A Quick History of Kayak Manufacturers and Mergers
Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2019 12:31 pm
With the news of Pelican acquiring Confluence last night it got me thinking about all the other mergers that have happened in this industry. I put together a quick history of the popular SOT, fishing kayak manufactures from over the years; Aquaterra, Bass Pro, Bonafide, Cobra, Diablo, Feel Free, Heritage, Hobie, Hurricane, Jackson, Liquid Logic, Native Watercraft, Ocean Kayak, Old Town, Pelican, Perception, Vibe, and Wilderness Systems.
- 1898 - Old Town Canoes founded by Wickett & Gray
- 1950 - Hobie founded by Hobie Alter
- 1970's - Perception Kayaks founded by Bill Masters
- 1971 - Tim Niemier is credited with developing the Sit-on-Top kayak
- 1974 - Old Town Canoes purchased by S.C. Johnson
- 1977 - Bill Masters develops rotomolded technology for kayaks
- 1980's - Pelican International begins production of kayaks
- 1982 - KL Outdoors is founded (Sun Dolphin, Third Coast)
- 1982 - GSC Technologies founded by Bob Farber (Future Beach, Equinox)
- 1984 - Aquaterra founded by Bill Masters
- 1986 - Wilderness Systems founded by Andy Zimmerman & John Shepard
- 1988 - Ocean Kayak founded by Tim Niemier
- 1990's - Perception Kayaks and Aquaterra merge
- 1990's - Cobra Kayaks founded by Warren and Glynys Aitken
- 1995 - Old Town Canoe begins manufacturing kayak.
- 1996 - Hobie begins production of kayaks
- 1997 - Heritage Kayaks founded by Hol Whitney and Paul Cronin
- 1997 - Hobie releases Mirage Pedal Drive
- 1997 - Ocean Kayak purchased by Johnson Outdoors
- 1998 - Wilderness Systems and Mad River Canoe merge creating Confluence Watersports (Wilderness systems, Mad River Canoe)
- 1998 - Perception Kayaks and Dagger merge creating Watermark Paddlesports (Perception, Dagger, Mainstream)
- 1998 - Hurricane Kayaks founded by Don Grigg
- 1999 - http://www.TexasKayakFisherman.com is launched.
- 1999 - Malibu Kayaks is created
- 2000 - Liquid Logic founded by Woody Callaway
- 2002 - Confluence Watersports purchased by American Capital.
- 2004 - Jackson Kayaks founded by Erick Jackson
- 2004 - Old Town Canoes purchased by Johnson Outdoors (Ocean Kayak, Old Town Canoes, Necky [disc. 2015])
- 2005 - Native Watercraft founded by Andy Zimmerman
- 2005 - Watermark Paddlesports purchased by Confluence Watersports (Wilderness Systems, Perception, Dagger, Wave Sport, Mad River Canoe, Mainstream [disc. 2007])
- 2006 - Heritage Kayaks purchased by Native Watercraft creating Legacy Paddlesports (Native Watercraft, Heritage)
- 2007 - Liquid Logic Kayaks and Legacy Paddlesports merge (Native Watercraft, Heritage, Liquid Logic)
- 2008 - Diablo Paddlesports founded by Thomas Flemons
- 2008 - Native Watercraft releases ProPel Pedal Drive
- 2009 - Cobra Kayaks purchased by Aquatx
- 2010 - Feel Free Kayaks introduced to US Market
- 2010 - Confluence Outdoors introduced Perception Sport (Wilderness Systems, Perception, Dagger, Wave Sport [disc. 2015], Mad River Canoe, Perception Sport [disc. 2014])
- 2012 - Cobra Kayaks moves production to New Zealand
- 2012 - Bass Pro begins production of Ascend Kayaks
- 2013 - Vibe Kayaks founded by Joshua Thomas and John Ewald
- 2014 - Cobra Kayaks discontinues is US Market
- 2014 - Confluence Watersports purchased by JH Whitney creating Confluence Outdoors
- 2014 - GSC Technologies acquires Heritage Kayaks (Future Beach, Equinox, Heritage)
- 2015 - Hurricane Kayaks and Legacy Paddlesports merge creating BIG Adventures (Native Watercraft, Liquid Logic, Hurricane)
- 2016 - Bonafide Kayaks founded by Luther Cifer
- 2017 - GSC Technologies and KL Outdoor merge creating Hemisphere Design Works (Evoke, Equinox [disc. 2018], Sun Dolphin, Future Beach, Third Coast, Heritage)
- 2019 - Bonafide Kayaks merges with BIG Adventures (Native Watercraft, Bonafide, Liquid Logic, Hurricane)
- 2019 - Diablo Paddlesports partners with BIG Adventure to produce Amigo
- 2019 - Pelican International purchases Confluence Outdoors (Pelican, Wilderness Systems, Perception, Dagger, Mad River Canoe)
- 2019 - Hemisphere Design Works ceases manufacturing (Evoke, Sun Dolphin, Future Beach, Third Coast, Heritage)
- 2020 - Hemisphere Design Works reopens as KL Companies Inc and resumes production (Sun Dolphin, Evoke)