It’s big news, but it’s probably been the worst kept secret of paintball. GI Sportz has acquired Kee Action Sports. The two biggest distributors in paintball have merged together to become indisputably the largest paintball company on the planet. The merger brings together some of the top brands in paintball–Tippmann, Empire, DXS, JT, vForce, and Spyder.
So how big of a deal is this? To put it in a perspective a person not familiar with paintball might understand, imagine if Apple, Google, and Amazon were merge together. For paintball it’s that big of a deal.
Below is the announcement from GI Sportz:
GI Sportz is pleased to announce that it has acquired KEE Action Sports. The acquisition brings together two industry leaders and multiple iconic brands providing an unparalleled product line to the dealer/field base with the best customer service in the paintball industry. With the acquisition of KEE, GI Sportz has brought together a management team comprised of seasoned industry leaders and players with a primary goal of passionately promoting and growing the game of paintball.
“I am extremely excited about this deal as we have now completed the team roster that this industry needs to bring it back to the success of earlier years. The industry has needed a plan to turn it around and I believe this acquisition will be the catalyst in revitalizing the industry I love!” commented Richmond Italia, Chairman and CEO of GI Sportz. “From day one, GI Sportz has been built around its passion for paintball and is vested in the success of the industry. With the addition of the KEE product lines and committed staff, GI Sportz can focus more of its resources on creating a healthier and stronger paintball landscape.”
So how’s the paintball world taking the announcement? Head over to PbNation and see for yourself.
I for one welcome our new paintball overlords.