Acquisition strengthens Hybrid’s omnichannel presence in licensed, private label and lifestyle branded apparel
LOS ANGELES, CA
June 30, 2021
Hybrid Apparel today completed its acquisition of Air Waves, a market leading design and technology driven print-on-demand (“POD”) provider serving e-commerce and wholesale customers. Air Waves will continue to operate in Columbus, Ohio and provide its print-on-demand and technology services to Hybrid’s retail customers and global license and lifestyle brand partners. Hybrid Apparel is a leading global wholesaler of licensed, branded and private label apparel, and portfolio company of Altamont Capital Partners.
Air Waves was founded in 1981 as a contract screen printer and developed into a modern e-commerce leader complete with print-on-demand, leading design capabilities, advanced technology integrations and drop-ship capabilities. Air Waves also offers a Shopify App (Air Waves: Print on Demand) that provides a full-service apparel solution for content creators and social media influencers.
Hybrid Apparel’s CEO Bill Hutchison said the partnership marks the beginning of a very exciting chapter for Hybrid and Air Waves.
“Air Waves is a best-in-class digital print on demand and e-commerce technology provider and has developed a market leading set of supply chain solutions and capabilities. Last year, Hybrid began a fulfillment relationship with Air Waves for select customers and we were very impressed with their team and capabilities. We are now beyond excited to bring POD to all our customers,” said Mr. Hutchison. “When you combine best-in-class creative and content with exceptional technology and infrastructure capabilities, you unlock a lot more opportunity for our collective retail, license and lifestyle brand partners. We look forward to continuing to build our industry leading global platform with Air Waves.”
Kyle Kantner, who acquired Air Waves in 2009, will continue to serve as CEO of Air Waves while serving as an executive member of Hybrid.
“We have seen tremendous growth at Air Waves in recent years as online demand has soared and customers have recognized the value of our efficient on-demand digital solution. I’m really proud of our team who has helped build Air Waves into the scalable digital platform that it is today. We are ready for the next chapter of accelerated growth with our new partner, Hybrid,” said Mr. Kantner. “This is a transformational opportunity for both teams at Air Waves and Hybrid, and we are excited to bring this innovative solution to all our partners.”
The combination of Hybrid and Air Waves will create one of the largest omnichannel wholesalers of licensed, branded and private label apparel. Hybrid also operates the Junkfood Clothing brand.
About Hybrid Apparel
Founded in 1997, Hybrid Apparel is the leading full-service design, development, sourcing, production and apparel distribution company based in Cypress, California. Hybrid has a world-class sourcing and global supply chain infrastructure, with expertise in customer delivery and service across a wide range of apparel categories and geographies. As the industry leader in brand and licensing management, Hybrid supports the best global and national brands as well as global licensed properties across media and entertainment, music, gaming, food & beverage, auto, lifestyle and more. Hybrid also owns the Junkfood Clothing brand, the iconic vintage-inspired apparel brand. For more information, visit hybridapparel.com and junkfoodclothing.com
About Air Waves
Founded in 1981, Air Waves is a leading provider of on-demand garment printing and fulfillment services. Air Waves services several major online retailers using customer e-commerce integrations and offers thousands of creative, high quality apparel products with rapid turnaround times and “mass customization” capabilities. Air Waves is located in Columbus, Ohio where it operates its production and fulfillment. For more information, visit airwavesinc.com and airwavesondemand.com
About Altamont Capital Partners
Altamont Capital Partners is a private investment firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area with more than $2.5 billion of assets under management. Altamont is focused on investing in middle market businesses where it can partner with leading management teams to help its portfolio companies reach their full potential. The firm’s principals have significant experience building business success stories across a range of industries, including consumer, restaurants & multi-unit, financial services, healthcare, industrials, and business services. For more information, visit altamontcapital.com
