Huish Outdoors seemingly inexorable expansion throughout the dive industry has continued, with the news that the company has acquired long-established US brands Oceanic and Hollis from AUP (American Underwater Products), which also owns the Lavacore and Oceanpro brands.
The acquisition of Oceanic and Hollis represents the sixth and seventh such move by Huish Outdoors in just six years, and these brands will now sit alongside the likes of Atomic Aquatics, BARE, Liquivision, Sharkskin, Stahlsac and Zeagle.
AUP came into being way back in 1972, when it was founded by Bob Hollis, a well-known pioneer in scuba diving, and since then Oceanic and Hollis in particular have become recognisable brands, each gaining solid followings from legions of end-users.
Commenting on the acquisition, Mike Huish – CEO of Huish Outdoors – said: “Adding Oceanic and Hollis to the family of Huish Outdoors is an important step for our company – along with our existing brands, these two industry veterans allow us to offer a complete range of product categories and a full spectrum of price points to our retail partners, and build on our consumer choice strategy. Today’s consumers are demanding ‘best in category’ choice in the retail environment, rather than a one-brand approach to buying all their gear. Pursuing our approach of brand selection at retail has been fundamental to our growth, and we believe this trend will continue well into the future.
“While Oceanic and Hollis have been challenged over the years to maintain adequate inventory levels, retailers and consumers have been patient and loyal, and it’s most exciting for us to repay this loyalty with investments in inventory and a commitment to growing these brands with the help of our retail partners.”
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