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A skier wearing Bollé goggles and a Bollé helmet. He is also wearing a blue jacket. Behind him is a ski hill.
A skier wearing Bollé goggles and a Bollé helmet.

Bollé Brands is an eyewear and head protection group that designs, markets and distributes sunglasses, safety glasses, goggles and ski and bicycle helmets. The group owns the brands Bollé, Bollé Safety, Cébé, H2Optix, Spy Optic and Serengeti and is headquartered in Lyon, France.

History

The Bollé brand was established in 1888 by Seraphim Bollé in Oyonnax, France. [1] In 1925, the Bollé company first used celluloid glasses as part of its production. [2] In 1936, the company expanded its sales to the UK trading as Thurgar-Bollé. [3]

After the Second World War, Bollé used molded nylon in the manufacturing process with sunglasses featuring protective lenses. The first pair of safety goggles and masks were added to the Bollé range of products in 1950 [4] and in 1956 Georges Bollé created the nylon "cat-eye" sunglass and the first cycling specific sunglasses, the Nylon Grand Sport. In 1960, ski goggles were first marketed by Bollé. [5]

Throughout the 1970s, Bollé continued to invest in and develop protective eyewear, eventually moving into PPE eyewear for industrial work environments.

In 2001, Bushnell acquired the Bollé and Serengeti Eyewear brands. [6] Bollé, Cébé and Serengeti were part of Vista Outdoor’s acquisition of Bushnell in 2013. [7] A&M Capital Europe, a London based middle-market private equity firm, acquired Bollé Brands from Vista Outdoor Inc. (“Vista”) in 2018. AMCE appointed a new management team headed by Peter Smith as President & CEO of Bollé Brands. AMCE created the holding company Bollé Brands to bring the Bollé business units under the same umbrella. [8]

Following this acquisition Bollé Brands moved its US corporate headquarters into Spy's California headquarters and now runs its US operations out of Carlsbad. [9]

References

  1. ^ McClean, Andrew. "Bollé Brands holding company established". www.aop.org.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  2. ^ Etherington, Lisa (27 October 2020). "Bolle Safety". Rail Professional. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  3. ^ "File:Im1949BIF-Thurgar.jpg - Graces Guide". www.gracesguide.co.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  4. ^ Bracey, James (14 July 2020). "Bollé team up with Le Coq Sportif for new collaboration kit". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  5. ^ Daniel, Feldman (12 January 2017). "100 of the Oldest Eyewear Companies in the World". The Optical Journal. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Bushnell completes acquisition of sunglasses brand". www.bizjournals.com. 28 August 2000. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Vista Outdoor sells off Bollé, Cebé and Serengeti brands". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  8. ^ "A new holding company is born: Bollé Brands | WMido". www.wmido.com. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Bolle Brands Moves North American Headquarters to Carlsbad | Shop-Eat-Surf". 30 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
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