MacNeill Pride Group, a global designer and manufacturer of outdoor products and sporting goods, has acquired GCI Outdoor, a designer of portable, built-to-last outdoor recreation equipment. MPG is a portfolio company of Centre Partners. GCI offers outdoor recreation equipment, including portable camping chairs, camp kitchens, waterside chairs and recliners and other outdoor gear.
GCI represents another category brand added to a growing MPG portfolio that includes the recently-acquired Orca, a supplier of premium coolers, drinkware and other outdoor accessories; PrideSports, a supplier of golf and sports accessories and training tools under the PrideSports brand; Pride Manufacturing Company LLC, which manufacturers engineered wood products such as golf tees; and MacNeill Engineering, a designer of cleats, studs and other footwear components under the Champ and Softspikes brands.
“The addition of GCI’s products makes MPG an immediate force in the outdoor recreation market,” said Daniel Brinkenhoff, managing director at Centre Partners. “Combined with our recent acquisition of ORCA, MPG will now offer two powerful, complementary brands with deep customer loyalty across important demographic groups. GCI has a clear track record of customer-focused innovation and product development that will play a significant role in MPG’s go-forward strategy. MPG is now perfectly positioned to continue to build on this substantial base and take advantage of growth in its end markets.”
Dan Grace and Jeff Polke, co-founders and co-presidents of GCI, stated, “This transaction is a testament to our unrelenting focus on innovation and product design that has clearly resonated with the outdoor recreation community over the past 25 years. When combined with ORCA and MPG’s other outstanding brands, the future of GCI has never been brighter. We could not be more pleased that GCI is joining the MPG family and we look forward to seeing GCI continue to flourish.”
Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor to GCI and Twin Brook Capital Partners led the debt financing for the transaction.