In 2011, on the advice of a business consultancy firm, Sombrio began to build up a network of its own retail stores - Sombrio Concept Stores. The following year, the Sombrio management realized that this retail expansion plan turned out to be much more expensive than calculated and some of the planned stores never opened. An investor subsequently pulled out of Sombrio, which left a significant gap in the financing. In response, Dave Watson, founder and president of Sombrio, announced in December 2013 that the business would have to be paused and that a complete discontinuation of operations could not be ruled out.

New investor
Sombrio found a new investor in Sugoi in January 2014. The clothing specialist, which is part of the Dorel Group and the Cycling Sports Group, bought Sombrio. The new owner is not providing any information about the purchase price for Sombrio. "There are numerous synergies resulting from the addition of Sombrio to the Sugoi family. We appreciate this way to expand our portfolio and develop apparel for the gravity, freeride and liftestyle segments," says Kyle Weiner, President of Sugoi.

Dave Watson, who founded Sombrio in 1998, is pleased with the new chapter and indicates that he will remain on board: "I am excited about the opportunities this acquisition creates and the opportunity to lead a new team that will charge Sombrio with new growth."

Cycling Sports Group has not yet said whether there will be any changes to Sombrio's distribution model.

www.sugoi.com
http://bike.sombriocartel.com/