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Swedish protective gear manufacturer POC has been acquired by Black Diamond Equipment for $43.5 million.
In an interview with Skiing Business, CEO of Black Diamond, Peter Metcalf, said: "Some people think Poc is the bigger company, which just goes to show how much of a following the brand has. They have a technology and brand coolness footprint that’s exponentially larger than their economic footprint, and that’s the kind of company you want to get behind."
Speculation is already rife on what the investment could mean for the label, which grew by 35 per cent last year, despite a dire skiing season. Metcalf offered: "We want Poc to expand in areas that make sense: namely all styles of biking, skiing and snowboarding. That could mean multifunctional equipment like packs and technical clothing that are designed for those sports.
"When you look at the numbers in just Europe and North America, the bike and snow helmet industry combined with the gloves, eyewear and body armor markets are big. There’s room for a cool edgy player to take market share and grow to be a $100 million brand."
For the full interview, see here.
2Pure distributes the POC brand in the UK and is contactable on 0844 811 2001.
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