Grand Trunk has acquired Alite Designs. Starting next year, Alite products will be available under the Grand Trunk brand name.
Founded in 2001 and based in Bountiful, UT, Grand Trunk is a maker of travel hammocks and adventure travel goods. Tae Kim, a former equipment design director at The North Face, founded Alite in 2000 in San Francisco.
Weighing in at just over one pound, the company’s Monarch Chair was one of the first lightweight, packable camp chairs on the market. The brand also makes packable blankets, tents and sleeping bags and operated a retail store in the Mission District. Alite closed operations in the fall of 2018.
“Back in the early 2000s, I was one of the first retailers to sell the Alite Monarch chair,” said Andy Stroman, partner, Grand Trunk. “I was fascinated by their products and impressed by Tae and the Alite team. I’ve been enamored with Alite ever since.”
The acquisition of Alite is the first of many plans for expansion at Grand Trunk. Now under new ownership, Grand Trunk’s goal is to develop a complete line of outdoor gear and products with Kim working as a key design partner.
“Tae has been a friend and colleague for several years, and I’m really excited to bring some of Alite’s well-loved products back to the market,” said Grand Trunk Co-founder Kevin Kaiser. “In our twentieth year at Grand Trunk, there’s a lot of new momentum, and Tae and the team at Lowercase Designs will be an integral part of our future success.”
Photo courtesy Grand Trunk
