Icebreaker has acquired its distributor in Germany, Sweden and Norway from Bradshaw Taylor Ltd. Maximilian Hofbauer was named General Manager of the new Icebreaker Pure Merino GmbH.
The new company will be based in Starnberg, Germany and will begin selling Icebreakers new Fall/Winter 2009 apparel and accessories, which will debut at the ISPO tradeshow. The acquisition from Bradshaw Taylor Ltd. was made in return for a multi-year extension of its Icebreaker distributorship in the U.K., Denmark and Finland.
“Icebreaker is growing quickly as a company, and Max Hofbauer with his tremendous talent and background will continue to grow our brand and business in Germany, Sweden and Norway,” said Jeremy Moon, Founder and CEO of Icebreaker.
Maximilian Hofbauer spent the past nine years as general manager for The North Face in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. From 1990-1998 he was national and international sales manager for Schoeffel Sportbekleidung in Germany.
“Germany, Sweden and Norway are among the most important outdoor markets in the world and are set to be one of Icebreakers biggest opportunities over the next few years,” said Hofbauer, who wears Icebreaker garments to run, hike, climb, ski, sail and bike. “Our customers are highly discerning and socially committed, which are two of the reasons for our continued rapid growth.”
