Thule will acquire Brink International BV, Valley Industries, and SportRack Accessories, all subsidiaries of US based Advanced Accessory Systems (AAS). Brink and Valley are leading European and North American players for towbars while Canadian SportRack Accessories offers load carriers and rooftop boxes. The companies have annual sales of 197 million ($238 mm) and they employ 1,400 co-workers at seven European and three North American sites.
The acquisition is conditional upon various factors including clearance from European anti-trust authorities.
“Towing systems are a new product segment in our business model which offers transportation solutions for active consumers wanting to transport their gear by vehicles safely, easily and in style”, comments Anders Pettersson, President and CEO of Thule.
