September 4, 2008 – Quicksilver Inc., one of the world’s most well known sports industry brands has announced that a deal has been made to sell the Rossignol Ski Company to Chartreuse and Mont Blanc. The sale is valued at an estimated at $147 million US, less than half of what Quicksilver bought Rossignol for in 2005. Chartreuse and Mont Blanc is headed up by former Rossi CEO Bruno Cercley.

Under the Rossignol umbrella are the Dynastar, Lange, and Look brands. The sale is consistent with an announcement by Quicksilver in January of 2008, that it wished to pull away from the winter sports market and focus on it’s core surf and skate apparel and footwear business – Quicksilver, Roxy and DC Shoes. The Orange County, California company initially purchased Rossignol in 2005 for $320 million US, making them a major player in the winter sports industry.

Chartreuse and Mont Blanc is named after two mountain ranges that are home to the two major brands within the Rossignol Group. Rossignol is based near the Chartreuse mountain range, and Dynastar is located in the shadow of Mont Blanc. Chartreuse and Mont Blanc is majority owned the Macquarie Group and supported by a non-voting minority interest held by Jarden Corporation, the parent company of K2 and Völkl.

For more on this story LA Times, Reuters.