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Article: Do baby boomers equal bright future? Peoria-based Maui Jim looks to aging population.(News)(Company Profile)
- Article from:
- Crain's Chicago Business
- Article date:
- December 5, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Crain Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: JULIE JARGON
The sandy shores of Maui are a long way from the cornfields of Peoria, but the Downstate Illinois city is home to Maui Jim Inc., a sunglasses company that's hoping to ride the wave of aging baby boomers.
Started in the 1980s by a fisherman seeking to shield his eyes against the Pacific glare, Maui Jim Inc. developed sunglasses with polarized lenses and sold them on Maui beaches. "They were mainly for function,'' says Maui Jim Chief Financial Officer Tim Krueger. "They weren't very attractive.''
Then along came Walter Hester, who had decided to trade a corporate marketing job for a simpler life running boat tours in Hawaii.