PRADCO buys watersports group Kent Outdoors in first marine push
What's the deal? PRADCO Outdoor BrandsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired Kent OutdoorsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a watersports and marine safety company whose portfolio includes HO SportsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, HyperliteDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, BOTEDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, O'BrienDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, ConnellyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Onyx. Terms were not disclosed.
Why it matters: Kent Outdoors, established in 1959, marks PRADCO's first investment in the watersports and marine safety categories.
What changes? Kent Outdoors keeps its leadership team. President CJ Vlahovich, a 30-year company veteran, will lead the business, while CEO Randy Hales oversees the transition through 2026.
What's the endgame? PRADCO said it will support product development and additional brand acquisitions across watersports and marine safety. "We are excited to partner with the team and help write the next chapter of growth for these storied brands," said Robert Schoenvogel, president of PRADCO Outdoor Brands.
By the numbers: PRADCO is a subsidiary of EBSCO IndustriesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a privately held, family-owned company founded in 1944 and based in Birmingham, Alabama. Its existing outdoor brands span hunting and fishing, including Moultrie, Summit, Heddon, and YUM.
King & Spalding advised PRADCO. Piper Sandler & Co. served as financial advisor and McGuireWoods as legal counsel to Kent Outdoors.
The signal: The deal extends EBSCO's outdoor recreation footprint from land to water, consolidating a dozen-plus watersports brands under one owner with a stated long-term, generational investment view.
Read more: business.theeveningleader.com
Image credit: arturodonate
