Breaking Industry news: Volcom gets Electric

as reported by EXPN

Volcom today announced it has reached an agreement on an all-cash offer to acquire privately held Electric Visual Evolution, one of the most recognized and respected eyewear brands in action sports.

Under the terms of the agreement, Volcom shall pay to Electric shareholders $25.25 million in cash upon the closing of the transaction. Electric will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Volcom and will be maintained as a stand-alone brand.

Electric was founded in 2000 by industry veterans Kip Arnette and Bruce Beach and is headquartered in Orange County, California. "We are very excited about this partnership," said Richard Woolcott, Volcom's president and chief executive officer. "Electric is a powerful brand with a lot of potential, and together, we look forward to leveraging each other's strengths and expertise.

"Culturally, Electric is a perfect fit for our company," Woolcott continued. "We've known the Electric team for a long time, and we recognize they share the same passion and love for action sports as we do here at Volcom. Our companies are very much on the same wavelength, sharing similarities in product distribution, marketing efforts and a strong commitment to quality and innovation. Everyone here is stoked to welcome Electric into the Volcom family."

"Volcom has an amazing team and an incredible heritage in the action sports industry," said Kip Arnette, co-president and chief design officer of Electric Visual. "We could not have hoped to partner with anyone more capable on an operational level and more in-line with us culturally, than Volcom."