One year ago, Salewa Oberalp announced the acquisition of Pomoca, the Swiss manufacturer of mountaineering skins, which is now completely integrated into the group. At a press conference at Ispo, the Italian family-owned company announced its acquisition of Wild Country, a British producer of high-safety harnesses and other climbing gear.
Salewa approached Wild Country eight months ago to use its factory in China to perform quality control on its carabiners. Salewa will use the company's head office in the U.K. to sell its footwear and other products in the country. Martin Atkinson, who founded Wild Country in the 1970s, will continue to lead the brand.
Salewa had many other things to say about the development of its footwear line and Dynafit at the conference. Its sales increased by 6 percent to €175 million in 2011 and are expected to grow by another 3 percent this year, in spite of the snow situation. Wild Country will contribute an annual turnover of around £3.4 million, or €4 million (more in The Outdoor Industry Compass).
