Acushnet Holdings Corp., the parent of Titleist and Footjoy, announced the acquisition of KJUS, a premium global ski and golf sportswear company.
The KJUS brand “was born from an uncompromising commitment to performance, following brand namesake Lasse Kjus’s historic feat at the 1999 World Ski Championships, where he medaled in each of the Championships’ five disciplines,” according to a statement from Acushnet. KJUS was co-founded with Didi Serena with a vision to make the most technologically advanced skiwear. KJUS entered the golf outerwear and apparel markets less than a decade ago.
“We have been impressed by KJUS’s success in golf apparel and are extremely excited to bring KJUS into the Acushnet family,” said David Maher, president and chief executive officer, Acushnet Holdings Corp. “We see many similarities in our roots, with both our founders having turned their personal passions for a sport into a vision of product and performance excellence. This shared commitment to innovative, high-quality and performance-driven products lines up squarely with our Company’s existing focus on the dedicated golfer. We believe KJUS’s premium positioning in the ski and golf markets provides significant opportunities as we work with current KJUS management to maximize the brand’s potential.”
“From KJUS’s inception, our focus has been on crafting the next generation of sportswear, constantly pushing the limits of what’s possible,” said Didi Serena, former KJUS chairman. “By staying true to our unwavering dedication to innovation and craftsmanship, we achieved great things in a relatively short time—and of this I am extremely proud,” continued Serena. “Becoming part of such a like-minded company and associated with the iconic Acushnet family of brands is a truly exciting next chapter for KJUS. We believe this will open up significant growth opportunities and help the KJUS brand to realize its full potential on the global sports apparel stage.”
Acushnet expects to continue to run KJUS’s operations from its global and North American headquarters in Hünenberg, Switzerland and Boulder, CO. The ski and golf divisions will be run by long-time company leaders Nico Serena and Brooke Mackenzie, respectively. Luke Reese, who has been instrumental in the establishment of the KJUS golf business, and Didi Serena will continue their involvement with the Company as special advisors.
Photo courtesy KJUS
