K2 buys Volkl, Marker, Marmot for $200 million

Quote:

---

Originally posted by splat
There was quite a stir in Europe this past season when a British company bought some ski presses and was making a wood core knock-off of the Launcher in Bulgaria, selling it w/Salomon bindings for like 450 Euros. I'm sure that scared a lot of big companies.

---

Armada? Surely not as their skis are skinny as hell. Who was it what are their skis called? Heard something about it, a vague rumour a while ago but nothing else. Sorry, just too curious.

Interesting IG. Hopefully it means that you'll still be able to offload a load of stock here. :)

I don't remember the name, but Tom told me about it and I was going to go to Bulgaria after ispo to talk them about it. But I found out there were some size limitations (widths) with the presses, so I blew it off.

Armada has their skis built in Bulgaria?

No, but Armada's finance came from a Brit, through a British company. I would expect them to be built somewhere low-rent though.

Markers <----- even more shitty in the future than they have been in the past.

K2 <----- might grab some durability by osmosis from Volkl.

Volkl <----- I don't see an advantage, but as long as they stay mostly seperate I don't see any disadvantage.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by InspectorGadget
[*]K2 skis does not now own Volkl. K2 Holding does. K2 Holding, being public, must make sound investments, and then show a profit for their stockholders.
[*]When the question - about dumping the German R & D department & putting a volkl sticker on a K2 ski - was asked during the aforementioned conference call; the person asking the question was assured that that will not happen.

In my opinion, the net result of this acquisition will be largely invisible at our level of the food-chain. [/heavy sigh]

---

See above posts re Dana Designs and Garuda. They dumped R&D, offshored, and rebadged. And their products are mostly Made in China versions of things designed before acquisition. Anthony Industries (aka K2 corporate) isn't the brightest of corporate owners.

Last time I visited (1994), Bulgaria had no copyright laws. Their national ski manufacturer, Mladost, would often build knockoff Salomon and Volkl copies and sell them to the domestic market. Every burger place was a McDonalds and every tent that served fried pigeon was a KFC.

The only reason I didn't buy Gotamas was because Buddha didn't have a flashing LED bindi in the middle of his forehead. My prayers could be answered.

When my Volkls wear out, Stockli here I come.....

Quote:

---

Originally posted by CaddyDaddy77
Tecnica's brands focus on the winter sports market and include Dolomite (skis and clothing), Lowa (outdoor and ski boots), Think Pink (sportswear), and Marker (ski bindings and outerwear).

---

Think Pink was never the same. I mean, sure, it's still pink, but...

Quote:

---

Originally posted by bad_roo


The only reason I didn't buy Gotamas was because Buddha didn't have a flashing LED bindi in the middle of his forehead. My prayers could be answered.

---

i wanna see some markers held on with rivets.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Squirrel_Murphy
'da lamentations

---

Doncha mean de-laminations ?

Think of all the money that will be saved by only having to write Coombs one check instead of three.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Plakespear
Doncha mean de-laminations ?

---

Ah, high school --- cheap beer, tons of skiing, and the K2 warrantee policy. I delamed three pairs of KVCs and blew out the sidewalls on two pairs of Extremes, all sent back to Vashon Island, and all replaced for free. That was so sweet.

Sounds like things may not be so bad. My biggest concern, and not just with the volkls acqusition, is the systems that binding manufacturers and ski manufacturers are using. While beneficial for entry level gear and consumers, I want choices on my high end gear. Atomic made a good decision this year in taking the plate of their high end stuff.

i missed this somehow.

doesn't $200 million seem cheap for volkl, marker, and marmot?

the reason it was sold to the holding company is to avoid a stockholder vote, i thinky.

no mention of volkl racquet sports...