Key Takeaways:
- Arbor has merged with a family-backed investment firm.
- The firm says it builds businesses to be owned for generations.
- Its holdings include a Wyoming base camp and a property management company.
Arbor has merged with Mas Alpha Securities and is bringing its snowboarding program back in-house after years of operating under a licensing structure, the company announced Wednesday.
Arbor founder Bob Carlson merged the company with Mas Alpha Securities to fund the management team’s plans, converting a large portion of his stock into the combined business. The transaction keeps Arbor private, with Carlson staying on as President and a member of the ownership group. Terms were not disclosed.
Arbor launched in 1995 with a snowboard line and a mission to blend innovative design with sustainable materials and construction methods. The company says it was the first to replace the standard plastic top with responsibly sourced wood veneer. It later expanded into skateboards and soft goods.
“A few years back we set out to prepare Arbor for a changing industry,” Carlson said in a statement. “We strengthened the management team, bolstered the athlete roster, and began the process of refining and broadening our product offering. Today we have completed the transformation by significantly strengthening the ownership of the business, while keeping it grounded in our founding.”
The New Ownership Group
Mas Alpha Securities, led by Jose Mas Jr., is a privately held investment firm backed by members of the Mas family and a close circle of partners and friends, many of whom are lifelong snowboarders.
The firm acquires and builds businesses and real assets, and holds them indefinitely with no exit timeline, according to its website. It says that approach lets it make decisions based on what is best for each business over many years. The firm also says it structures deals so founders retain meaningful equity, and that it keeps existing leadership in place where possible.
Its holdings include Arbor, Meadowlark Lodge, and Mas Tierra, which the firm describes as its in-house property management company focused on place-based hospitality. Mas Alpha Securities also maintains a public portfolio of long-term investments in mature, cash-generating companies.
The firm represents the next generation of the Mas family’s business legacy, according to its website. The Mas family are owners of Inter Miami CF, the 2025 Major League Soccer Cup champions, and have spent generations building MasTec, a leader in clean energy, EV, civil, and communications infrastructure. Arbor said the firm brings branding, operational, financial, sports, and athlete marketing expertise to the brand.
Meadowlark Lodge’s Role
The merger follows Mas Alpha Securities’ acquisition in May of Meadowlark Lodge in Wyoming’s Bighorn National Forest. The firm is turning the snowboard and ski resort and surrounding property into an all-season base camp for exploring the national forest.
Meadowlark will become Arbor’s research and development lab, official test center, and a content creation hub. The two businesses will also combine key back-end operations and a range of content and sponsorship efforts.
Arbor and Meadowlark share the goal of improving access to the outdoors and delivering a higher-quality experience for their community. The companies also plan to help address affordability concerns among active participants and potential customers across the industry.
“We aren’t building this for the next five years,” Jose Mas Jr., said in a statement. “We are building it for the next 50. We want Arbor and Meadowlark to become agents of change in the outdoor world. We want our team, our guests, and our communities to feel the passion behind what we are creating. We are just getting started.”
Kent Outdoors License Ends
Arbor’s snowboarding product license with Kent Outdoors ends January 31, 2027, at which point day-to-day operation transfers back to Arbor, according to Arbor. The company thanked Kent Outdoors for 12 years of partnership, during which Arbor saw expanded brand awareness and market penetration.
Kent Outdoors, the watersports and marine safety company behind HO Sports, Hyperlite, Bote, O’Brien, Connelly, and Liquid Force, was acquired this month by Pradco Outdoor Brands, a subsidiary of privately held, family-owned Ebsco Industries, Inc. Pradco announced the deal Oct. 1 and did not disclose financial terms.
