CCM Hockey announced the acquisition of Step Skating Blades Inc., the maker of Step Steel skate blades.
Headquartered in Quebec City and founded in 2000, Step is a widely recognized hockey brand among elite hockey players, equipment managers and pro players.
“The reason we chose to acquire Step is simple: They are as obsessed as we are with performance and work tirelessly to create a precision tool that makes skaters more confident in every stride; it is the reason the majority of NHL players, and some of the best in the world such as Brent Burns, Alexander Ovechkin and John Tavares, use Step Steel. After all, steel is every hockey player’s connection point to the ice, so it is critical that our skaters have access to the best,” said Rick Blackshaw, CEO of CCM Hockey.
“From our industry-leading one-piece boot technology that delivers 34 percent more energy transfer relative to two-piece boots to the best blade holder that keeps blades attached even when hit by slapshots and now to the best blades, CCM offers unparalleled skate technology to hockey players everywhere,” added Blackshaw.
Marrouane Nabih, CFO of CCM Hockey, stated, “This strategic acquisition demonstrates our commitment to investing in innovation and providing hockey players with the best skates in the world. This is the story of two Canadian hockey leaders joining forces to build the best products to permit each player to go All Out every time they Step on the ice.”
Gilles Cloutier, president and founder of Step, will continue to lead its operations during the ownership transition and will continue to work closely with CCM’s product creation team and pro skate factory in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Step has 17 employees.
“Step and CCM have been working together since 2016 to design the XS compatible steel blade. Joining the CCM family was the next logical Step in the evolution of our collaborative relationship,” said Cloutier. “CCM shares our goals of bringing the best product to market for all athletes, especially the pro players. It will be exciting to deepen that collaboration together and drive to new performance innovations in the future for CCM. Together, we will have the opportunity to produce the most advanced skates in hockey,” added Mr. Cloutier.
Starting in 2020, all CCM pro and custom skates will include Step blades and the expectations are to leverage the Step product for retail models in the near future.
Photo courtesy Step Skating Blades
