Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Savage Arms Brand Sold

News broke Monday afternoon that Minnesota-based Vista Outdoor, Inc. sold the Savage Arms and Stevens firearms brands to a “financial buyer” for a total purchase price of $170 million. The announcement was shared in a company press release.

Selling the Savage brand is part of Vista Outdoor’s previously announced transformation plan, which outlined the intent to reshape the company’s portfolio by cutting costs, consolidating leadership, paying down debt, and divesting certain brands, including both its eyewear brands and firearms brands, in order to pursue growth in product categories where the company believes it can be market leaders.

“Divesting our Savage brand was a key aspect of our transformation plan,” said Chris Metz, Chief Executive Officer of Vista Outdoor. “While it was a difficult decision to sell such an iconic brand, I remain confident that this was the correct choice to help Vista Outdoor grow in those categories where we can have leadership positions. Savage is a fantastic business, and it deserves to continue to evolve into other firearms categories. At this time, however, we simply do not have the resources to transform Savage into the full-service firearms company that it deserves to be and, therefore, we determined the brand would be better off with a different owner. We’re excited to see Savage reach its full potential under new ownership.”

Savage was acquired by Vista Outdoor’s predecessor, ATK, in 2013. ATK’s sporting business – which included Savage, Bushnell, Federal and CCI Ammunition, and dozens of other hunt/shoot accessories brands, spun off in 2015 to become Vista Outdoor. As Vista outdoor, Inc. now looks forward, the focus will be on ammunition, hunting and shooting accessories, hydration bottles and packs, outdoor cooking products, and cycling/ski helmets and accessories.

Any reaction from Fire Readers?

Whens Roy Clark gonna release another single?

Could be a good thing. Doesn't sound like Vista had much interest in investing in the Brand. They seem focused on sales for Millennial hikers and bikers that are urban dwellers that just relish in the great outdoors on the weekends before they slip back home to eat at some celebrity chef's restaurant.

Hope it doesn’t turn out like Remington’s roller coaster ride.

Sorry to inform you but he died. You might have missed it since it wasn't well covered on this forum...

seems I heard that Roy and Buck are working on a new collaboration? Seems Glen C is in on it too?

Man get it right, it's avocado toast they like so much!

If what you say is true, there are a whole lot of other relevant brands that need to be divested: Vista Outdoors - Brands

Just to name a few of them:

Bushnell
Simmons
Tasco
Weaver (possibly discontinued if one can believe the optics forum)
Butler Creek
Uncle Mike's
Hoppe's
Federal
CCI
Speer
RCBS
...
.
.
.

Maybe the new owner will cut costs by eliminating the barrel roughening step of manufacture.

Salvage is about to be savaged

I know an awful lot of hunters who use Camelbaks.

Note, the acquisition was made by a 'financial" buyer. Which means the buyer will be focused on maximizing the asset. This sometimes means spinning off non or under-performing assets, merging offerings, or creating other 'shareholder return".

This is as opposed to a "strategic" buyer, who is looking to build brand, niche, market share, offering in areas that are aligned with its core competencies.

The sales document is available on the SEC website and the guy who signed for the buyer works for Hamilton James. James is high up at Blackstone and was a pretty big contributor to Obama so I'm not holding out much hope for better products.

Selling Savage for170 million would help any portfolio

Camel toes too.....

Yup! He det Jim.

I suppose bringing back the 99 is out of the question 😂

Not enough craftsmen left to build them in quantity, plus they aren't "tacticool" enough.

Now we know why Savage is sometimes referred to as Salvage.

Looks like the Savage salvage is underway.

Left leaning bean counters in charge, reportedly.

Not good.

DF

Wouldn't be hard to cripple the gun industry. Buy up stocks or take over the companies and shut them down. Then rule ar15s illegal to manufacture and we are in deep doodoo