Wedge Brands LLC, a new company formed between a group of Colorado outdoor enthusiasts and a contingent of passionate surfers in Southern California, in addition to The Pearl Fund, announces the acquisition of Xcel Wetsuits and ZG Holdings LLC’s assets and brand portfolio.
Founded in 1982 by Ed D’Ascoli on Oahu and winner of the 2020 SIMA Wetsuit of the Year award, Xcel Wetsuits was most recently owned and operated by Boardriders Inc.
Based in Aspen, Colorado, and founded by Jarka Duba in 2015, ZG Holdings LLC, managed and distributed Elevenate Apparel, Level Gloves, Briko Helmets and Goggles, Northwave Cycling Shoes, KODA Nutrition, and YNIQ eyewear in regions of North America.
Wedge Brands LLC’s acquisition of Xcel Wetsuits allows the company to once again operate as an independent surf brand, while utilizing the North American distribution and shared services platform that ZG Holdings had built over the last five years, including warehousing, ERP/CRM (Netsuite), customer service, and accounting.
“Everyone at Wedge is very excited about the merging of these iconic global active lifestyle brands,” says Wedge Brands LLC President, Jarka Duba. “We’ve been in discussions with Greg Wade and his team at Xcel for the last six months and are extremely excited to collaborate and help them continue to produce and distribute the best wetsuits in the world.”
Silverpeak Capital Partners provided financing and Goodspeed & Merrill served as the legal counsel to Wedge Brands LLC.
About Wedge Brands LLC
Founded in 2020 by a group of outdoor and surf enthusiasts, Wedge Brands LLC builds, buys, and grows brands it believes in. Its focus is to acquire brands, help them cultivate, and share services to provide best in class systems for each company. Wedge Brands believe in local retailers, core brands, and passionate end users.
