Burlington, VT - Four Star Distribution has agreed to sell all four of its snowboard brands to Burton. Both parties have agreed on terms and are in the due diligence period of the acquisition, which is expected to be complete by August 15th, 2004. Four Star's brands will stay on the West Coast but will move from its current location.

The acquisition represents a new day for Burton to add to its existing portfolio of brands, which includes Burton, Analog, Gravis Footwear, RED Helmets & Impact Protection and Anon Optics.

"We feel that the acquisition of Forum, Special Blend, Jeenyus and Foursquare presents an excellent opportunity to reach out to a company that has great brands and a strong consumer following, but has not been able to reach its market potential," said Laurent Potdevin, Burton's President.

Markus Bohi of Four Star Distribution went on to say, "Selling off these brands is a very difficult decision for the company. We felt that we needed to concentrate on C1RCA's footwear and apparel business in order to be successful in the long-term. Over the years, we have been approached many times about selling these brands, but the fit and timing never worked. The timing is now right, and we could not place the brands' future in better hands than Burton, the clear global market leader." "I think I speak for all of us at Burton when I say that we have gotten tired of watching ski companies buy up snowboard brands," says Jake Burton, founder and owner of Burton. "Forum is a company we have always respected, and it is a brand that needed to stay in the hands of snowboarders. We will do our best to see that Forum and its sister brands continue to grow and develop."

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Unbound

peter line is about to become really, really rich (er)...

looks like some of those burton haters will now be burton lovers..

Burton Finalizes Acquisition of Forum, Jeenyus, Foursquare and Special Blend Snowboard Brands
Wednesday August 25, 1:48 pm ET


BURLINGTON, Vt., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Burton has closed the previously announced acquisition of Forum, Jeenyus, Foursquare and Special Blend from Four Star Distribution. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The acquisition will add four new product lines to Burton's existing family of brands. Each brand will remain autonomous in terms of identity, consumer following, team riders and product offerings. The collection of brands will stay on the West Coast, but will relocate from its present location in San Clemente to a new location in Orange County. Burton has encouraged the sales, marketing and product staff at Forum and its sister brands to remain in their existing positions and continue to work for the brands.

"We're excited that the deal is finalized so we can focus on making great product," said Laurent Potdevin, Burton's President. "Our plan for the immediate future is pretty simple -- we're going to give these brands the support and resources they need to reach their full potential. Everyone at Burton is committed to making this happen."

"Going into the acquisition, we all knew it was going to be a big job to get it done," said Jake Burton, founder and owner of Burton. "Having completed the transactional phase of the deal, I have been amazed at the performance of our people and the crew at Four Star Distribution in the process. I'm confident the future of these brands is in good hands."

Consumers can learn more about Burton Snowboards by calling Burton Rider Service: (800) 881-3138.

Burton Snowboards, the world's first snowboard factory, is a pure snowboard company solely dedicated to creating and perfecting a full range of the best snowboarding equipment on the planet. Founded in 1977, Burton has fueled the growth of snowboarding worldwide through its team of top snowboarders and successful programs such as Learn To Ride (LTR), the Chill Foundation and the Open Snowboarding Championships. Headquartered in Burlington, Vermont with international offices in Innsbruck, Austria and Tokyo, Japan, Burton has been the industry leader since its inception.