Reebok founder joins race for ‘natural running’ market

[Barefoot TJ]

The founder of Reebok International is getting back into the athletic footwear race.

Five years after selling the Canton company to Adidas for $3.8 billion, Paul Fireman’s private-equity firm is backing Newton Running Co., a Boulder, Colo., maker of “natural” running shoes.

Read more here: http://tinyurl.com/6kn3bfg

 

[sole_foot]

Things will change now they

Things will change now they are reporting to the shareholders. I feel sorry for their dealers. It is all about return on investment now.

 

[barefoot kean]

It might not be all that bad,

It might not be all that bad, the pressure to produce a good sell-able product may cause them to really listen to the active voices in the natural running movement.

 

[sole_foot]

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-private-equity-firm.htm

This is all about making money when it gets to this point. Paul Fireman should do quite well and anyone else who had a peice of the company prior to this if the private equity firm is successful. This is all about turning this company around and taking it public as quickly as possible and getting on to the next aquisition.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/markets-heat-up-as-companies-beat-a-path-to-go-public/

I have seen behind the scene how these things work. If the consumer get a better product along the way and things improve great. There is a lot of carnage behind the scenes to the employees and the current dealer network in the name of the almighty dollar.

I wonder if Paul Fireman had to do this for financial reasons or if this was in the business plan from the begining?

I hope for the best for all involved directly or indirectly in the process.

 

[dunetraveller]

Quel Nightmare! Folksy,

Quel Nightmare! Folksy, progressive people from Boulder working hand in hand with giants in capitalism, bringing you lock, stock, and barrel into the dollar crunching mega shoe wear world. Whole different corporate culture. Somewhat like going from a small family owned micro-brewery into Anheuser Busch wouldn't you say?

John T.

 

[AABarefoot]

im glad you put "natural" in

im glad you put "natural" in quotes. nothing natural about an inch of foam under your foot. and i agree that nothing good can come from this investment.