Centric Brands expands portfolio with acquisition of Fownes Brothers assets

Centric Brands, a prominent lifestyle brand collective, announced the strategic acquisition of select assets from Fownes Brothers & Co., Inc. The deal includes the operations, intellectual property, and product lines of the historic cold-weather accessories firm, marking a significant expansion of Centric’s footprint in the category.

Founded in 1777 as a leather glove manufacturer in Worcester, England, Fownes Brothers has evolved under the stewardship of the Gluckman family into a premier distributor known for technical expertise and long-standing retail partnerships.

Through this acquisition, Centric Brands absorbs a high-profile roster of licenses, including Ugg, Timberland, and Cole Haan, while taking over private label manufacturing agreements for industry giants The North Face and Lululemon. To ensure continuity and leverage specialized expertise, Andrew Gluckman will join Centric Brands as senior vice president and division head of Cold-Weather. In this role, he will oversee the newly integrated licenses and spearhead growth for the company's broader accessories division.

Leadership at Centric Brands emphasized that the move aligns with their broader strategy of scaling powerful brands across essential consumer categories. CEO Jason Rabin noted that integrating the Fownes Brothers legacy will accelerate scale and position the company for sustained profitability.

Jarrod Kahn, group president of Accessories, added that the merger of these world-class licenses with Centric’s existing platform will optimize sourcing and production, allowing the company to deliver innovative products across diverse retail channels.

Tom Gluckman, co-founder of Fownes Brothers, characterized the sale as a "new chapter" for the 247-year-old family legacy. He expressed confidence that Centric Brands provides the ideal environment to scale their valued partnerships and specialized craftsmanship in the modern market.