KSS Outdoor Holdings, LLC, the company used to acquire Gregory Mountain Products in a management led buyout, plans to acquire other outdoor brands, according to one of its partners.
KSS stands for the last names of the companies three partners: Warren Kanders, Robert Schiller and John Simons. The trio purchased Gregory Mountain Products two weeks ago.
KSS plans to identify, acquire and integrate top-tier niche brands within the industry which are consistent with the three investors' overall strategic vision and with Gregory's core values, Schiller said. The group expects to pursue both buy-and-hold acquisitions and brands that integrate cohesively with Gregory, where Simons has served as president the last two years.
Longtime partners Kanders and Schiller have successfully used this approach in other business ventures. Together, through 12 years and 50 acquisitions, the two men built Armor Holdings (formerly AH: NYSE), a global supplier of law enforcement and military safety equipment. They sold the company in 2007 for approximately $4.5 billion.
Prior to joining Gregory, Simons served for six years as the president and CEO of Swift and Company — one of the country's most well-known food-industry corporations — where he oversaw the company's $10 billion operations.
Simons will continue in his role as president of Gregory.
KSS Outdoor Holdings has opted to pursue a growth strategy within the outdoor industry because the Gregory purchase offered the opportunity to acquire a clean, authentic brand, and because it finds the outdoor business compelling from a long-term investment perspective. KSS believes it can capitalize on a long-term global trend of people pursuing healthier, more active lifestyles.
