The Rossignol Group will continue to handle the manufacture of these two French brands of snowboards, which it had taken over several years ago, but it will concentrate its sales efforts in this category on the Rossignol brands and on those of Quiksilver, including Gnu, Libtech and Roxy. The deal with Sevysa Sport became effective on Jan. 15.
Sevysa, a Swiss distributor previously involved in the distribution of bicycles, set up Sevysa Sport as a separate company in 1997. This company, which also has an outdoor division, distributed three brands of the Rossignol Group – Dynastar, Lange and Look – in Switzerland until last year, but this business has been taken over by Rossignol’s Swiss subsidiary in Stans, in line with Quiksilver’s multi-brand sales policy. Sevysa is also Oakley’s distributor in Switzerland.
Sevysa Sport will take care of the distribution of Hot and Hammer worldwide. The agents and distributors previously used by Rossignol are confirmed under further notice. Rossignol will continue to distribute the two brands in France until March 31. New distributors and agents will be appointed in France and in other countries where Rossignol was in charge.
Meanwhile, Quiksilver says the production of its Gnu and Libtech snowboards will be transferred from Seattle and consolidated with that of Rossignol’s boards at its Spanish factory. The number of Rossignol’s European warehouses will be cut down from 16 to three.
Quiksilver has told analysts that it wants to position Rossignol and its Cleveland Golf subsidiary as an outdoor sports lifestyle group, as it sees the outdoor sector as a $42 billion market compared with the $4 billion boardsports market.
