Volant skis
Encyclopedia
Volant is a brand of ski
equipment, currently owned by Amer Sports
. It was founded as an independent company in the USA, by brothers Hank and Bucky Kashiwa in 1989. The brothers developed the stainless steel "cap" ski, and founded the company with the belief that stainless steel skis would provide better performance than skis made from other materials.
By 1998, Volant was the fourth best-selling ski supplier in the United States, with industry-leading owner loyalty at or above 80%. In 2001, Volant production was moved from Wheat Ridge, Colorado
to Atomic
's Altenmarkt factory in Austria on an OEM
basis. In 2003, the Volant brand was acquired by Amer Group, LLC, the parent company of Atomic, and several other brands of sporting equipment.
Volant purchased Aggression Snowboards in 1994, in order to acquire a snowboard manufacturing facility. A steel capped snowboard was introduced to the Aggression line (the Aggression Steel) initially. In the following season Volant introduced its own line of snowboards and shifted the steel capped boards to the Volant line. Volant purchased Limited Snowboards, bringing their president to Wheat Ridge but continuing to produced the Limited line in Canada. Volant was still not profitable due to continuing problems achieving economies of scale with the steel top caps. Costs issues were further heightened with the opening of eastern europe and globalization of the industry. An average of 4.5 hours of labor spent on each pair of skis could not be justified. Meanwhile the primary investor's stock portfolio was taking a beating due to the Dot Com bust and he no longer desired to keep pumping money into the hemorrhaging company. The doors were order closed and the brand sold.
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
equipment, currently owned by Amer Sports
Amer Sports
Amer Sports Oyj is the largest manufacturer of sporting equipment in the world. Established in 1950, the company is based in Helsinki, Finland...
. It was founded as an independent company in the USA, by brothers Hank and Bucky Kashiwa in 1989. The brothers developed the stainless steel "cap" ski, and founded the company with the belief that stainless steel skis would provide better performance than skis made from other materials.
By 1998, Volant was the fourth best-selling ski supplier in the United States, with industry-leading owner loyalty at or above 80%. In 2001, Volant production was moved from Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Wheat Ridge, Colorado
The City of Wheat Ridge is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is a western suburb of Denver. The Wheat Ridge Municipal Center is approximately west-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver...
to Atomic
Atomic Skis
Atomic is an Austrian company which manufactures and sells skiing equipment .-Background:...
's Altenmarkt factory in Austria on an OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
basis. In 2003, the Volant brand was acquired by Amer Group, LLC, the parent company of Atomic, and several other brands of sporting equipment.
Volant purchased Aggression Snowboards in 1994, in order to acquire a snowboard manufacturing facility. A steel capped snowboard was introduced to the Aggression line (the Aggression Steel) initially. In the following season Volant introduced its own line of snowboards and shifted the steel capped boards to the Volant line. Volant purchased Limited Snowboards, bringing their president to Wheat Ridge but continuing to produced the Limited line in Canada. Volant was still not profitable due to continuing problems achieving economies of scale with the steel top caps. Costs issues were further heightened with the opening of eastern europe and globalization of the industry. An average of 4.5 hours of labor spent on each pair of skis could not be justified. Meanwhile the primary investor's stock portfolio was taking a beating due to the Dot Com bust and he no longer desired to keep pumping money into the hemorrhaging company. The doors were order closed and the brand sold.