Kuiu sold?

[repins05]

Kuiu sold to conservation minded investor group? Do you think this will be good or bad......? Will kuiu go big box?

 

[Steve300xcw]

I bet we will find out soon enough

 

[Blacktocomm]

Looks like it is keeping the existing CEO and looking to expand in person/brick and mortar? Link to sales announcement

Not sure if the line about existing brick and mortar presence is opening more of their own stores, or getting into more retailers. Will be interesting to see.

 

[JDPAPA]

KUIU Ultralight Hunting Acquired by a Collective of Conservation-Minded Families | Cox Enterprises

This acquisition will bolster KUIU’s commitment to its customers, employees and innovation.

www.coxenterprises.com

 

[BasicUtahrd95]

Don’t know anything about Cox Enterprises, but it’s usually not a good thing when hunting focused brands get bought out by investment groups. They are there to turn a profit as quickly as possible. Usually by making a cheaper, more generic product that can be sold at volume to retailers.

 

[BasicUtahrd95]

I expect to see more high margin merch/lifestyle apparel and less technical hunting gear.

 

[UZY524]

Yeah, just announced yesterday Main Post sold KUIU to a group of conservation-obsessed families and businesses Cox Enterprises leading the pack. CEO Melissa Woolf's staying on, ops unchanged, privately held.

Good Long term focus means no slash and burn PE BS aligns perfect with KUIU's backcountry conservation vibe. More cash for innovation and wild places without selling out.

Bad Could get stuffy if the investors meddle on ethical designs or pricing, but early signs say nah.

Big box Nah, they're expanding their own stores already 5, more coming and ecomm partnerships not REI or Cabela's shelves. Keeps that direct to hunter edge you love. Overall, thumbs up for the brand.

 

[PredatoronthePrairie]

^Joined Sunday

 

[Speaks]

Unlike many I have nothing against PEs broadly speaking and they drive lots of business growth. Sometimes the focus is cutting cost, may times its driving rapid growth. In some types of companies rapid growth is sufficient and having a PE involved can be a real blessing for both the company and customer.

That being said there are realities of the ROI they are looking for and timelines involved. If you need to 3x ebitda in 5 years there are only so many ways to do that with a niche hunting brand and simply increasing sales on the existing niche product can likely only do it for one exit cycle as most.

So how do you keep doing it, combo of cost cutting and expansion into lifestyle stuff to increase the TAM. I kind of doubt we see a change fast, but also that nothing much has changed a decade from now.

 

[Macintosh]

Unlike many I have nothing against PEs broadly speaking and they drive lots of business growth. Sometimes the focus is cutting cost, may times its driving rapid growth. In some types of companies rapid growth is sufficient and having a PE involved can be a real blessing for both the company and customer.

That being said there are realities of the ROI they are looking for and timelines involved. If you need to 3x ebitda in 5 years there are only so many ways to do that with a niche hunting brand and simply increasing sales on the existing niche product can likely only do it for one exit cycle as most.

So how do you keep doing it, combo of cost cutting and expansion into lifestyle stuff to increase the TAM. I kind of doubt we see a change fast, but also that nothing much has changed a decade from now.

All true, BUT are there ANY examples where that worked out to benefit the consumer focused on that highest-end niche technical product? Ive been directly involved in a few companies this happened to, will say my personal experience is its never once been a benefit for anything other than the company itself. Which is great, it just isnt what I personally care about. Imo the best thing it does is create a vaccuum into which a new small company might be able to better address those customers.

 

[Wprinkle]

Well crap.... When KUIU first kicked off is when I started the technical hunting/layering system path. I flew to Cali to get exactly what I needed and Jason happened to be in the store and took time to learn what I was looking for, explain what does what and how. And of course I came out looking like a walking billboard advertisement. Kinda like with NightForce, when I get that kinda customer service I support any way I can. I feel KUIU has not maintained Jason's vision of the company in the least bit. What started out as gear for sheep hunters (and never gonna change) has turned into every other brand. I think quality is hit and miss and inconsistent now. Trying to be too much instead of staying focused on its roots. I can not think of one like company that has been "bought" that gotten better. Fjallraven, Sitka, Stone Glacier... never gets better. Yep companies grow and expand there is nothing wrong with that, I get it. But for selfish reasons I hate it.

 

[MontyMontana]

Another one bites the dust and becomes nothing more than an expensive Walmart... We all seen this coming the moment they started down the whitetail, duck hunter, and lifestyle path.

 

[grfox92]

Yeah, just announced yesterday Main Post sold KUIU to a group of conservation-obsessed families and businesses Cox Enterprises leading the pack. CEO Melissa Woolf's staying on, ops unchanged, privately held.

Good Long term focus means no slash and burn PE BS aligns perfect with KUIU's backcountry conservation vibe. More cash for innovation and wild places without selling out.

Bad Could get stuffy if the investors meddle on ethical designs or pricing, but early signs say nah.

Big box Nah, they're expanding their own stores already 5, more coming and ecomm partnerships not REI or Cabela's shelves. Keeps that direct to hunter edge you love. Overall, thumbs up for the brand.

Ok Mr Cox.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

 

[SurfAMHuntPM]

is there an existing thread on small business gear suppliers? Bonus points for U.S. made , non VC backed, no Influencers..

I’m not trying to run around in only Asbell wool , Lately some of the bigger companies MSRPs are comical for made in a low quality of life country .

The reality is to make a small run of factory produced clothing / gear , likely requires sizable financial backing and that isn’t cheap last time i signed a mortgage

 

[Speaks]

All true, BUT are there ANY examples where that worked out to benefit the consumer focused on that highest-end niche technical product? Ive been directly involved in a few companies this happened to, will say my personal experience is its never once been a benefit for anything other than the company itself. Which is great, it just isnt what I personally care about. Imo the best thing it does is create a vaccuum into which a new small company might be able to better address those customers.

I honestly dong have one for this type of company, and really am not overly familiar with ownership structure of most outdoor brands. I think the reputation that PE degrades them is likely well earned. I think it would be fundamentally hard not to end up with that result. Very new brand with a great product could possibly use it for aggressive expansion for two exit cycles but in the end the TAM is low and growth runs out and we end up in the same place.

I have plenty in other industries but those are different products, clients, and 12 figure TAMs so its not really the same.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Compared to some of these mega corp acquisitions, this seems like a better outcome for the brand if the investment group is focused on the brand itself along with how it does.

 

[Wprinkle]

is there an existing thread on small business gear suppliers? Bonus points for U.S. made , non VC backed.

I’m not trying to run around in only Asbell wool , Lately some of the bigger companies MSRPs are comical for made in a low quality of life country .

The reality is to make a small run of factory produced clothing / gear , likely requires sizable financial backing and that isn’t cheap last time i signed a mortgage

Origin USA

 

[bluetick78]

I have never seen a parent company acquisition of a niche/technical brand ever turn out in a better product or better value for the customer. I can think of dozens of examples of it stagnating or ruining a brand. In my mind, the only brand that started as a technical/direct to consumer, high end, made in USA brand that is left right now is Exo Mountain Gear.

 

[SurfAMHuntPM]

Origin USA

Thanks- I’m thin and the jeans fit me odd.
Been meaning to get my hands on some heavier stuff now that they are past gen 1 , work in Maine frequently., I may check out the factory store soon.

Gulch gear had my interest but I don’t “need” anything. Same with Forloh

 

[BadDogPSD]

I expect to see more high margin merch/lifestyle apparel and less technical hunting gear.

This. I think they are already well into being a lifestyle brand.