Kering buys U.S. high-end eyewar brand Maui Jim

PARIS – French luxury group Kering said on Monday its Kering Eyewear division had signed an agreement to acquire U.S. high-end sunglass maker Maui Jim, Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

Founded in 1987 in Hawaii, Maui Jim is the world’s largest independently owned high-end eyewear brand with a leading position in North America, the statement said.

This acquisition, which follows that of Danish luxury eyewar maker Lindberg, is “a major step for Kering Eyewear, which has now become unparalleled in its market segment, further validating the strategy that laid behind its creation by Kering in 2014,” Roberto Vedovotto, President and CEO of Kering Eyewear, was quoted as saying.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon ; editing by Tassilo Hummel)