MAY 08 2013
Expansion of wheeled goods and accessories offering by acquiring the premium Scandinavian childcare player
BRITAX, one of the world's premier manufacturers and suppliers of children's car safety seats and pushchairs, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with BRIO Holding AB, Sweden, to acquire the international BRIO pushchair and car safety business. The product range to be acquired includes the successful premium pushchair platforms BRIO GO, BRIO HAPPY and BRIO SMILE as well as all further pushchair and car safety products that are marketed under the brands BRIO®, Simo and Carena.
BRITAX has developed a strong presence in the global pushchair market by launching its B-Series of pushchairs (B-AGILE, B-DUAL, B-SMART and B-MOBILE) in recent years, acquiring premium outdoor wheeled goods under the BOB® brand in 2011, and recently launching the BRITAX affinity pushchair.
"BRITAX is acknowledged as the premium car seat manufacturer in Scandinavia. With this acquisition we are going to be in a perfect position to further accelerate our wheeled goods growth and provide a comprehensive range of travel systems to parents in this region", said Ian Watson, Managing Director Europe of BRITAX, and states, "BRIO, as a high quality and trusted brand, is a natural fit and the acquisition is therefore fully in line with our global growth strategy".
Heikki Takanen, chairman of BRIO Group, is equally pleased with the transaction. "We are convinced that BRITAX is the right home for the BRIO nursery product range", he said, "and we are excited to follow BRITAX growing the business also in regions where BRIO has not been active in the past".
The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.
Media Contacts EU:
Nina Schröer
BRITAX RÖMER Kindersicherheit GmbH
+49 (731) 93 45 255
nina.schroeer@britax.com
About BRITAX Group Limited
BRITAX designs, manufactures and markets lines of premium child car seats, pushchairs, 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 pushchair products exceeding all of the world's major safety standards and across all the major markets.
The BRITAX pushchair 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 manoeuvrability. With thoughtfully designed details inspired by a mother's daily interactions with her child, parents can rest assured that their children are safe and comfortable in BRITAX pushchairs.
BRITAX is also a leading manufacturer of premium children's bicycle seats in Europe and is in the process of launching these globally.
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.
About BRIO
BRIO is a multinational toy company recognized for its playful educational wooden toys. BRIO products are characterized by high quality, play value, craftsmanship and timeless design. The company was formed in Sweden in 1884. Also part of the BRIO Group are Alga, the board game company and Scanditoy, one of Scandinavia's leading distributors of toys. For more info, www.brio.net