an introduction to oakley company<br><br>origin of the species<br><br>it started with a single idea. a mad scientist looked at a <br>product and saw an opportunity. jim jannard created a world’s <br>first – a motocross handgrip with a unique orbicular design, <br>engineered to fit a competitor’s closed hand. the year was <br>1975. it was the beginning of oakley inc. (nyse: oo), a <br>technology company that would soon be fueled by a raging <br>distaste for mediocrity and a fierce devotion to innovation. <br>today, oakley is driven to seek out problems, create solutions, <br>and wrap those solutions in art. the company’s obsession with <br>innovation has built a legacy of science, sculpture, and <br>defiance of conventional thinking. reinventing the concept of <br>eyewear was only the first step. the passion that ignited the <br>optical industry is now unleashed on high-performance footwear, <br>wristwatches, apparel and accessories. <br><br><br>a global brand<br><br>infiltrating more than 70 countries around the world, oakley <br>has established itself as a global icon. localized strategies <br>of marketing and distribution maintain brand image and <br>consistency among varying climates, cultures and continents by <br>direct operations in europe, australia, new zealand, south <br>africa, mexico, japan and canada. in other parts of the world, <br>the integrity of the brand is safeguarded by carefully selected <br>distributors who present oakley products to their markets with <br>local expertise.<br><br>