Capstone Partners successfully advised BOB Trailers, Inc. on its acquisition by Britax Group Limited, a portfolio company of Nordic Capital Fund VII. The transaction marks the international unification of two of the top brands in the juvenile products category. The terms of this transaction were not disclosed.
Headquartered in the UK with major facilities in the UK, Germany, Australia and the U.S., Britax is the world’s premier brand for children car safety seats and strollers. Britax successfully expanded into the stroller market by launching its B-range of strollers in recent years (B-Ready, B-Smart, B-Mobile and B-Scene). The company complemented its stroller offering earlier this year when it introduced its innovative, quick-folding B-Agile stroller. Britax car seats and strollers are sold globally in all major retailers and specialty stores. Additional information about Britax can be found at www.britax.com.
BOB, which began in 1994 as a manufacturer of bicycle trailers, is widely considered America’s premier provider of innovative, design oriented high quality “sport utility” or jogging strollers. BOB’s line of successful products includes the BOB Revolution SE and CE as well as BOB Ironman®, BOB Sport Utility Stroller and the BOB Stroller Strides®*Fitness Stroller. Based in Boise, Idaho, the company now makes a full line of multi-functional strollers and accessories that is sold at retailers and specialty stores across the U.S. and Canada. Additional information about BOB Trailers can be found at www.bobgear.com.
Karl Kahofer, CEO of Britax Child Safety, commented, “We’ve admired for some time BOB’s ingenuity and commitment to customers and are convinced that its products, customer service, and business ethics make it a natural fit for Britax. This purchase reinforces Britax’s global leadership in child safety and mobility, and is fully in line with our international growth strategy. We have no plans to change the BOB name; in fact we are excited to expand the BOB product range globally.”
BOB cofounder and CEO, Roger Malinowski, is equally enthusiastic about the acquisition. “When we started this company more than fifteen years ago,” he said, “we simply wanted to design and manufacture the world’s best single-wheel bike trailers, and later, the world’s best strollers for active, sports-minded parents. When you look at the thoughtful engineering behind the Britax stroller line and the revolutionary design behind its car seats, you can see why our two companies will fit well together.”
The Capstone Partners Founder & President John Ferrara led the transaction on behalf of BOB. “Our consumer products group was very proud to represent BOB Trailers in this landmark cross-border transaction. We believe the legacy that Roger Malinowski has built in the BOB brand will be expanded globally through Britax’s broad international distribution channels.”
Awards & Accolades
- 2012: Corporate/Strategic Acquisition of the Year
