'National Geographic' The Nature Holdings and Golf Equipment Company TaylorMade Joint Acquisition

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] The Nature Holdings, which operates National Geographic Apparel, is set to jointly acquire the global golf equipment company TaylorMade.

According to industry sources on the 14th, The Nature Holdings was selected as the strategic investor (SI) for the private equity fund (PEF) management company Centroid Investment (Centroid PE) to acquire TaylorMade, beating out Shinsegae, CJ, Nexen, and F&F.

Last month, Centroid PE, together with the National Credit Union Federation of Korea and others, successfully signed a management control equity acquisition contract worth $1.7 billion (approximately 1.9 trillion KRW) with KPS Capital Partners, the largest shareholder of TaylorMade in the U.S. The Nature Holdings plans to participate in this investment by contributing about 100 billion KRW. It will also have the right to preferentially acquire shares from financial investors in the future.

TaylorMade is one of the world's top three golf equipment companies alongside Acushnet and Callaway Golf. It is well-known as the official equipment supplier for world-class players such as Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods, providing drivers and other competition gear. In the golf equipment sector, including metal woods and irons, it holds the global number one market share, and in the golf ball segment, it ranks third worldwide.

Centroid PE plans to collaborate with National Geographic to leverage the TaylorMade brand awareness in Korea and other Asian regions to expand the golf wear market. Especially with the growing golf population, it is expected to strengthen the licensed apparel sector and boost performance.