From Bins to Boots: Newell Rubbermaid purchases parent company of K2, Line, Völkl and other ski brands for $15.4 billion

Rubbermaid is a household name that evokes thoughts of college-dorm storage and pencil organizers. But the company Newell Rubbermaid, known for its host of container and organizational products, recently purchased Jarden Corporation, the parent company for K2, Line, Völkl, Marmot, Dalbello, Marker and many more well-known ski brands.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Jarden, which owns more than 120 brands, made $1.46 billion in net sales in home products and $2.03 billion in outdoor products as of September 30, 2015. These and other household brand categories under the Jarden umbrella will merge with Newell Rubbermaid to the tune of a $15.4-billion deal.

What does this mean for the outdoor and ski companies involved in the deal? Well, for starters, it could mean expanded marketing opportunities like the one seen at the upcoming Boca Raton Bowl, a college football bowl game to be held on December 22. This year’s title sponsor? Marmot.

Doug Mosley, executive director of the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl, thinks the outerwear brand’s emphasis on adventure—making everything from $60 fleeces to $1,250, 8,000-meter down suits—serves as a good fit for football. “Marmot is a producer of top-quality clothing and equipment that is geared to a high-adventure lifestyle and I feel that’s a great fit with the vibe of Boca Raton and Palm Beach County,” Mosley told ESPN.

Marmot’s foray into football sponsorship is indicative of the larger vision that Michael B. Polk, president and chief executive of Newell Rubbermaid, has for the future of these two corporations. “The scale of our combined businesses in key categories, channels and geographies creates a much broader canvas on which to leverage our advantaged set of brand development and commercial capabilities for accelerated growth and margin expansion,” Polk told The New York Times.

The “broad canvas” Mosley is painting looks more like a Picasso than a Rembrandt. Does this mean we will see Marker/Völkl sponsoring the halftime show at the Super Bowl? We will just have to wait and see.