Colorado-based bike rack manufacturer, RockyMounts has been a family-owned company since its inception. Today, that changes as Austrailian outfitter, Rhino-Rack, an industry leader in premium automotive roof racks announces its acquisition of RockyMounts.
Founded in 1993, by Bobby Noyes in Boulder Colorado, RockyMounts has been a private company, producing innovative roof and hitch bike racks for three decades. They’ve become known for developing well-thought-out, dependable racks.
Bobby has built a great brand, with market-leading products and a passionate consumer following. We are proud to be able to include RockyMounts in our portfolio of Adventure brands to expand our opportunity to be a bigger part of people’s adventure,” remarked Mat Hayward, Managing Director of Clarus Adventure Segment.
What Does Bobby Have to Say?
“When I started to look at the future of RockyMounts, my own future, and the brands, I had a short list of companies that I could trust to care for it the way I have. I am so excited to see where Rhino-Rack takes RockyMounts and I know that my brand and people are in great hands with Mat and Tripp at the helm,” concluded Bobby Noyes, founder of RockyMounts.
The terms of the sale were not disclosed in the press release. However, it seems that Noyes will be staying on with the business in a Product Development and innovation-driving capacity.
What’s Next for RockyMounts
According to the press release, both retailers and consumers “should see no major changes to the daily operation of the brand in the short term, and the brand will continue to be managed out of Colorado”.
Rhino-Rack will be ceasing operations in Grand Junction to consolidate operations in Denver, Colorado. This will improve rail delivery access.
The company that owns Rhino-Rack, the Clarus Corporation is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is said to be a “global leader in the design and development of best-in-class equipment and lifestyle products. They own many other familiar brands like Black Diamond, Rhino-Rack, MAXTRAX, TRED Outdoors, and Ezy Anchor.
It makes sense that a company like Rhino-Racks, which is essentially a big outfitter for the overland market, would find value in purchasing a bike rack company. There is quite a bit of cross-over between the overland community and people who like to ride bikes. So, maybe this will be a good home for RockyMounts… we will see.
