K2 Sports, LLC, known simply as K2, is an American sporting goods company headquartered in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, Washington focused primarily on winter sports equipment. K2 operates under the labels K2 Snow and K2 Skates, as well as its subsidiaries Backcountry Access, Ride Snowboards, Tubbs Snowshoes, Atlas Snow-Shoe Company, LINE Skis, Full Tilt Boots, and Madshus brands. Famous users of K2 Skis include pro champion Spider Sabich,

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

and Olympic champion Phil Mahre, and his twin brother Steve Mahre, World Champion and Olympic silver medalist.

History

Founding

Founded in 1962 by brothers Bill and Don Kirschner on Vashon Island, Washington, K2 is known for pioneering

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...

ski technology, which made skis significantly lighter and more lively than their wood and metal contemporaries. In 1967, Bill Kirschner named the company K2 (for the world's second-largest mountain and for the two Kirschner brothers, Bill and Don).

Growth and acquisitions

In late 1969, the company's rapid growth required new capital and Bill Kirschner decided a well-financed partner was necessary. The company was acquired by the Cummins Engine Company of

Columbus, Indiana Columbus () is a city in and the county seat of Bartholomew County, Indiana, United States. The population was 50,474 at the 2020 census. The city is known for its architectural significance, having commissioned noted works of modern architect ...

. Then in November 1976, the company was acquired by a private group of Northwest investors. The group, called Sitca, purchased K2 and its subsidiary, Jansport. In 1982, company management purchased all outstanding shares of Sitca Corporation from the group of Northwest investors. Management decided to concentrate all resources on the alpine ski market. In September 1985, Anthony Industries, Inc. acquired 100 percent of the stock of Sitca Corporation. Anthony, an NYSE listed company, develops and manufactures products for leisure and recreational markets under many brand names. In 1995, Anthony Industries sold off its Anthony Pools division to its rival, Sylvan Pools, and changed its name to K2, Inc. By 2000, board member Richard Heckmann had assumed control and embarked on a vigorous growth program. In order to remain financially competitive, K2 moved its manufacturing from Vashon Island to

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

, China in 2001. Thereafter, the company acquired Rawlings Sporting Goods and Worth, a manufacturer of baseball bats; Brass Eagle and Viewloader in the paintball business; Volkl, Marker, and Marmot. On June 22, 2006, K2 announced it was moving its business office from Vashon Island to Seattle's

Industrial District Industrial district (ID) is a place where workers and firms, specialised in a main industry and auxiliary industries, live and work. The concept was initially used by Alfred Marshall to describe some aspects of the industrial organisation of nat ...

. On April 25, 2007 Jarden Corporation announced a definitive agreement to acquire K2, Inc. for a cash and stock value per share of $15.50. Jarden is controlled by Martin Franklin, a British investor and triathlete. Jarden was later acquired by Newell Brands, who then sold K2 to private equity firm Kohlberg & Company in 2017.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:K2 Sports Sporting goods manufacturers of the United States Ski equipment manufacturers Sportswear brands Manufacturing companies based in Seattle American companies established in 1962 Manufacturing companies established in 1962 1962 establishments in Washington (state) Vashon, Washington Private equity portfolio companies 2007 mergers and acquisitions 2016 mergers and acquisitions 2017 mergers and acquisitions