Bushnell is bought out

The parent company of Bollé and Serengeti sunglasses, Bushnell Outdoor Products, was sold last week by Wind Point Partners to private equity firm MidOcean Parters and senior managers at Bushnell.

Optical and outdoor product manufacturer Bushnell, which was founded in 1948, has 350 employees and annual growth has recently exceeded 10 per cent. A report in The Kansas City Star (July 19) said the purchase price was just under $600m and that Bushnell expects to post sales of $400m this year.

President and CEO Joe Messner and other senior managers will continue to run the company after the deal closes, estimated as the end of August, and will own an undisclosed but significant stake in Bushnell.