While the usual flurry of post-OR acquisitions have taken a bit longer to get up to speed this year, it began with an unexpected deal in the paddlesports sector. ORC Industries has signed an agreement to acquire Bell Canoe Works from the companys owner, Ted Bell. ORC is a unique company that is new to the outdoor world, but it has quietly been building a portfolio of brands and talent over the past year.
In January of this year, ORC acquired Redfeather Snowshoes for an undisclosed amount and moved all production to its facilities in Texas and Wisconsin. Since then, the company has been working on extending the Redfeather brand into apparel.
“We are coming out with a line of apparel because we are a cut and sew manufacturer. Weve been doing cut and sew for over 40 years,” Todd Bahnub, ORCs vice president told BOSS in an exclusive interview. “Weve got – in our facility in Texas – the most advanced cutting room in North America. We are going to be developing a line of cold weather apparel based upon some of the Special Forces work that weve done. We have engaged with a couple of designers formerly from ArcTeryx, and we are taking the form and function of a cold weather system and making it look very cool.”
Bahnub said that ORCs motivation behind targeting the outdoor industry was primarily company culture. “I think our mission resonates well in the industry and we enjoy the industry,” he said. “Beyond that, it was a strategic decision by the board and management, and were all avid outdoor enthusiasts, so that played a large role in it as well.”
The company not only has some of the most advanced facilities in the country, but also has a very unique mission statement, “To advance the independence, productivity, and self-sufficiency of people with disabilities through employment opportunities.”
ORC was founded in 1966 as a nonprofit employer of people with disabilities and currently has 750 employees located in five manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin and Texas. The company is a major supplier of uniforms, technical apparel, and equipment to the U.S. military. However, its future business plans could transform the company considerably.
Bahnub said that ORC will continue to build on its outdoor portfolio with brand extensions and acquisitions. “The intention is to continue to search out brands that are premium brands in the outdoor industry and produce labor intensive products that are somewhat insulated from Asian sourcing,” said Bahnub. “Bell fit that set of criteria perfectly.”
While not all of the Bell acquisition details have been decided, ORC will be moving production to its facility in LaCrosse, Wis. Ted Bell will remain with Bell/ORC to assist with the transition, and he has signed a multi-year agreement to stay on to establish a new division, Bell Racing. Bahnub said that they have yet to decide if any other Bell employees will remain with the company or if they will be moving Bells sales and marketing to LaCrosse, or keeping it in Princeton, Minn.
Ted Bell will be heading up a new program for ORC called Bell Racing, but no details were available as to what exactly this project will entail. “Bell Racing is really Teds passion and we wanted to give him the room to really focus on that,” said Bahnub. “Hes going to be leading the design and the future of the products. Its one of the things he has a special passion for, so we are going to let him run with it.”
Editors Note: Go to the BOSS Blog to hear an excerpt from the interview with ORCs Vice President Todd Bahnub…
