K2 Licensing & Promotions (K2LP) has launched a new business division to develop licensing and corporate partnerships. The new division signed its first multi-year agreement with Marvel Enterprises, the producer of super-hero properties such as books, comics and DVDs.
In conjunction with the launch, the company has hired Robert Strand as VP-licensing and Frann Vettor-Gray as VP-corporate alliances.
Strand is a five-year veteran of the National Basketball Association, where he most recently worked as senior director of non-apparel licensing and global premiums. Prior to his league experience, Strand was a buyer for Motown Cafe, Ross Stores and FAO Schwarz.
Vettor-Gray worked for both Universal Studios and The Coca-Cola Co. prior to joining K2LP. Before that, she played an integral role in developing and implementing the retail licensing and marketing program behind the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and also held management positions with Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association.
In the Marvel deal, K2’s Stearns (watersports), Shakespeare (fishing) and Fotoball (licensed sporting goods) divisions have obtained the North American rights to develop an assortment of sports balls, floatation devices and children’s fishing sets featuring several Marvel franchises. These include Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Captain America, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Namor, Ghost Rider and Daredevil Classic as well as Marvel’s pre-school line, Spider-Man and Friends. K2 has a portfolio of more than 30 sports brands.
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