A business deal much awaited in the skiing world was announced late on Friday. Madshus AS, together with its corporate parent K2, was sold to Kohlberg & Company, a private equity firm.
Many, especially in Norway, had expected that the storied Norwegian ski & apparel producer would be spun off and sold back to a Norwegian business. Rumors swirled that Swix Sport (or its owner, Ferd Group) were looking to purchase Madshus. It would make sense: the two companies are located close to each other in the outskirts of Lillehammer – working together would bring massive savings in everything from manufacturing and warehousing to marketing and distribution.
Alas, that was not to be the case, as Madshus AS remains in American hands – at least for now.
New-York based Kohlberg & Company is a sprawling conglomerate, but their only foray into winter sports so far was a purchase of Bauer, a hockey equipment manufacturer.
Neither Madshus, K2, nor Kohlberg have commented yet on how the transaction will affect the companies involved.
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