B5 Systems

5.11 Announces Acquisition of Beyond Clothing

5.11 Tactical has literally just announced the purchase of Beyond Clothing which includes the custom brand Beyond Tactical. This announcement comes right on the heels of Rick Elder’s move to 5.11 to spin up a new Special Operations focused business unit. So for you guys who kept asking me what Rick was going to do over there and how 5.11 was going to bring Berry manufacturing in and make that leap to the Elite customer, this is what I meant when I said that they had a plan. This is huge news and will affect 5.11 and how it is perceived in the market in untold ways.

Here is their press release –

5.11 Tactical, the global innovator of tactical gear, today announced its acquisition of Beyond, a highly technical performance clothing company that builds custom American-made apparel. The acquisition enhances 5.11 Tactical’s domestic manufacturing, product innovation and rapid prototyping capabilities, while providing Beyond with an expanded infrastructure to meet the global needs of the extreme purpose built customer, such as winter expeditionary teams, alpinists, and Special Operations communities. Industry veteran Rick Elder has been appointed as president of Beyond, which will continue to operate as a separate division of 5.11 Tactical in Seattle, Washington, while Beyond Founder Scott Jones will move into the role of chief designer.

“At 5.11 Tactical we are innovators who make purpose-built gear for the most demanding missions. Investing in Beyond’s continued growth is a prime opportunity to further our leading edge development,” said Tom Davin, CEO, 5.11 Tactical. “Rick Elder adds a unique set of capabilities to our 5.11 product development ecosystem. His U.S. Government, Military and Special Forces service will be a huge asset to the growth of our outdoor channel and our ability to be innovative.”

Rick Elder, a 13-year industry veteran, is charged with leading the rebranding and re-launch of Beyond, building upon the brand’s existing reputation and relationships. As part of the acquisition, 5.11 Tactical will leverage Beyond’s unique manufacturing to create leading edge, innovative products that drive deeper connections among U.S. Military and law enforcement professionals, as well as extreme outdoor enthusiasts.

An example of product innovation can be found in Beyond’s Cold Fusion Shock Jacket. Made from winterweight softshell, Scholler WB-400, this high performance product defines versatility. The Cold Fusion Shock Jacket is available in seven colors for men and women, and like all Beyond products, can be customized to the consumer’s specifications and delivered quickly.

“I’ve been serving the outdoor and tactical communities for more than 20 years, and am committed to take Beyond to the next level. Beyond is a brand that develops customized solutions for extreme users within the outdoor and tactical channels of trade,” said Elder. “5.11 Tactical has greatly enhanced its position by executing this acquisition—its infrastructure will help Beyond reach a global community, but still allow it a unique voice. ”

Elder formerly served as the executive director of Smith Optics Elite Division, where he led the development of the ballistic eye wear program. Prior to Smith Optics, Elder spent 10 years as a US Federal Program Manager, developing equipment in support of the United States Special Operation Command. Prior to, he attained the rank of Sergeant and later, Captain, completing his tour in 2001 within the 75th Ranger Regiment, United States Special Operations Command. Elder also served in the United States Army for seven years as both an enlisted soldier and commissioned officer.

For more information about 5.11 Tactical, please visit www.511tactical.com. Connect with 5.11 Tactical on Facebook at www.facebook.com/511Tactical and on Twitter (@511Tactical). For more information about Beyond, visit www.BeyondClothing.com.

Tags: ,

17 Responses to “5.11 Announces Acquisition of Beyond Clothing”

  1. Haji says:

    Sounds like they’re going after the market segment that Patagonia, Arcter’yx and Mountain Hardware are in. This should be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

  2. ODG says:

    Congratulations Rick, looking forward to seeing the evolution of the Beyond brand!

  3. D says:

    Competition is good. Cant wait to see what Beyond has up its sleeve.

  4. Steve P says:

    Unfortunately most of 511 gear is all made in China and of questionable quality at best. I’ve had the occassion to use many of their products in a plain clothes capacity and have never been impressed. This decision seems a little late in the game to me really. Looking on the brighter side, maybe this re-focusing of sorts will up the quality of their products. They have a good variety and product range, the stuff just doesn’t last…

    • SSD says:

      This will not change the 5.11 line immediately if at all. Look for an entirely separate line of goods based on Beyond.

      And by the way, not all of 5.11’s products are made in China. They offer TAA compliant versions of many styles.

    • straps says:

      Agreed–mostly. Some 5.11 gear is crap, some is the best gear out there for the money. Thing is, you have to put in your hands to see. Not sure if the China thing is about high profits or low prices. But is nice to be able to trash a pair of TDU pants on duty and only pony up $50 for a new pair.

  5. y.t. says:

    I’m hoping there aren’t drastic changes to the Beyond line. It’s pretty good kit and the fact that it’s bespoke and made in America is the reason I keep buying from them.

  6. Trvs says:

    I think it is a good sign that Scott is staying on in a design capacity, not simply selling the company and moving on.

  7. N Hale says:

    This worries me. I love Beyond, but 5.11 has seriously gone down hill over the past couple years. I hope they don’t start screwing with Beyond’s quality processes like they did with their own. The same thing Happened to Banana Republic when the Gap bought it. Things stayed the same for a while, then they changed everything and the original owners won’t even go in the store any more. Scott, please don’t leave the company to the wolves.

    • Thanks everyone for your support. I’m looking forward to spending more of my time doing what I love, designing for you. I can’t say I have absolute control anymore, but will be involved daily, and the team Rick is building will be a great one. Stay tuned.

  8. Kango says:

    I bought a Cold Fusion Shock jacket and one of their Cold Blooded Fleece jacket a few years ago. I thought hey instead of spending the high dollars on Arcteryx, I can go with a good company and have a couple jackets made to my measurements.

    Wait time was over twice than what was quoted. Once I got the jackets, they were a big let down. Both jackets fit different, even though the measurements were the same. No zipper pulls. And the actual zippers were different from each jacket. The Shock Jacket hand pockets didnt even have pocket wells so if you unzipped your jacket, stuff would just fall out. There are cinch shock cord pulls on the hem, both jackets are missing the pulls now as they broke off with minimal use.

    Overall I was extremely disappointed and would never buy anything from Beyond. I now stick with Arcteryx and other trusted brands and my Beyond jackets sit in the closet and havent been worn in over a year.

    You can find a more detailed review that I made several years ago if you know where to look.

    PS

    Yes I know they have a money back guarantee on fit. But after the long wait, I needed them for a field ex and didnt bother returning them.

    As for 5.11, some of their clothing line is great. And some are junk. I think it’s the TDU shirt. The shirt tails are too short and become untucked too easily. While I have some uniform shirts from their uniform line that have longer shirt tails that dont become untucked.

    What I would like to see with their pant line is articulated knees.

    • HT says:

      Unfortunately, my experience with Beyond is similar to Kango’s. Upon my recommendation, some of my teammates and I ordered warm weather pants to see if it was worth it to buy them for the whole team. I was away on a TDY when the pants came in. The pants didn’t fit properly and I tried to resolve the issue with Beyond. I was told that since 30 days had passed from the time the pants shipped, the Right Fit guarantee no longer applied. This was a few years back and I’m unsure of their current policies.

      I had high hopes for Beyond based on several favorable reviews I had read. In the end, we were disappointed with with the service and the product.

  9. MattF says:

    I give it a year and a half before Scott Jones leaves 5.11, sits out his non-compete and starts up another tactical clothing company as Beyond Tactical Redux.

    • Kemp says:

      This. It’s what happens every time a smaller company gets acquired by a bigger one.

  10. Al says:

    Wow, I did not see this coming. Good luck to Beyond and 5.11 in their venture.

  11. kreativecid says:

    Scott will use the time and money to travel and consult. Give it a year or so.