Doing Business / Wholesale Apparel : Quiksilver Workers Bring a Bit of the Beach to Work

At Quiksilver, hardly anyone ever wears a tie. As one of the county’s top surf wear licensing and manufacturing companies, the employees tend to dress in the company’s casual beachfront look.

The Costa Mesa-based company with the oddly spelled name has gradually expanded from making strictly gear for surfing and water sports to apparel that is appealing to other customers, as well. Its California-inspired look is making inroads in the Midwest.

Quiksilver bought a foreign distributor last year, Na Pali S.A. in France, which has expanded its European market. It is also pushing for more sales in South America.

The company has 300 employees, and 250 of them are based in Orange County.