Bowtech acquires Excalibur

[MikeD]

I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing. The rumblings on the crossbow forums seem to lean towards bad. I guess Bowtechs CS is not that great and Excalibur has always been exceptional.

I'll be honest, one of the major selling points when I bought my Excal was the better than average CS. I also know nothing of Bowtech other than 2nd hand stuff so I'll have to wait and see how it unfolds.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Mike Alday
615-791-1535
mike@aldaycommunications.com

BOWTECH Acquires Crossbow Manufacturer Excalibur Crossbow Inc.

Partnership aligns leading archery brands and
creates the industry’s broadest product and service offering

Eugene, Oregon and Kitchener, Ontario, Canada – January 6, 2014 – BOWTECH, a leading archery products manufacturer, announced today that it has acquired Excalibur Crossbow, Inc., a leading crossbow manufacturer. Excalibur’s expertise, quality and innovation in crossbows and archery accessories segments align perfectly with BOWTECH’s leadership position in the compound bow category. The highly strategic acquisition allows BOWTECH to provide the industry’s broadest assortment of high quality brands and products to customers.
.
“BOWTECH brings the most innovative design and technology to the compound bow category. Excalibur shares these values and their crossbows are the finest on the market. Excalibur is a perfect addition to our company’s product and brand portfolio,” said Ron Johnson, CEO of BOWTECH.
Further Johnson added, “By bringing these companies together we will be better positioned to offer our customers and consumers more comprehensive and innovative archery product solutions and services. We plan to continue operating both companies while sharing and leveraging our significant expertise, industry know-how, and talented employees.”

“We could not have asked for a better partner to assist us in taking the Excalibur products and brand to the next level,” said Rob Dykeman, President Excalibur Crossbow. “BOWTECH’s commitment to innovation and meeting consumer needs aligns with the vision we have always had for Excalibur. Both companies share very strong reputations and positions in the market, and combining both companies will be a great benefit to both product lines and brands going forward. Excalibur is very excited about the future possibilities.”

About BOWTECH
http://www.bowtecharchery.com
BOWTECH manufactures and distributes the world’s finest compound bows and archery equipment. Founded in 1999, BOWTECH’s corporate offices and manufacturing facilities are located in Eugene, Oregon. With a worldwide distribution network, Bowtech’s family of brands include: BOWTECH, Diamond, Octane, and Stryker.

About Excalibur Crossbow, Inc.
http://www.excaliburcrossbow.com
Excalibur Crossbow manufactures and distributes efficient, reliable, and accurate hunting recurve crossbows and other archery accessories. Founded in 1983, Excalibur Crossbow offices and manufacturing facilities are located in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.]LINK to Press Release[/url]

 

[SHOOTER13]

Thanks for the heads-up MikeD !!

 

[OhioArcher]

Bowtech has had their issues, most notably limb delaminations and cracks. A lot of the complaints I saw about the CS was customers wanted completely new bows vs new limbs. And the turn around times were slow but considering the number of limbs replaced it really wasn't that bad.

I don't know if the buyout is a good or bad thing either.

 

[MikeD]

It appears that Bowtech did not acquire Excalibur, it was acquired by Bowtech's parent company ATK Sporting Group. It looks like both companies will continue to operate independently under ATK Sporting Group but share ideas.

This could still be good or bad depending on what ideas are shared and adopted. I am curious to see what influences carry over into each companies line.

I am not very familiar with Bowtech but Excal is releasing a new crossbow (Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 )this year that will be the first recurve to surpass the 400fps barrier with a 290# draw weight.



Edit: From the Excal Forum:

Calm down folks, the sky is NOT falling and Excalibur will not be broken down and absorbed into the Bowtech empire. This sale will help both companies to get better at what they do by combining resources and expertise, and as sister companies the total abilities of the two will exceed the sum of the two separately. Let's face it, they purchased Excalibur for it's strengths, and to change customer service in a negative way would be the same as throwing out one of Excalibur's greatest assets. I see it as far more likely that Bowtech will apply our attitudes to their customer service department to improve their service than any other outcome here!
Out of the entire industry I see Bowtech as the best match for Excalibur. Both companies are committed to producing finest quality archery gear in North America, both are leaders in their areas of expertise. They have no intentions of changing anything drastically here, only improving what we are good at, and at Excalibur business will continue as usual in our Ontario facility.
Let's all relax a bit and have faith please. Excalibur has just released some super new products (I've been hunting with prototypes of the 405 for a year and a half and I LOVE it!) and the future for us is brighter than ever. Also, please remember that Kath and I are still involved in the background with basic direction and new products, and as always, we won't let Excalibur's customers down!

Bill Troubridge

 

[OhioArcher]

That's. Cool.