May 2, 2017
Huish Outdoors LLC is excited to announce our latest acquisition of the Oceanic® and Hollis® brands from American Underwater Products (“AUP”).
Founded in 1972 by Bob Hollis, American Underwater Products has grown into a multi-brand company that includes Oceanic and Hollis – two of the most legendary scuba diving brands across global markets, with a wide range of product categories. From very humble beginnings, as an entrepreneur and pioneer, Hollis’ love for diving and his mechanical aptitude allowed him to create his own specialized dive equipment that propelled the brands to the forefront of the dive industry. With a rich history and forward looking innovative approach, Oceanic and Hollis continue to be a staple for the scuba diving consumer both in the recreational and technical markets.
“Adding Oceanic and Hollis to the family of Huish Outdoors brands is an important step for our company,” said Mike Huish, CEO of Huish Outdoors. “These two industry leading brands round out our portfolio and allow us to offer a complete range of product categories and a full spectrum of price points to our retail partners, and build on our consumer choice strategy. Today’s consumers are demanding best in category choice in the retail environment – rather than a one-brand approach to buying all their gear. Pursuing our approach of brand selection at retail has been fundamental to our growth and we believe this trend will continue well into the future.”
“While Oceanic and Hollis have been challenged over the years to maintain adequate inventory levels, retailers and consumers have been patient and loyal, and it’s most exciting for us to repay this loyalty with investments in inventory and a commitment to growing these brands with the help of our retail partners,” says Mike Huish.
“The Hollis family couldn’t be more excited to work with Huish Outdoors in the future growth of these brands under their new ownership,” says Bob Hollis. “We’re grateful to become a part of such a progressive company that believes in driving industry participation through product innovation, an approach that I’ve taken since I first started making dive equipment.”
Oceanic and Hollis represent Huish Outdoors’ sixth and seventh acquisition since 2011 and add to an already impressive portfolio of the best brands in dive; Atomic Aquatics, BARE, Liquivision, Sharkskin, Stahlsac, Suunto and Zeagle.
“We are extremely proud of the brands we own and distribute, and are committed to building them with our retail partnerships through a diversified and complimentary portfolio of products,” says Mike Huish.