in Boston with the Global Digital Hub that opened in Spring 2016. Now the company is adding to its local footprint.
Asics announced today it will be opening a Product Creation Studio somewhere in Boston. They've hired Seaport real estate firm T3 Advisors "to help identify the bespoke new location." The Globe reports it will be near South Station, adding, "Asics’ initial presence will run to about 50 people in a 25,000-square-foot office space."
“As this industry continues to evolve dramatically, it is crucial for our brand to be represented on both coasts in the U.S. At the dynamic crossroads of innovation and sport, Boston is that place for us on the East Coast,” said Gene McCarthy, president and CEO of ASICS America Corporation, in a release.
The new studio, I'm told, with be a separate space entirely from FitnessKeeper's One Winthrop Square headquarters.
"Working together with [Runkeeper] Chief Digital Officer Jason Jacobs and Fitnesskeeper CEO Dan Smith, the brands will continue to lead the industry across technology and sport," the company said.
Image via Asics.
