Mistral, one of the most recognized watersports and lifestyle brands in the world, has been acquired by the Dutch brand equity investor NMG. The Haarlem-based investor will take over 100% of the shares and will take an active role in guiding Mistral in accelerating its international growth.
Currently, Mistral is active on four continents and in more than 10 countries, resulting in a profitable turnover including licensed sales of approximately EUR 80 million in 2021. The brand’s workforce consists of around 60 people worldwide. Mistral’s collection varies from windsurf boards, surfboards, wing foils and SUP boards to clothing, footwear and lifestyle products. The company reaps the benefits of increasingly popular product categories such as SUP boards and wing foiling. More than 200,000 SUP boards were sold in Germany alone during 2021.
Ado Huisman says: ‘The success of recent years can be attributed to the strong brand that Mistral has been for decades. This powerful heritage allows us to be relevant instantly in relatively new categories. Of course, this offers many opportunities in a rapidly developing market like water sports. Because of our focus on branding, I selected a partner with a strong brand vision to add the next legendary chapter to the Mistral book. Evidently, we did not act on this overnight, given the fact that the first talks with NMG took place years ago.’
Mistral was founded in 1976 and stood at the cradle of the windsurfing sport with its own R&D team. At present, innovation, quality and design are still the most important core values which all Mistral products must meet.
Arnaud van der Vecht of NMG: ‘Mistral is no longer just the windsurfing brand it used to be. The brand is clearly still surfing a big wave, with windsurfing now being responsible for only part of the turnover. We respect Ado Huisman and his team for what they have achieved. Mistral has the stature, radiance and credibility to extend this success even further by building more own business under the Mistral brand. We are looking forward to a great adventure!’
Since 1976, Mistral has been recognized worldwide as the innovative watersports brand. The collection varies from windsurf boards, surfboards, wing foils and SUP boards to clothing, footwear and lifestyle products. The mix of maximum quality, design and the link to the heritage of the brand give each product the distinct and recognizable Mistral character.
Dutch investor NMG (‘Nederlands MerkGoed’) invests in brands that have an irresistible appeal to consumers. NMG invests and takes an active role in allowing these companies to grow in the long term. The Haarlem-based investment company has brands such as Mistral, Nomad, Stoov, Orangebag, BenBits, Passa Sports and Maison365 in its portfolio.
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