Waterproofing company Nikwax names new CEO

Waterproofing company Nikwax, whose North American headquarters is in Ballard, has named Brian Davidson as its global CEO.

The United Kingdom-based company announced Davidson's promotion on Monday. Davidson, who works out of the Ballard office, was president of Nikwax North America and will retain that role while serving as CEO.

“Brian has achieved significant growth in the North American market over the last eight years and has been heavily involved with strategic projects for the Nikwax international business over the last year,” Adam Arnold, CEO of Nikwax parent GearForm, said in a news release. “His ability to create a friendly and ambitious team made the decision to advance him to Nikwax CEO very easy."

Davidson replaces Nick Brown, who founded the company but retired last year, a spokesperson said. Arnold had been filling in as Nikwax's CEO, but the company didn't have a dedicated CEO until Davidson's appointment.

Davidson joined the company in 2015 as director of sales for Nikwax North America before becoming president in 2017. Prior to joining Nikwax, he spent more than two years as vice president of sales at the boat lift company Sunstream and more than four years as global director of sales at the exercise equipment company Diamondback Fitness, according to his LinkedIn page. He spent 14 years at Life Fitness earlier in his career.

Nikwax, founded in 1977, offers a variety of products to waterproof and sweatproof gear. The products include sprays and cleaners that can go into washing machines. Nikwax also makes down material for outdoor clothing brands.

The company's office in Ballard is in an eco-friendly, 3,500-square-foot space it relocated to in 2021 after 17 years in Fremont. The building, at 5101 14th Ave. NW, has sustainably harvested wood construction, solar panels and a rooftop succulent garden.

"We looked for a building that had a lot of sustainability and environmental consciousness about it that aligns with our values. We're a company that's been carbon-balanced all 44 years of its existence," Davidson told the Business Journal in 2021. "This space needed to reflect that."