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Billabong International Limited
Type	Public (ASX: BBG)
Founded	Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia (1973)
Headquarters	Burleigh Heads, Queensland, Australia
Key people	Derek O'Neill, CEO
Industry	Retail
Products	Apparel, sporting goods
Revenue	▲ $1.0 billion AUD (2006)
Net income	▲ $145.9 million AUD (2006)
Employees	1750
Website	www.billabong.com

For other meanings, see Billabong (disambiguation)

Billabong is a clothing brand and public company (ASX: BBG) traded on the Australian Securities Exchange (as Billabong International) since August 11 2000. Billabong was founded in 1973 by Gordon and Rena Merchant.

The name came from the same word billabong, which is a stagnant body of water attached to a waterway.

As well as the Billabong brand-name, the company sells surfwear and accessories under the Palmers Surf, Honolua Surf,Swell.com, Von Zipper, Kustom (footwear), Nixon, Xcel Wetsuits and Tigerlily brands, and also Element skate clothing and hardware. The brands are available at various surf and skateboard stores locations.

[edit] Acquisitions

A Billabong brand hat

Von Zipper was acquired in early 2001.^[1]

Element was acquired in July 2002.^[2] Element is a dominant player in the skateboarding apparel and hardgoods market.

Kustom and Palmers Surf were acquired in October 2004.^[3]

Nixon was acquired in January 2006 from founders Andy Laats and Chad DiNenna. Nixon is a dominant player in the boardsports watch market.^[4]

Xcel was acquired in September 2007. The brand, a premium United States-based wetsuit and technical watersport accessories brand established in 1982. It's focused on producing surfing, diving (recreational and military), ocean paddling, sun protection and wakeboarding markets and was recently awarded the "Wetsuit of the Year" title by the Surf Industry Manufacturers' Association.^[5]

Tigerlily was acquired in December 2007 from founder Jodhi Meares.^[6]

Quiet Flight Surf Shop, a chain of retail stores on the East Coast of the United States, was acquired in June 2008.^[7]

DaKine (backpacks, luggage, extreme sport accessories) was acquired in June 2008.

Sector 9, a manufacturer of longboard skateboards, was acquired in June 2008.^[8]

Merged with Surf Warehouse, Quiet Flight Surf Shop, and DUBii Apparel in 2008. They also bought a WMS System to try and streamline their distribution and outgoing freight costs. They also took over the company rights to DaKine.^[9]

[edit] References

^ Billabong Buys Von Zipper
^ Billabong International Buys Element
^ http://www.transworldsnowboarding.com/twbiz/features/article/0,21214,1027415,00.html Billabong Purchases Australian Shoe Brand Kustom
^ Billabong Acquires Nixon
^ Australia's Billabong buys U.S. surf gear retailer Xcel
^ Billabong acquires Tigerlily brand
^ [1]
^ Billabong goes longboarding
^ http://www.billabongbiz.com/

[edit] External links

This article about an Australian corporation or company is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[0] Billabong Buys Von Zipper

[1] Billabong International Buys Element

[2] ttp://www.transworldsnowboarding.com/twbiz/features/article/0,21214,1027415,00.html Billabong Purchases Australian Shoe Brand Kustom

[3] Billabong Acquires Nixon

[4] Australia's Billabong buys U.S. surf gear retailer Xcel

[5] Billabong acquires Tigerlily brand

[6] [1]

[7] Billabong goes longboarding

[8] ttp://www.billabongbiz.com/

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