In the second paddlesports acquisition of the week, Johnson Outdoors Inc. acquired Scotland-based Lendal paddles from founders and owners, Alistair and Marianne Wilson. While details of the transaction were not released, it is expected to be accretive to earnings in 2008 due to one-time integration costs this year.

Lendal operations, located in Scotland, will be integrated within the existing Johnson Outdoors paddle sport operations. Lendal also has a U.S. subsidiary in Madison, Wis. Alistair Wilson, inventor of Lendal’s patented “Paddlok System,” will work exclusively with Johnson Outdoors on a variety of design, marketing, and promotional efforts in the future. Lendal also works with Neil Baxter, who created the Kinetik blade concept – universally used for whitewater.

The company works with athletes in a wide range of paddling disciplines, including sea paddlers like Shawna Franklin, Peter Bray, Nigel Dennis, and Justine Curgenven, whitewater paddlers like Jason Hale and Andria Baldovin, and top competitive paddlers such as Campbell Walsh.

In other Johnson Outdoors’ news, the company recently joined ROI as an official vendor. The deal signals continuing momentum for ROI, said Dawson Wheeler, chairman of the ROI vendor committee. Training programs are being put in place through the Southeastern rep agencies of Johnson Outdoors Inc. to train ROI Member store buyers to the Johnson business model and programs. According to ROI, member retailers develop strategic relationships with ROI vendors that are conducive to stronger business development, differentiation at retail, and brand support with the consumer base.