Chinese conglomerate aims to buy Amer Sports, parent company of Arc’teryx, Salomon

Amid rumors that began weeks ago, Amer Sport today announced it received a tender offer of sale from a Chinese investment consortium, Mascot Bidco Oy.

The investment group is made up of ANTA Sports Products Limited, China's largest sportswear company, along with investment from FV Fund, an investment vehicle managed by FountainVest Partners, Anamered Investments, an investment vehicle owned by Chip Wilson, and Tencent.

While there are a number of firms listed above, the key player is ANTA Sports. According to the release, the bid is viewed favorably by Amer's board of directors and several of the company's key shareholders but is subject to other conditions and regulatory approval.

Amer Sports Corporation is a Helsinki-based sporting goods company with internationally recognized brands including Salomon, Arc’teryx, Peak Performance, Atomic, Mavic, Suunto, Wilson, and Precor.

ANTA Sports is the third largest sportswear company in the world, following Nike and Adidas, according to the South China Morning Post, and owns sportswear brands Anta, Anta Kids, Fila, Fila Kids, Descente, and NBA, among others.

ANTA intends to invest in the company with an eye toward expanding Amer Sports’ businesses in the Chinese market, where it has little penetration while taking advantage of Amer's worldwide footprint to expand revenue in international markets.

The investor consortium plans for Amer Sports to operate independently from ANTA Sports, with a separate board of directors carrying on operations in Helsinki.