Columbia Sportswear Company has entered into an agreement to form a joint venture with Swire Resources Ltd. designed to expand the Columbia brand and to further establish and grow the Mountain Hardwear brand in China.
The new joint venture is expected to begin operations January 1, 2014, with headquarters in Shanghai. Columbia will own 60% of the JV; Swire will own 40%, with profits and losses shared in similar proportions. The joint venture carries an initial term of 20 years and includes a provision for the purchase or sale of the minority interest any time after the fifth year.
Swire Resources Ltd., a subsidiary of Swire Pacific Limited, has operated as Columbia Sportswear's exclusive independent distributor of Columbia and Mountain Hardwear branded products in China since 2004, and in Hong Kong and Macau since 2002.
In China, Swire sells to a network of wholesale dealers that, at June 30, 2012, operated approximately 530 Columbia Sportswear retail locations and 45 Mountain Hardwear retail locations in 135 cities. In addition, Swire directly operates more than 70 Columbia branded retail locations in 7 cities.
Swire Resources' 2011 Columbia sales in China totaled approximately USD123 million.
Swire Resources will continue to serve as the exclusive independent distributor of Columbia Sportswear in Hong Kong and Macau.
The joint venture transaction is subject to various conditions, including regulatory approval in China, and is expected to be completed on or about the January 1, 2014 commencement date.