Pryde Group, owner of the NeilPryde, JP Australia and Cabrinha action water brands, announced the acquisition of Imagine Surf, a major player in the stand-up paddle (SUP) industry.
“This operation perfectly fits into our long-term growth strategy,” commented Neil Pryde, managing director of the Pryde Group. “Imagine is a well established SUP brand with a strong presence in North America and the best possible partner for us to strengthen our involvement in SUP and other paddle sports.”
Established in 1970, Neil Pryde Ltd. (a.k.a. Pryde Group) began as a sailmaker for yachts. Later, with the windsurfing boom of the 1980's, the operation expanded into making both sails and boards. Continuing to grow, the Pryde Group has since established itself as one of the most varied and complete companies in the performance sports industry with involvement in windsurfing, kitesurfing, SUP and, most recently, road cycling. With several factories in China and Thailand, the manufacturing capacity and experience of the company is second to none.
Imagine was originally formed in 2002 in Montreal, Canada. The operation moved to San Clemente California in 2010 after securing investment needed to accelerate growth and become a major brand in the SUP industry. Over the course of the last 18 months the working relationship between Imagine Surf and the Pryde Group grew as distribution was taken up by this established and experienced brand internationally.
“I suppose this marriage was inevitable,” said Imagine Surf founder Corran Addison. “The more closely we worked with Pryde Group and the vast distribution network it has, the better things went for us. It made sense to use the Pryde Group's manufacturing power as well as their sales and distribution network.”
This new relationship will allow Imagine Surf to focus on what the brand does best: designing great boards for this new and exploding market, with manufacturing and sales handled by the Pryde Group divisions in each territory worldwide.
“We'll have more time now to do what we love to do: go to events, promote the brand and of course, work on new and exciting designs,” continued Corran. “After all, our cutting edge design is what Imagine is famous for, and now we can really take this to the next level.”
None of the faces at Imagine Surf are changing, just the focus and efficiency of the brand which we can expect to continue to innovate and grow in the SUP and paddle sports arena over the next few years.
