In its 15th annual Top Middle-Market Deals list, Mergers & Acquisitions honored Vista Outdoor’s $474 million purchase of Foresight as 2021’s top deal in the Consumer Products-Recreation category.
(Anoka, MN) — April 28, 2022 — Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE: VSTO), the parent company of 39 renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products to consumers around the globe, has been honored by the trade publication Mergers & Acquisitions for the company’s $474 million acquisition of Foresight Sports last September. The transaction was named the top deal for 2021 in the Consumer Products-Recreation category. Mergers & Acquisitions‘ 15th annual Top Middle-Market Deals list celebrates the transactions that “set the gold standard in the middle market” for deals that closed between January 2021 and February 2022.
In its analysis of the deal, Mergers & Acquisitions said Vista Outdoor “expanded its presence in higher growth, less cyclical outdoor products markets” with the addition of Foresight Sports, a leading designer and manufacturer of golf performance analysis, entertainment, and game enhancement technologies. Foresight Sports is a vertically integrated engineering and manufacturing company that produces launch monitors, simulators, performance/entertainment software and smart mobility solutions for on- and off-course golf activities and a variety of other sports and games.
“We are honored that Mergers & Acquisitions recognized this transaction as the top deal for 2021 in the Consumer Products-Recreation category,” said Vista Outdoor Chief Executive Officer Chris Metz. “Last year’s addition of Foresight Sports immediately positioned Vista Outdoor as one of the top technology players in the golf industry. This deal is a testament to the M&A capability we have built, which is constantly finding new assets that will not only help Vista Outdoor grow revenue and improve profitability but also complement our current brands and strengthen our ‘Better with Vista’ portfolio strategy. Together under the same roof, Bushnell Golf and Foresight Sports are elevating their brands’ strengths, engaging and expanding into new segments of the industry, and driving growth and brand awareness at an unprecedented scale.”
The recognition further solidifies Vista Outdoor’s reputation as the acquirer of choice in the outdoor and sporting goods industry, a distinction that can be credited to the company’s relentless pursuit of quality assets and its ability to transact seamless acquisitions and integrations. That this honor came during COVID-19 is another testament to the company’s commitment to doing things the right way to benefit all of Vista Outdoor’s stakeholders.
Vista Outdoor’s entire M&A and financial team are to be commended for the success of this deal, as are the other parties that helped the companies get the Foresight transaction across the finish line. They include PricewaterhouseCoopers Corporate Finance LLC and Gunderson Dettmer LLP, which served as financial advisor and legal advisor, respectively, to Foresight Sports, and Reed Smith LLP, which served as legal advisor to Vista Outdoor.
The 15th annual M&A Mid-Market Awards will also be published in the May/June 2022 issue of Mergers & Acquisitions. The publication’s second annual Dealmakers Summit — an in-person gathering of the middle market’s top dealmakers — will take place on Nov. 3 in New York City.
About Vista Outdoor Inc.
Vista Outdoor (NYSE: VSTO) is the parent company of more than three dozen renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products. We serve a broad and diverse range of consumers around the globe, including outdoor enthusiasts, golfers, cyclists, backyard grillers, campers, hunters, recreational shooters, athletes, as well as law enforcement and military professionals. Our reporting segments, Outdoor Products and Sporting Products, provide these consumers with a wide range of performance-driven, high-quality and innovative outdoor and sporting products. Our operating model leverages shared resources across brands to achieve levels of excellence and performance that would be out of reach for any one brand on its own. Brands include Remington Ammunition, Bushnell, CamelBak, Bushnell Golf, Foresight Sports, Fiber Energy Products, Bell Helmets, Camp Chef, Giro, QuietKat, Stone Glacier, Federal Ammunition and more. Vista Outdoor products are sold at leading retailers and distributors across North America and worldwide. For news and information, visit our website at www.vistaoutdoor.com.
