Maui Jim's distribution hub opens in Germany

Maui Jim has opened a purpose-built European distribution centre in Braunschweig Germany from which all of the region's plano sunglasses will eventually be supplied.

The centre will stock around 60,000 sunglasses shipped direct from manufacturers in Japan and Italy for the European market, these are currently routed through the US. Prescription products will continue to be made in the US.

The building is based on Maui Jim's global headquarters in Preoria Illinois and will house the German headquarters, sales and marketing support for Europe plus bulk warehousing to supply the European national distribution centres. The architecture and colour schemes mimic those of the US headquarters and contain 2,500sq m of eco-friendly office and warehousing around a central tower. The sunglasses are contained within a specially-secured area and the building features energy recovery, rain water collection ponds and solar power generation. Around one third of the site will be given over to landscaping, which the firm hopes will bring a little of the Hawaiian feel to Lower Saxony. There is ample room for expansion on the site should the firm need it to house new product lines.