Dragon Announces Departure From Parent Company, Goes Private

kailee bradstreet

June 13 2008
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OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - (Carlsbad, CA - June 13, 2008)- Dragon, a youth lifestyle brand specializing in sunglasses, goggles and youth accessories, has seized the opportunity to break away from its parent company. Founder and CEO, Will Howard and General Manager Aaron Behle, have both led a group to take Dragon private towards independence.

“We want to thank Scott Olivet and the rest of the Oakley team for their support over the years and during this transition,” says Howard. “In two very different business plans, we collectively saw an opportunity to allow Dragon to break off and do its own thing in the marketplace.”

Howard started Dragon out of his garage in San Clemente over 13 years ago when he saw an opportunity in the market for new blood. Since then Dragon has evolved to become a diverse and global brand, deeply rooted in surf, snow and MX core/specialty distribution in over 35 countries worldwide.

With one of the most iconic logos in the industry, Dragon looks to build on its global branding mission and progressive product offerings and return to what Howard calls the “specialty power band of the action sports industry”.

Dragon will continue to leverage its core assets, which includes a first tier portfolio of athletes with the likes of Surfing World Champion Mick Fanning, Supercross Rookie of the Year Josh Hill and snowboarding legend Jamie Lynn. Dragon looks forward to focusing on fundamentals and continuing to build dynamic, long lasting business relationships with its retail partners.

“We have restructured Dragon to fully leverage a decade of brand authenticity and capitalize on what we believe is a paradigm shift in the action sports market,” said Behle. “We have a unique position with a unique plan. More importantly, we have a young and passionate team with the ability to ‘zig’ while the market ‘zags’ and enjoy ourselves along the way.”

A bold decision made by a powerful brand, Dragon now embarks on its independent journey with a familiar yet refined mission statement to be the leading eyewear and accessories brand in the youth lifestyle market.

For more information on the Dragon brand and its products, visit www.dragonalliance.com.

About Dragon Alliance
Dragon is a leader of eyewear and accessories in the youth market. Drawing influences from its athletes, art, music and alternative culture, Dragon strives to deviate from the castrated masses to develop a unique brand and products that empower the individual.

Transworld Business Exclusive: Dragon Goes Independent, Breaks Ties With Luxottica | Transworld Business Says:
June 13th, 2008 at 8:46 am

[...] The deal, which closed less than three hours earlier, was a time consuming project that he and Dragon’s General Manager Aaron Behle had been working on for the past six months. By branching out in a separate direction and becoming a privately-owned company, Dragon ? which produces sunglasses, goggles and accessories - hopes to reconnect with the core retail specialty shops and renew the energy that originally drove them to create the brand. Read the full press release right HERE. [...]