Callaway Golf brand moving N. America HQ to Utah, bringing 50 new jobs

A Germany-based outdoor apparel and equipment brand will place its North American headquarters in Utah and create 50 jobs over the next five years as it looks to establish itself and grow in the North American market.

Jack Wolfskin, part of Callaway Golf Co., will put the new positions either in Salt Lake City or Park City.

Callaway was approved for a $105,461 tax credit by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) board to lure the $500,000 project to Utah.

“We’re thrilled to expand Jack Wolfskin North America in Utah,” Diana Seung, general manager of Jack Wolfskin in North America, said in a prepared statement. “This state is a perfect reflection of our brand tenets of living an adventurous, active outdoor life.”

Founded in 1981, Jack Wolfskin offers high-end mountain and leisure clothing, footwear, backpacks, sleeping bags and tents. Callaway Golf acquired the brand in 2018.

The project is expected to result in wages of nearly $12.5 million over the next five years, with the average pay being $79,000. New state tax revenue is expected to total $703,074 during that period.

“We’re very excited about this company,” Owen Barrott, GOED incentives analyst, told the GOED board. “This is a unique and awesome opportunity to bring a highly respected brand to Utah. They’ll be building out their North American headquarters. They’ll be bringing 50 very high-paying jobs to basically build out their headquarters.”

A letter from Seung was read during the board meeting. It said, in part, “We have the opportunity to not only join an impressive list of outdoor companies in Utah to further build the strength of the industry but leverage the resources and talent of Utah, which is a powerful combination.”

Jack Wolfskin’s website indicates the brand is sold in about 4,000 retail outlets and more than 730 Jack Wolfskin stores, primarily in Europe and Asia, with a couple in South America. GOED documents indicate the Utah operations will be a North American headquarters for the brand’s commercial teams — merchandising, marketing, sales, e-commerce  and analytics — with a potential to add back-end support over time, which would include roles across information technology, human resources, finance and legal. Jack Wolfskin currently has over 1,400 employees globally.

“Jack Wolfskin will be an excellent addition to our outdoor industry sector,” Val Hale, GOED’s executive director, said in a prepared statement. “Utah has a great love for the outdoors and welcomes excellent brands like Jack Wolfskin into our vibrant outdoor ecosystem.”

“This company reached out to us in late September,” said Theresa A. Foxley, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. “The speed at which this project came together is a testament to Utah’s business friendliness, the responsiveness of our partners, and the customer’s degree of organization and focus. The brand power of Callaway and Jack Wolfskin is an exciting addition to our state’s outdoor products industry.”