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