July 15, 2013 – Dedicated to the recovery and sustainability of the century-old company since its takeover in November 2008, the shareholders of the Rossignol Group have entered into exclusive discussions with a consortium of investors for the acquisition of the entirety of their shares.

This proposed change in the shareholding will aim at accompanying the Group’s entry into a new phase of its development, at a time when it has outperformed the market.

The existing shareholders of the Rossignol Group, Macquarie, Jarden and its President Bruno Cercley, are considering a transfer to a consortium consisting of the following parties:

A majority shareholder owning 80%,the Nordic investment fund Altor, which investment team is based in Oslo, a world-renowned center for skiing, Altor has extensive knowledge of the Outdoor sector and valuable experiences in the textile field, including the revitalization of the brand Helly Hansen.
A group of minority shareholders owning 20% composed of:

1. Bruno Cercley and the management of the Group;
2.Weber Investment, a French investment company owned by mountain and ski enthusiasts Christian Gueugnier and Didier de Menestrel, founders of the Asset Management company Financière de l’Echiquier. Already a shareholder of Rossignol through Financière de l’Echiquier before it was acquired by Quiksilver in 2005, Didier De Menestrel has a particular attachment to the group;
3.The Boix-Vives family. The family of the iconic owner of Rossignol between 1955 and 2005 wishes to continue to support the Group, its management team and its employees.

A strategy for long-term profitable growth

According to Bruno Cercley,”Over the past five years, the shareholders of the Rossignol Group have given the management the means to reposition the company on the path towards long-term profitable growth, through important investments into new products and the modernization of our industrial facilities. The mission is more than complete: our legendary brand was not only saved, but is now growing strongly and harbors new ambitions.”

Through this change of ownership, the Group intends to continue to strengthen its position in its core business, while accelerating the development of complementary product categories. In particular, we will focus on:

– Further strengthening our core business, namely the manufacturing and marketing of winter sports equipment, for which the signs are very positive for the coming season. Clients of the Group reacted very positively to the new 2013-2014 product offerings.
– The deployment of our textile offer, with the support of Altor’s successful experience in this sector;
– The study of growth opportunities in the dynamic Outdoor market, in order to complement the primary activity of the Group.

Hugo Maurstad, Partner at Altor Equity Partners, said:”We are very impressed with the turnaround made?? by the management in the past five years, which created the foundation for a strong and sustainable growth. With Rossignol, Dynastar, Lange and Look, the Rossignol Group owns some of the most powerful winter sports brands in the world. These assets are the key to expanding to new horizons.”

“Altor’s experience, the strong commitment of management, the participation of investors attached to our history and the link created by the Boix-Vives family, combine to bring passion, commitment and a new dynamic to Rossignol, allowing us to view the years ahead with continued optimism,” concluded Bruno Cercley.

Subject to certain conditions including the final approval of the applicable government authorities, the transfer should be fully effective before or during the fall of 2013.