The Airhead Sports Group, a company based in Denver, Colorado that has dealers in nearly 80 different countries, has become the property of Aqua-Leisure Recreation, another U.S. watersports equipment company based in Avon, Massachusetts. The goal is to implement synergies in R&D, sourcing and distribution. Airhead sells a variety of products for recreation on the water and the snow including surfboards and stand-up paddleboards, inflatable boats, marine towables, life jackets, snow sleds, snow tubes and snow toys. Aqua-Leisure offers some similar watersports products plus pool floats and hammocks, but seems to have less international distribution. The transaction follows the takeover of Aqua-Leisure by a private equity firm, Blackford Capital, in January. On the management front, Leland Nichols, CEO of Airhead, will become chief operating officer of the combined group, reporting to Steve Berenson, the head of Aqua-Leisure. Since Blackford’s investment, other personalities have joined Aqua-Leisure including a new chief financial officer, Peter Delahunt, who previously worked for KT Health.

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