Native Watercraft and Liquidlogic Kayaks, together with Bonafide Kayaks, announced the merger of their businesses. Bonafide Kayaks founder Luther Cifers will serve the combined business as president.
“This partnership is simply ideal,” said Cifers. “It not only represents seamless philosophical alignment, but also brings together a diversity of strengths that will make this new business even stronger than the sum of its parts. Native and Bonafide are both known for offering unique and compelling products, and this merger allows us to combine our strengths, while building on the distinctiveness of each brand to develop industry leading product technologies that enhance the kayak fishing experience.”
Kelley Woolsey will serve as vice president of sales and marketing, bringing a strong legacy of brand building and business development to the combined enterprise. “Our combination of brands: Native, Bonafide, Liquidlogic, and Hurricane, is really special. The team behind them is equally so, representing both industry experience and fresh, creative ideas. This will allow us to better serve our dealers by providing a complete offering of high demand specialty products and industry leading customer service.”
Don Grigg, CEO of Native, Liquidlogic and Hurricane, will serve as CEO of the combined companies. “Bringing these businesses together does so many positive things,” Grigg said. “We both had amazing teams prior to this merger, and working together towards a common vision is going to be great for all of us. We’re confident that the collective in both people and brands will be a significant and positive force in the industry for years to come. From an operational and logistics standpoint, increased scale will work in our favor, allowing us to better serve our customers in all aspects of the business.”
Bonafide Kayaks was founded by Luther Cifers in 2017, and began shipping its unique, premium fishing kayaks in January, 2018, rapidly ascending as a leading brand in the premium tier of paddle kayaks. As its name and its motto, “Live the Story You Want to Tell” indicate, Bonafide has been characterized by authenticity: in corporate philosophy, product design, and brand culture.
BIG Adventures is a paddlesports industry leader and innovator with the Native Watercraft, Liquidlogic, and Hurricane Aquasports brands. Each brand’s innovation and success is fueled by a deep passion for creating the best experience on the water. Native Watercraft’s proprietary Propel Pedal Drive system has set the standard for pedal driven fishing kayaks. Liquidlogic has long been a leader in whitewater, crossover and recreational designs. Hurricane has defined the recreational lightweight kayak category.
