Backcountry Access Purchased by Private Equity Firm
Leading avalanche safety equipment manufacturer, Backcountry Access (BCA), has been purchased by New York private equity firm, Kohlberg & Co, according to nasdaq.com.
Backcountry Access is well known in the mountain snowmobile market for its avalanche safety tools, including shovels, probes, transceivers and avalanche airbags. Its Tracker line of transceivers has been one of the best-selling of all time.

In addition to avalanche shovels, Backcountry Access also manufacturers probes and transceivers.
Backcountry Access Purchased by Private Equity Firm
The company was previously owned by international consumer goods company, Newell Brands Inc. Newell Brands also owned snowsports industry giants K2, Volkl, Marker, Dalbello, Madshus, Line, Full Tilt, Atlas, Tubbs and Ride, which were sold alongside BCA in the deal. The company expects a payout in the neighbourhood of $240 million for the brands.
The new owner, Kohlberg & Co—which specializing in middle-market investing, “brings many years of successful experience investing in leading consumer branded companies”, according to K2 executive Robert Marcovitch.

Backcountry Access Float is the line of avalanche airbags designed for mountain sledding use.
According to an interview with the Denver Post, co-founder of BCA, Bruce Edgerly, isn’t concerned about any big changes to his company. “It’s nice to know there’s an excited new owner for these iconic brands. But BCA is so organic it’s doubtful any of it will affect us.”
And that’s good news for sledders, as the BCA products are proven to be carefully researched, tested and true. With this purchase, it sounds like sledder will be able to continue to rely on BCA safety equipment for the foreseeable future.

Backcountry enthusiasts will be happy to know that BCAs line of avalanche safety gear will carry on into the future.
—MS