United Sports Brands acquires Nathan Sports

United Sports Brands announced last week that it has acquired NATHAN Sports, the Running EssentialsTM market leader in athletic hydration, visibility and performance gear. United Sports Brands will utilize its expertise and experience to create new market opportunities for NATHAN, enabling the brand’s continued focus on ground-breaking product innovation.

”We’re excited to add NATHAN to the growing United Sports Brands’ portfolio of authentic brands. NATHAN has a passionate commitment to athletes at all levels and across multiple sports. NATHAN is an ideal complement to the current portfolio of United Sports Brands products, and we look forward to working with the NATHAN team, further fueling this powerful brand’s growth,” said Tony Armand, chief executive officer of United Sports Brands.

”In United Sports Brands, NATHAN has a partner with similar values and strong operational resources to help us provide the best service to our retailers and athletes,” said Bridgit Lombard, chief executive officer of NATHAN. ”This acquisition means NATHAN can focus on doing what we do best: building programs to drive retail sales and providing innovative products that help athletes run stronger and longer.”

NATHAN will comprise the fifth brand in United Sports Brands’ portfolio, which already includes Shock Doctor, the #1 global leader in mouthguards; McDavid, a brand at the top of the recommended lists of pro athletes, sports medicine professionals and athletic trainers for more than 30 years; Cutters, the innovative leader in the athletic glove market and high performance glove grip technology; and, XO Athletic, a premium, game-changing developer of athletic cups and sports protection.

NATHAN’s principal owner and chairman, Jon Reichlin, will be an investor in United Sports Brands and remain a contributor to the NATHAN brand, while Lombard and Tricia Papile, chief financial officer, will continue in a consulting capacity to support the transition to United Sports Brands. NATHAN, which is headquartered in Philadelphia with its distribution center, is anticipated to relocate operations to United Sports Brands’ headquarters in Minnesota and California in phases beginning in 2016.

About NATHAN

As a market leader in groundbreaking Running EssentialsTM products, NATHAN purposefully designs performance-driven gear that helps dedicated athletes run stronger and longer in 45 countries and counting. NATHAN’s essential hydration, visibility and performance offerings, include industry-leading and best-selling hydration vests, belts, handhelds, bottles, running packs, active visibility and reflective vests, and other outdoor gear essentials, all designed for a life in motion.

About United Sports Brands

United Sports Brands is a global leader in sports performance and protective products designed to help athletes perform at their personal best. Brands within the company’s impressive portfolio include Shock Doctor, the #1 global leader in mouthguards; McDavid, a brand at the top of the recommended lists of pro athletes, sports medicine professionals and athletic trainers for more than 30 years; Cutters, the innovative leader in the athletic glove market and high performance glove grip technology; and, XO Athletic, a premium, game-changing developer of athletic cups and sports protection. United Sports Brands is also a portfolio company of Bregal Partners, a private equity investment firm.