Last week Jackson Kayak suprised the kayaking world when it announced it had completed the purchase of Werner Paddles.
CEO of Jackson Kayak, Peter Hausin stated “We have a strong team, a very large facility, and our location is ideal for growth, We knew that we would be stronger if we were a larger company, so we are thrilled to now be joining forces with Werner, one of the premier brands in paddlesports.”
"Jackson Kayak has been looking for opportunities to fill more space at our Factory here in Sparta, Tennessee, and Werner has been struggling with the rising costs of manufacturing in the PNW." commented Emily Jackson, Marketing Director at Jackson Kayak.
She went on to say "Joe Pulliam (Dagger Kayaks founder) who has been on our advisory board for years, and even worked for Jackson Kayak at some stage, is very close with Bruce Furrer, Werner's owner. He connected the dots when noticing both Jackson's and Werner’s needs and initiated the conversations about eight months ago."
“After meeting with Tony, I quickly learned of his long-term involvement in paddlesports, his belief in supporting employees, and his commitment to producing the highest quality products,” says Furrer. “I’m comfortable Werner Paddles is in good hands.”
"Werner production will be moved to our factory in TN." says Emily "We have offered job opportunities to all Werner employees, should they choose to move."
She added "One of the biggest added values of shared space is the cost savings of being under one roof. Given our industry’s seasonality, it’s important to have as many cost savings as possible to ensure both are here for many years to come."
Moving forward, both companies’ Sales and Marketing teams will continue to operate independently, remaining committed to delivering the highest quality services to their customers. Paddle production will transition to the Jackson location in Sparta, TN.
“We know that it is critical to preserve the individuality of each brand,” says Peter. “We can be a stronger and more efficient company together, but we will not abandon the uniqueness of these two stellar brands.”
Both companies released a statment saying "The alliance between Jackson Kayak and Werner Paddles represents a powerful collaboration that leverages their shared values, manufacturing expertise, and commitment to delivering exceptional paddlesports products. Together, they are stronger, more resilient, and better positioned to serve their community and achieve continued success."
So what will all this will mean to us sea kayakers? In the transition stage Jackson Kayak will presumably do what they can to keep things the same. However there will inevitable be supply issues that retailers will have to deal with and this means we are unlikely to see any big sales deals. In the longer term the fact that Werner were struggling with rising costs means we will inevitably see a rise in prices for the paddles.
In terms of design and innovation, while Werner make some of the best sea kayak paddles available, there haven't been any meaningful changes to their Touring range of paddles in the last two decades. Will the innovation and shorter design cycles of Jackson Kayak bring about some change for Werner's sea kayaking paddles? Or will they look to capitalise on the solid designs they already have in the range. It remains to be seen.
By Philip Clegg
With over two decades of working in the sea kayaking industry, Phil can be found on a daily basis coaching on the sea around Anglesey. That's when he's not researching and writing on all things sea kayaking.