OCTOBER 20 2011
Company broadens stroller line with purchase of America's premier jogging stroller company. Two of the top brands in the juvenile products category are coming together under the BRITAX umbrella. BRITAX, the world's premier manufacturer and marketer of children's car safety seats and strollers, today announced the acquisition of BOB, a leading, innovative, high-quality maker of jogging strollers.
BRITAX successfully expanded into the stroller market by launching its B-Series of strollers in recent years (B-READY, B-SMART, B-MOBILE and B-SCENE). The company complemented its stroller offering earlier this year when it introduced its innovative, quick-folding B-AGILE stroller. Customers value the strollers' versatility, light weight and easy-use characteristics. BRITAX car seats and strollers are sold globally in all major retailers and specialty stores.
BOB, which began in 1994 as a manufacturer of bicycle trailers, is widely considered America's premier provider of innovative, design oriented high quality "sport utility," or jogging strollers. BOB's line of successful products includes the BOB Revolution SE and CE, as well as BOB Ironman®, BOB Sport Utility Stroller and the BOB Stroller Strides®*Fitness Stroller. Based in Boise, Idaho, the company now makes a full line of multi-functional strollers and accessories that is sold at retailers and specialty stores across the U.S. and Canada. Its strollers are compatible with popular infant car seats on the market today.
"Families want products that fit their lifestyles," said Karl Kahofer, CEO of BRITAX Child Safety, "and BRITAX is committed to developing products and technologies that provide safe mobility and comfort for children around the world. This commitment is reflected in the design and engineering of all our products - especially our B-Series strollers and accessories.
"We've admired for some time BOB's ingenuity and commitment to customers and are convinced that its products, customer service, and business ethics make it a natural fit for BRITAX. This purchase reinforces BRITAX global leadership in child safety and mobility, and is fully in line with our international growth strategy. We have no plans to change the BOB name; in fact we are excited to expand the BOB product range globally."
BOB cofounder and CEO, Roger Malinowski, is equally enthusiastic about the acquisition. "When we started this company more than fifteen years ago," he said, "we simply wanted to design and manufacture the world's best single-wheel bike trailers, and later, the world's best strollers for active, sports-minded parents. When you look at the thoughtful engineering behind the BRITAX stroller line and the revolutionary design behind its car seats, you can see why our two companies will fit well together."
The parties have agreed to not disclose the purchase price.
*Stroller Strides and Stroller Strides logo are registered trademarks of Stroller Strides, LLC used by permission. -and- Official product of Ironman Triathlon. Ironman and M-dot logos are registered trademarks of the World Triathlon Corporation, used by permission.
About BRITAX Group Limited
BRITAX designs, manufactures and markets lines of premium child car seats, strollers, baby carriers and accessories throughout Europe, Asia and the US. With its heritage dating back to 1966, the company has grown into one of the world's most trusted juvenile safety products brands, known for its commitment to thoughtful engineering and top-quality, and intuitive design.
Among the world's largest manufacturers of car seats, the company offers an extensive portfolio of child car seat and stroller products exceeding all of the world's major safety standards and across all the major markets.
The BRITAX stroller line is constantly evolving to meet the modern family's lifestyle needs. The line offers versatility; a lifespan beyond one child; lightweight solutions for easy travel; and smooth maneuverability. With thoughtfully designed details inspired by a mom's daily interactions with her child, parents can rest assured that their children are safe and comfortable in BRITAX strollers.
BRITAX is also a leading manufacturer of premium children's bicycle seats in Europe and is in the process of launching these globally.
Built for comfortable extended wear, the new BRITAX BABY CARRIER line is made for baby and designed for parent. The carrier introduces the CarryLong™ System, which reduces the risk of back and shoulder strain during extended wear by distributing weight across the shoulders, back and hips.
BRITAX is headquartered in the UK with major facilities in the UK, Germany and Australia as well as the US.
For more information about BRITAX, visit www.britax.com. BRITAX is a portfolio company of Nordic Capital Fund VII. For further information, visit www.nordiccapital.com.
SOURCE BRITAX