News

September 2009
McKenzie Sports Products Acquires Van Dyke's Taxidermy

Windjammer Capital is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, McKenzie Sports Products LLC, has acquired Van Dyke's Taxidermy Inc. from Cabela's Inc. (NYSE: CAB). Terms of the deal are not disclosed. 

Van Dyke's Taxidermy, headquartered in Woonsocket, South Dakota, is a leading supplier of taxidermy products and supplies. Van Dyke's offers more than 14,000 items across a wide array of taxidermy products, tools and supplies and is considered one of the premiere manufacturers of glass eyes in the world. (www.vandykestaxidermy.com)

McKenzie, headquartered in Granite Quarry, North Carolina, is the leading manufacturer, designer and catalog marketer of taxidermy forms and supplies used by taxidermists to mount trophies collected by hunting and fishing enthusiasts. McKenzie's products consist of over 10,000 different animal forms and 5,000 parts and accessories that are sold directly to over 26,000 taxidermists located throughout North America. (www.mckenziesp.com)

In August of 2006, Windjammer provided a combination of redeemable preferred stock, common stock, and senior subordinated notes in support of the buyout of McKenzie Sports Products, Inc. led by Gridiron Capital in a new change of control transaction. Windjammer had previously invested redeemable preferred stock in McKenzie to support RFE Investment Partners' acquisition of McKenzie in 2003. Windjammer will continue to serve as a member of McKenzie's board of directors and will support the company's organic and acquisition related growth efforts.