Gregory Mountain Products, the American backpack brand, has changed ownership through a management-led buyout. John Simons, the brand’s president for the last two years, has joined forces with two investors, Warren Kanders and Robert Schiller, to found KSS Holdings, Gregory’s new parent company.
Gregory was part of the Armor Holding group, a military supplier for mobility and protection systems. Armor was acquired in 2007 by Bianchi International, a supplier of holsters and other duty gear. Bianchi itself is part of the British BAE Systems, a large group of defense and areospace systems. Until the sale of Armor Holding, this company was actually owned by Kanders and Schiller.
It is said that Wayne Gregory, who founded the company in 1977, will continue to work on Gregory’s design team. According to U.S. press sources, KSS intends to acquire other outdoor brands that fit into the concept and the values of Gregory.
