Brunswick Corporation : Brunswick Acquires Australia-based BLA, Expanding Marine P&A Distribution in Region
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (April 27, 2015) - Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) today announced that it has acquired BLA, Australia's largest provider of "boating, lifestyle and adventure" products, to strengthen Brunswick's marine parts and accessories (P&A) presence in the region. Terms were not disclosed. BLA had revenues of approximately AUD$50 million in 2014. "We continue to seek opportunities to strategically grow our marine and fitness operations throughout the world," said Brunswick Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dustan E. McCoy. "BLA bolsters the distribution arm of our marine P&A business by expanding our reach and customer responsiveness in the important Australian marine marketplace and this region of the world." Founded in 1974, BLA has an extensive dealer network throughout Australia and New Zealand and also serves original equipment manufacturers. BLA offers more than 15,000 different SKUs, including products from such well-known brands as Attwood, BEP, Cannon, Humminbird, Lewmar, Mastervolt, Minnkota, SeaStar Solutions, Sierra and Whale. BLA will continue to conduct business under its current name and will remain based in Brisbane, Australia. It also has operations in Melbourne and Perth, Australia, along with Auckland, New Zealand. BLA will continue to serve its current client base, while working with its current vendor partners as well as collaborating with other Mercury P&A distribution operations, such as Land 'N' Sea, to share and integrate best practices and refine performance and operational metrics. "We are pleased to have completed this transaction with BLA and look forward to continuing and extending a connection with its current client base and the marine industry in the region," McCoy said. "This is another strategic step in our efforts to continue to grow Brunswick. We will grow our organization both organically through an aggressive pace of new product introduction, as well as by select acquisitions such as the BLA transaction, which now joins both Whale, a leader in water and heating systems, and Bell Recreational Products Group, a Midwest-based P&A distributor, as recent additions to Mercury's P&A business." About Brunswick Headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill., Brunswick Corporation endeavors to instill "Genuine Ingenuity"(TM) in all its leading consumer brands, including Mercury and Mariner outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrives and inboard engines; MotorGuide trolling motors; Attwood and Whale marine parts and accessories; Land 'N' Sea, BLA, Kellogg Marine, Diversified Marine and Bell RPG parts and accessories distributors; Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Brunswick Commercial and Government Products, Crestliner, Cypress Cay, Harris, Lowe, Lund, Meridian, Princecraft, Quicksilver, Rayglass, Sea Ray and Uttern boats, and Life Fitness and Hammer Strength fitness equipment, and Brunswick billiards tables and table tennis. For more information, visit http://www.brunswick.com. # # # Release: IMMEDIATE Contact: Daniel Kubera Director - Media Relations and Corporate Communications Phone: 847-735-4617 Email: daniel.kubera@brunswick.com This announcement is distributed by GlobeNewswire on behalf of GlobeNewswire clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Brunswick Corporation via GlobeNewswire [HUG#1915289]
Released April 27, 2015