CHAMP Ventures acquires majority stake in MACPAC

22 December 2015

CHAMP Ventures acquires majority stake in MACPAC

The Shareholders of Macpac Group Holdings Limited (“Macpac”) are pleased to announce that the CHAMP Ventures 7 Funds (“CHAMP Ventures”) has agreed to acquire a significant majority stake in Macpac with several current shareholders retaining small minority interests.

Macpac is an iconic New Zealand outdoors brand with a story spanning over 40 years and countless adventures. Since 1973, Macpac has been guided by a vision to design outdoor apparel and equipment that stands up to New Zealand’s alpine conditions – becoming pioneers in their field. That spirit of innovation and pioneering remains today, inspiring the Macpac team as they develop world-renowned cutting-edge gear that accompanies explorers all around the world.

Alex Brandon, CEO of Macpac, said “CHAMP Ventures is a great partner for Macpac – right from our very first meeting, we were impressed with their Australian retail experience, particularly with Lorna Jane. We very much look forward to working together on this next adventure and leveraging their vast experience to significantly enhance our commercial capabilities.”

Paul Readdy, Director of CHAMP Ventures, said “Macpac is a truly authentic brand – its long heritage, sponsorship relationship with the New Zealand Alpine Team, and ongoing commitment to R&D and product design were what captured our attention. We are always looking to partner with people that are passionate about what they do and why they do it. The opportunity to be part of Macpac’s next adventure with Alex and his team is something we are all looking forward to at CHAMP Ventures”.

The transaction is expected to be complete at the end of January.

KPMG’s M&A team led the sale process and M&A Director, Nick McKay, said, “This is a logical acquisition for Champ Ventures to leverage their Australian retail expertise and is a perfect time in Macpac’s lifecycle to partner with private equity to take the business to the next level. The more we delved into the detail of Macpac, the more compelling the opportunity became as a high quality private equity deal – the business has invested significant resources on product design and functionality over the past three years, as it has also with its supply chain and back-end infrastructure.

Macpac genuinely makes some of the highest quality outdoor apparel and equipment in the world and has stayed true to its technical expertise and focused product range. Coupled with its longstanding heritage and approachable brand, Macpac is well placed to achieve its growth objectives in Australasia and beyond.”

CHAMP Ventures was advised by Simpson Grierson while Macpac was advised by Bell Gully.

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