MANUFACTURING
Authentic Brands Acquires Tretorn
Nearly a month after it acquired Frederick’s of Hollywood, Authentic Brands Group (ABG), announced it completed the purchase of Tretorn, a 124-year-old outdoor-lifestyle brand reportedly favored by tennis stars Bjorn Borg and Martina Navratilova. No sales price was disclosed.
Nick Woodhouse, president of ABG, said the company was interested in the Swedish brand because of its well-known canvas Nylite sneakers.
“Tretorn shoes are iconic,” Woodhouse said. “The Nylite was a favorite with tennis stars from Bjorn Borg to Martina Navratilova and was celebrated as one of the first-ever sport shoes that exuded style off the court. With today’s lifestyle trends, now is the perfect time to welcome Tretorn to the ABG family and launch it into new categories and territories.”
Tretorn will continue to be a global developer and supplier of rubber-based footwear, according to a company statement. It also will focus on expanding its market for its footwear, outerwear and tennis equipment in North America and Asia. Tretorn has been sold at retailers such as Nordstrom, Macy’s, REI and Zappos.
New York–based ABG has been on a buying spree in recent years, acquiring many brands, including those from Southern California, such as Juicy Couture and Tapout.
ABG also is well known for licensing celebrity brands for stars such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali. Its family of brands also lists men’s suits labels such as Hickey Freeman and Hart Schaffner Marx.
