Burton had already opened a European headquarters in Innsbruck, Austria in 1986, which was growing and expanding each season. In Europe, the wall that divided east-and-west Germany was broken in 1989, the world was changing, and everything seemed to be going global. In the mid-nineties, the Internet was still in its early consumer stages, but it had already made foreign markets seem closer than ever before. Burton saw the opportunity to officially “globalize” the sport of snowboarding while still maintaining the devotion to quality and image that was born in Vermont.
The setting: A small garage in Londonderry Vermont; the year, 1977; Jake Burton Carpenter made his first snowboard in part by drawing influence from the idea of the "Snurfer.” A few years passed by, and soon he was ready to show the world base models for what would eventually become the Backhill and the Performer. This massive step forward in snowboard development happened in a farmhouse in Manchester. Jake's Volvo wagon was the only form of inventory and distribution, and the free customer phone line rang 24 hours a day in his bedroom.
Over the next 15 years, countless snowboard manufacturers were born and the sport of snowboarding began to change
people’s lives everywhere. Snowboarding’s influence was not limited to the eastern United States - in time its presence was felt all over the world by young, adventurous people.
Jake knew that as the sport grew Burton would grow as well, so in 1992 he moved the head office to Burlington, Vermont, and opened a manufacturing center “for snowboarders, by snowboarders.” Burton maintains its leadership status globally by continuing to produce the most innovative snowboard equipment in the world every single year.
In 1995, the Japanese branch of Burton Snowboards was born in Urawa, Japan. Up until this point Burton had worked
with the Ogura Trading Co. to distribute its product in the Japanese market. The Ogura Trading Co. would then hand
the product over to regional agencies to sell to local shops. This process resulted in a major lag before the Japanese
consumer was able to buy, let alone see, the product on the shelves. To maintain a consistent image and message,
Burton had to part ways with the Ogura Trading Co. in order to streamline its foreign distribution. Burton has
always been a rider-driven company, taking tons of feedback from riders seriously. The formation of Burton
Japan allowed them to tap into the Japanese riders’ opinions better than ever before. In turn, this enabled
Burton to produce better product for the snowboarders of Japan. The office in Japan also allowed Burton to support
their Japanese riders fully and help strengthen snowboarding’s image overall.
In order to achieve improved distribution and sales in Japan, Burton has taken steps to change
distribution. As a result, a Rep system was introduced in 2001. Sales territory was subdivided and
each region was given to a specific rep. This new system is what Burton calls the JSN (Japanese
Sales Network) and has modernized the process of getting the product in the stores in a timely
manner in Japan. The purpose of this new strategy was to improve the service and support
Burton provides to its dealers, as well as consumers.
Japan is critical to the success of Burton Snowboards. Over 29% of Burton’s total sales come out
of Japan. In 2003, Japan was the first market where snowboarders made up more than 50% of
resort attendees. It’s not uncommon to see a line up of more than 100 people waiting for a store
to open so they can get their hands on a limited quantity of a unique product. Brand image is
critical in Japan, as it is in Europe and North America. So, the new office, with its metropolitan
location and sophisticated design will help Burton grow and serve its riders better.
Burton’s place in the Japanese market allowed them to cater specifically to the snowboarders of Japan. In
recent years Burton has even issued pro-models to Burton riders Yoshinari Uemura and Narufumi
Yoshimura, both native to Japan. In the spring of 2002, Burton Snowboards moved from its
suburban Urawa location to Tokyo. The new office is centrally located in the district of Shibuya, one of Tokyo’s
hubs of youth culture and shopping. Burton had the opportunity to design their new building from the ground up.
There are five floors; first floor is Gravis, second floor is Analog Clothing and the Financial group, third floor the
Operational team, fourth floor is Sales and Marketing. The fifth floor is devoted to the Burton showroom. The
environment on each floor is unique, but there is a definite vein of continuity running throughout the building. Team
riders, customers and editorial staff drop by the new office and hang out in the many lounge areas. The new office
with its prime location is now a hub of activity.
