Editing K2 Inc. (section)

== History ==

=== Acquisition of Brass Eagle (2003) ===

On 22 October 2003, K2 Inc. announced an agreement to acquire Brass Eagle Inc., an American manufacturer and distributor of paintball markers, paintballs and accessories.

The proposed stock-for-stock transaction was initially valued at approximately US$77.8 million, excluding assumed liabilities.[1]

The acquisition was completed in December 2003, bringing Brass Eagle and its existing brands into K2's Action Sports division.

The transaction also brought [[JT USA]], which Brass Eagle had acquired in 2000, and the ViewLoader product range under K2 ownership.[2]

The acquisition gave K2 an established position in the recreational and tournament paintball equipment markets.

=== Acquisition of Worr Game Products (2004) ===

On 19 April 2004, K2 acquired substantially all the assets of Worr Game Products Inc. and All-Cad Manufacturing Inc., businesses associated with [[Bud Orr]].

The acquisition added WGP's Autococker marker platform, manufacturing equipment and related product designs to K2's portfolio.[3]

Unlike Brass Eagle's largely mass-market product range, WGP specialised in higher-end markers used in competitive paintball.

K2's 2004 financial disclosures identified the acquisition as part of its strategy to expand its paintball business across different market segments.[2]

=== Consolidation of paintball operations ===

In December 2004, K2 announced that JT USA and Worr Game Products would consolidate their operations at WGP's facility in Corona, California.

Bud Orr was appointed president of the combined operation.

The restructuring brought together sales, distribution and administrative functions, allowing retailers to order JT and WGP products through a common sales organisation.

The consolidation was scheduled to begin in January 2005, with further operational changes continuing into the middle of that year.[5]

K2 continued marketing its principal paintball brands separately, maintaining different product ranges and retail positions.

=== Reorganisation and international distribution ===

K2's paintball business experienced declining sales during 2005, which the company attributed to reduced consumer demand and difficult retail conditions.[6]

In 2006, K2 reorganised its paintball operations to place greater emphasis on mass-market sporting-goods distribution.

Following the restructuring, paintball products were transferred from the company's Action Sports reporting segment into its Team Sports segment.

The business was subsequently identified as '''JT Sports''', previously Brass Eagle, in K2's corporate reporting.[7]

On 2 January 2007, K2 completed the acquisition of European paintball distributor CMC Sport GmbH.

The acquired business was renamed '''JT Europe''' and incorporated into K2's international paintball distribution operations.[7]

=== Acquisition by Jarden (2007) ===

On 25 April 2007, Jarden Corporation announced an agreement to acquire K2 Inc. in a transaction valued at approximately US$1.2 billion, including debt.

The acquisition was completed on 8 August 2007.[4]

K2's paintball businesses consequently became part of Jarden's wider sporting-goods portfolio.

On 8 February 2010, [[KEE Action Sports]] announced that it had acquired JT Sports from Jarden Corporation.

The transaction included the JT Sports, Brass Eagle and ViewLoader product lines.[8]