Kulkea, the Westwood, Massachusetts-based ski, travel and adventure gear company is reporting that company Founder David Abramowitz is planning to retire from day-to-day leadership and has engaged Bell Lap Advisors as the company’s exclusive financial advisor to lead a “deliberate, unhurried search” for Kulkea’s next owner.
The current owners said they are clear-eyed about what they are — and are not — looking for.
“There is no deadline and no pressure to transact. The priority is a buyer who will maintain the values the brand was built on, take care of Kulkea’s employees, channel partners, and suppliers, and act as a proper steward of the business for its next chapter of growth,” the company said in a media release announcing the Bell Lap Advisors engagement.
“Kulkea has never been just about bags — it’s about the people who have put their trust in our solutions, the team that’s built Kulkea, the retailers who champion our products, and the suppliers who have stood behind us from the start,” commented Abramowitz. “I’m not looking for the fastest deal; I’m looking for the right one. We will be patient until we find an owner who shares our values, takes care of our team and our partners, and wants to build on this foundation.”
Kulkea reportedly began in 2009 with a conversation on a Vermont chairlift and a simple frustration: hauling ski gear was harder than it needed to be. Seventeen years later, the company’s thoughtfully designed, high quality boot bags, ski and snowboard bags, and travel packs are carried by specialty snow-sports retailers across North America and trusted by a fiercely loyal base of skiing and riding families. The company said the product line was recently refreshed, including the new patent-pending Thermal Kart heated travel pack, and the brand has meaningful room to grow — deeper into snow sports, travel and everyday adventure categories, further into retail partnerships, and into international markets.
“Founder-built brands with this kind of authenticity and customer loyalty rarely come to market,” said Russell Cree, managing partner, Bell Lap Advisors. “Our mandate reflects David’s priorities: run a thorough process, protect the people and partnerships that make Kulkea what it is, and find the steward who can take a beloved ski brand into broader adventure and travel categories and beyond.”
Abramowitz will reportedly remain fully engaged in the business throughout the process, and day-to-day operations, product development, and retail and supplier relationships continue unchanged.
Bell Lap Advisors has had a busy week after just announcing that Tailfin had been acquired by Italy’s MVC Group, owner of Castelli and Sportful brands.
Image courtesy Kulkea, LLC
