Serengeti Eyewear (sunglasses brand)
 | |
| Subsidiary | |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Corning Incorporated |
| Headquarters | 9200 Cody, Overland Park, Kansas - United States |
Key people | Zaki Mustafa |
| Products | Eyewear and sunglasses |
| Owner | Bushnell Corporation |
Number of employees | 52 |
| Website | http://www.serengeti-eyewear.com/ |
Serengeti Eyewear is a high-end designer sunglasses brand owned by Bushnell Corporation. Their main focus is eye protection, of which the company researches and develops state of the art technology such as photochromic lenses, polarized lenses, spectral control, among other.
Overview
The brand was developed by Corning. In 1984, Corning considered closing Serengeti due to poor financial performance. However, entrepreneur Zaki Mustafa convinced the board that he could save the brand. He attributed poor sales to a product-centric focus, poor marketing, anemic customer service, and inefficient asset management. [1] With only fifty-two employees, he successfully raised sales from $5 million in 1985 to $62 million in 1992.[2]
In 1995, Corning decided to sell its sunglasses business. Vivian Gernand was hired to lead Serengeti and brought in a team to re-position the brand as more high end. The re-position included the introduction of the Signia line for younger consumers, increased sports line and updated materials and changes for the Driver line. Gross profit increased as a percentage of sales, from approximately 35% for the three months ended September 30, 1996 to approximately 54% for the same period in 1997, primarily as a result of product mix. Approximately 73% of the 1997 sales consisted of premium Serengeti products that carry gross margins significantly higher than the company's non-premium products that comprised substantially all of the company's sales in 1996.
The Serengeti brand was acquired by Bushnell in September 2000.
Technology and design
Serengeti sunglasses include photochromic technology that enables lenses to become darker or lighter in response to light variations, spectral control technology that gives high-definition contrast and color enhancement by blocking a portion of incoming blue light, and polarization technology that reduces glare and blocks ultraviolet rays.[3][4]
Tucker Viemeister designed aviator style sunglasses in sepia tones for Serengeti in the 1980s.[5]
Media mentions
Pope Benedict XVI was seen wearing Serengeti's Classic model sunglasses in 2006 and 2009.[6][7] Hollywood star Val Kilmer has also been seen wearing Serengeti sunglass.[8]
References
- ↑ Donald W. Huffmire, Jane D. Holmes (2006), Handbook of effective management, Libraries Unlimited, p. 149, ISBN 9780899309231
- ↑ Thornberry, De Neal (2006), Lead like an entrepreneur, McGraw-Hill Professional, p. 198, ISBN 9780072262353
- ↑ Elves, Joanne (19 March 2016). "xSunglasses adapt to light conditions to reduce eye strain". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- ↑ Bennett, Chris (19 June 2015). "Serengeti and 24 Hours of Le Mans bring brands together". Optician. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- ↑ Kennedy, Pagan (3 August 2012). "Who Made Those Aviator Sunglasses?". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- ↑ "Mystery of Pope's night-time visits to his old haunts" by Hilary Clarke, Telegraph.co.uk, 14 Jan 2006. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ↑ "The Nuns’ Story" OpEd by Maureen Dowd, The New York Times, October 25, 2009 (Oct. 26, 2009 p. WK9 of NY ed.). Retrieved 2009-10-27. Dowd also mentions the red shoes that were mentioned (by name as Prada, there) in the 2006 report, making it seem as if there was no new reporting in 2009. Dowd cited no source.
- ↑ "Discreet endorsement: Pope Inc. A dedicated follower of fashion" by Peter Popham, The Independent, 27 April 2006. Retrieved 2009-10-27. This later article says the issue of the red shoes being Prada is unresolved. The Pope is extremely private about labels, having logos, like Adidas' in another example given, removed as well. The Independent article cites a Wall Street Journal article also of 2006. The Journal article did not show up in a non-subscriber search at WSJ.com for "pope benedict serengeti."