Bell Acquired by Fenway Partners,
Merged with Riddell
Summary: This 2004 article describes another of the corporate changes at Bell
over the years as various brands are acquired or spun off.
In August of 2004 Bell Sports announced that the company is being sold to
Fenway
Partners, Inc. Fenway plans to merge Bell with the
Riddell Sports Group, the
country's largest football helmet supplier.
The Bell press release states that the new company will be the biggest seller of protective headgear in the world,
producing more than 8 million helmets per year under the brand names Bell, Giro and Riddell.
Bill Fry, president and CEO of Bell Sports, will be the president and CEO of the new company. The company name has not
yet been announced. Choice of a name may be complicated by the need to preserve the brand recognition advantages that
both companies enjoy in their markets.
In addition to Riddell, Fenway Partners' portfolio includes a school yearbook and class ring manufacturer, a luxury
jewelry retailer and Simmons mattresses.
We have more background on Bell Sports and links to other articles on our
page on
manufacturers.
Note: Fenway Partners subsequently sold Bell to Vista Outdoor.