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July 25, 2013 - For Immediate Release
Kayak Distribution, manufacturer of Boreal Design, Riot Kayaks and
Beluga Accessories, and North American distributor of Tahe Marine, Zegul
Marine and Trapper Canoes and Kayaks, is pleased to announce its
Strategic Partnership with Seaward Kayaks Ltd.
Seaward Kayaks, a family-owned company, is situated on Vancouver Island off the West Coast of British Columbia,
Canada. The Seaward story began over 25 years when Steven Ree and
Geoff Workman, two influential figures in the North American Sea Kayak
industry, combined their talents and started the company that has
evolved into the industry icon it is today. World-renowned for its
impressive heritage and irrefutable pedigree, Seaward’s array of awards
and accolades continues to bolster its reputation for producing award
winning composite and thermoformed designs. The Seaward composite
flagship, the Passat G3, currently holds the coveted Sea Kayaker
Magazine Readers’ Choice Award. Most recently, the new Seaward Halo
SR-130 thermoformed kayak vaulted to prominence by winning the 2013
‘Gear of the Year’ award from Outside Magazine.
The new
Seaward SR Series garnered a great deal of attention this year and soon
caught the eye of Kayak Distribution. “Due to our heavy investment in
thermoforming it was considered a priority to solicit these North
American influenced designs to compliment the Riot Recreational
thermoformed Edge Series and the more Greenlandic Boreal Designs
thermoformed kayaks” says Marc Pelland, President of Kayak Distribution.
The entire Seaward Kayaks thermoformed division has now
been acquired by Kayak Distribution, which will produce them
independently. Seaward Kayaks Canada’s composite operations will remain
intact - owned and operated by its original owners - and its composite
boats will continue to be manufactured by the same skilled craftsmen
that have been hand-making them on Vancouver Island for over 25 years.
In addition to the thermoformed acquisition, the Strategic Partnership
includes an unprecedented Reciprocal Sales Rep Agreement: This means
that the entire product lines for both companies are now available to
each company’s respective customer bases. Seaward’s customers will now
have access to the popular Riot and Boreal Design product lines, Beluga
accessories, as well as anything else in the Kayak Distribution product
catalogue. Customers of Kayak Distribution will now be able to order
the famed Seaward Passat G3 and draw form the entire Seaward composite
line, while benefiting from the consolidated shipping rates of the vast
Kayak Distribution system.
In terms of sales and marketing,
the Seaward compound will also function as the West Coast Sales and
Shipping Hub for Kayak Distribution. “Consolidating resources and
operations will benefit both companies”, says Mr. Pelland who adds “We
are pleased to welcome the Seaward dealers to the Kayak Distribution
family.”
“We are most excited about the added value this
Partnership will bring to our respective dealer bases” says Steven Ree,
president of Seaward Kayaks who also promises “things will be business
as usual” during the transition to streamline the operations.
Talks are also underway that are expected to see Kayak Distribution
contract Seaward Kayaks’ production expertise to provide additional
high-end, fully-customisable composite kayaks for the North American
market. “We are investigating all possible efficiencies and synergies
and we are very excited at the growth prospects to be realized by this
initiative” says Mark Hall, Canadian Sales Manager for Kayak
Distributions.
The addition of 11 thermoformed models from
Seaward Kayaks to the newly redesigned thermoformed kayaks from Riot and
Boreal Design brings the total to 23 thermoformed models spread across
all disciplines of kayaking. These are complimented by over 100
additional models of roto-molded or composite constructions currently in
the Kayak Distribution product catalogue.
Kayak Distribution
is a Canadian-owned company with its headquarters and warehouse in
Montreal, a second warehouse in Ladysmith, BC, and a third in San Diego,
California. KD has production facilities in Quebec, Estonia, and China,
enabling it to better supply world demand with its high quality
roto-molded, thermoformed and composite products, at a price that
competes with the larger corporate entities.
This unprecedented
Partnership between Kayak Distribution and Seaward Kayaks will allow
Kayak dealers across North America and throughout the world to reap the
benefits of a comprehensive catalogue of truly industry-leading designs,
excellent distribution networks and outstanding customer service.
For more information please contact:
Mark Hall
Sales Manager
Kayak Distribution
mark@kayakdistribution.com
250 739 2830
