Cherokee Global Brands announced new licensing agreements for its Hi-Tec and Magnum brands with Carolina Footwear and the Batra Group.
On November 28, Cherokee entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all issued and outstanding share capital of Hi-Tec Sports International Holdings B.V. for an aggregate cash purchase price of approximately $94 million
“As we explored partnerships to ensure continuity and strengthen and diversify the distribution channels for our newly acquired Hi-Tec and Magnum brands, Carolina Footwear and the Batra Group immediately stood out as best-in-class partners,” said Howard Siegel, president and COO of Cherokee Global Brands. “Both have excellent reputations for creating compelling assortments of innovative products and both have years of experience scaling high-growth, high-equity brands.”
“The Hi-Tec and Magnum brands enjoy a rich heritage and we are proud to have consistently delivered outstanding products at a great value for over 40 years. Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter of global growth and category expansion for our high-equity brands as we build our licensing relationships,” commented Ed Van Wezel, CEO of Hi-Tec Sports International Holdings B.V.
The master agreement with Carolina Footwear grants the rights to manufacture and sell Hi-Tec and Magnum-branded footwear for men, women and kids, along with additional products in the adult outdoor and active footwear categories. Distribution will include better specialty, sporting goods, department stores and mid-tier and general merchandise retailers across the U.S. and Canada.
“The announcement of new licensing partnerships is an exciting development in the wake of our integration with Cherokee Global Brands,” noted Simon Bonham, brand president for Hi-Tec Sports North America. “This is only the beginning of a new era of growth and expansion for Hi-Tec. Carolina Footwear is a perfect example of the complementary partnerships that will build upon our current strategy and drive future growth. We are well positioned to continue the large market share gains we’ve enjoyed over the last three years and to meet and surpass our aggressive growth objectives.”
The Batra Group specializes in the design, sourcing and distribution of apparel, footwear and accessories for the sports, fitness and wellness markets. The master agreement with Batra will grant the rights to manufacture and sell a wide assortment of branded footwear in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands & Luxembourg), Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Scandinavia. The company will also manufacture and sell apparel and accessories throughout select regions of Central and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East and the United Kingdom. In addition, Batra will immediately establish a global design centre for apparel and accessories based in the United Kingdom.
Rajiv Batra, founder and managing director of the Batra Group, stated, “We are pleased that the Hi-Tec U.K. leadership team has transitioned to the Batra Group in order to maintain continuity and we are excited to have the opportunity to leverage our full-service apparel sourcing, brand licensing and distribution expertise to drive long-term growth for the Hi-Tec and Magnum brands in the regions in which we operate.”
With the closing of the acquisition, the Hi-Tec Sports International Holdings B.V. has retained or entered into new master license agreements for footwear, apparel and accessories with Hi-Tec Sports Africa, with Martes Sports in Poland, in Portugal and Spain with Hi-Tec Sports Espana S.A. and with Advanced Manufacturing Group as the master licensee for the Interceptor brand for tactical, military, uniform, service and work footwear for Walmart in the U.S. & Canada.
Cherokee is a global brand marketing platform that manages a portfolio of fashion and lifestyle brands including Cherokee, Carole Little, Tony Hawk Signature Apparel and Hawk Brands, Liz Lange, Hi-Tec and Magnum, Sideout, Hi-Tec, Magnum, 50 Peaks, Interceptor and Flip Flop Shops, a franchise retail chain. Its retail, franchise and e-commerce platform partnerships include: Target Stores (U.S.), Kohl’s (U.S.), Sears Canada (Canada), Walmart (Canada, Chile and Argentina), Argos & Sports Direct (U.K. and Ireland), Flip Flop Shops (U.S., Canada, Caribbean, Middle East and South Africa), RT-Mart (Peoples Republic of China), Pick ‘n Pay (South Africa), Falabella (Chile, Peru and Colombia), Arvind Mills (India), Shufersal Ltd. (Israel), Comercial Mexicana (Mexico), Nishimatsuya (Japan), Landmark Group’s Max Stores (certain Middle East and North Africa countries), Reliance Trends Stores (India), Ahold (Czech Republic) and the TJX Companies (U.S., Canada and Europe).
Photo courtesy Hi-Tec
