Acushnet Holdings Corporation, owners of Titleist, FootJoy, Scotty Cameron and Vokey golf brands, has announced the acquisition of ski and golf sportswear company KJUS.
KJUS was founded in 2000 by former world downhill ski champion Lasse Kjus’s and business partner Didi Serena, with a vision to make the most technologically advanced skiwear on the market. Under the Norwegian’s stewardship, KJUS has expanded into the golf outerwear and apparel markets less than a decade ago, with a focus on comfort, freedom of movement and all-weather protection.
“We have been impressed by KJUS’s success in golf apparel and are extremely excited to bring KJUS into the Acushnet family,” said David Maher, President and Chief Executive Officer, Acushnet Holdings Corp. “We see many similarities in our roots, with both our founders having turned their personal passions for a sport into a vision of product and performance excellence. This shared commitment to innovative, high-quality and performance-driven products lines up squarely with our company’s existing focus on the dedicated golfer. We believe KJUS’s premium positioning in the ski and golf markets provides significant opportunities as we work with current KJUS management to maximize the brand’s potential.”
“From KJUS’s inception, our focus has been on crafting the next generation of sportswear, constantly pushing the limits of what’s possible,” said Didi Serena, former KJUS chairman. “By staying true to our unwavering dedication to innovation and craftsmanship, we achieved great things in a relatively short time – and of this I am extremely proud. Becoming part of such a like-minded company, and associated with the iconic Acushnet family of brands, is a truly exciting next chapter for KJUS. We believe this will open up significant growth opportunities and help the brand to realise its full potential on the global sports apparel stage.”
Acushnet expects to continue to run KJUS’s operations from its global and North American headquarters in Hünenberg, Switzerland and Boulder, Colorado. The ski and golf divisions will be run by long-time company leaders Nico Serena and Brooke Mackenzie, respectively. Luke Reese, who has been instrumental in the establishment of the KJUS golf business, and Didi Serena will continue their involvement with the company as special advisors.