After 5.11 Tactical announced yesterday that they were purchasing Beyond Tactical industry started to talk. Conjecture swirled. Some people freaked out, others scoffed at the news. I, am very upbeat about the idea.
Here’s a few facts for you to digest –
-Rick Elder is well known for his many years of Government service both as an Army officer in the 75th Ranger Regt as well as an APM at Natick supporting SOCOM. He has also done a great job over the last couple of years at Smith Elite.
-Beyond will operate as a separate division of 5.11 Tactical, and 5.11 will expand Beyond’s infrastructure in the Seattle area. Beyond isn’t moving and will continue their customization approach to product development.
-Beyond brings both outdoor and tactical Berry compliant clothing to 5.11 but will operate as a separate entity.
-Scott Jones isn’t going anywhere. He’ll stay on board as Chief Designer.
I can also say that, based on discussions with Elder, as this progresses Beyond plans to embrace its customers as the highlight of its message, not the byproduct. Echoing this sentiment, Rick Elder related, “I am personally excited to relaunch a business that develops solutions for extreme users within both the outdoor and tactical channels of trade. Beyond is going to focus here for a simple reason, these customers have the best problems, and we want to solve them.”
I’ve known both Rick Elder and Scott Jones for many years and they are dedicated to their elite customer. Scott embodied that position when he founded Beyond. Now as Chief Designer he plans to continue his work commenting, “I am excited to have the help and support of the 5.11 team. To be able to get back to what I love most, my family, and designing apparel for Beyond has been on my mind for some time. I’m proud of what Beyond has become, and look forward to see just how successful it can be.”
I would also say that it took a lot of courage for 5.11 to make this happen. There is a lot of concern in the market from both Beyond and 5.11’s traditional customers, concerned about what this will mean. I’ll say that this move will allow Beyond to grow in new ways. It also further indicates Tom Davin, CEO of 5.11 vision to continue to improve the brand. You have to remember that Davin was a Recon Marine and he brings a certain level of expectation. I’ve been watching 5.11 since he took the helm and I see constant improvement. Tom Davin provided us with this statement, “At 5.11 we describe ourselves as ‘Innovators who make purpose-built gear for the most demanding missions.’ Beyond is an incredible fit for 5.11 as Scott Jones has built a unique, focused capability with the Beyond product and brand. We’re delighted to invest in Beyond’s continued growth.”
It’s exciting news and I can’t wait to see what’s coming from Beyond 2.0.
tactical.beyondclothing.com
www.511tactical.com