Under the radar

Takeovers and mergers are always newsworthy for
various reasons. I have written about the the possible
XM/Sirius satellite radio merger and the attempted
acquisition of Wild Oats by Whole Foods (both are
still not done deals yet). But one union did occur
recently that managed to avoid the big headlines.
Thule, the Swedish company that produces car
rooftop storage boxes, ski and bicycle racks, and
more, recently acquired the American firm Case Logic,
which supplies storage bags and cases for computers,
CD's, DVD's, and other types of media. While still
subject to clearance of European anti-trust laws, it
appears that this combination will be a winning one.
According to Anders Pettersson, president and CEO
of Thule, “The Case Logic acquisition adds a highly
complementary line of products to our core line of
smart transportation solutions based on functional
design. Thule and Case Logic are serving the same
end consumer groups, active people that need an
accessory to bring their equipment with them safely,
easily and in style. A large percentage of Case Logic’s
products are offered around or inside the car, where
Thule has its strong base.” Basically, it is a merger
of techies and athletes who are on the move, like
the headphone adorned neighborhood bicycling geek!