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FRANKFURT, Aug 12 (Reuters) - The family owner of Germanfashion group Bogner has appointed Goldman Sachs to finda buyer for the maker of upmarket winter jackets and skiwear,sources familiar with the matter said.
The company founded in 1932 by ski jumper Willy Bogner willbe marketed to private equity groups with a penchant forconsumer and retail assets, such as Permira,Blackstone, Carlyle, Ardian and 3i, the sourcessaid, adding that the process is still at an early stage.
Bogner posted annual sales, including brand licensingroyalties, of 240.5 million euros ($321 million) in its 2012/13financial year and employed 880 staff. In the previous year itposted pretax earnings of 26 million euros. A more recentearnings figure is not yet available.
One of the sources said that Willy Bogner junior - the sonof the founder - is hoping to fetch about 250 million euros froma sale of the company, which in the late 1980s launched its Fire+ Ice junior collection after he had produced a ski film of thesame name.
Bogner's winter jackets, salopettes and jumpers compete withthose of fashion brands including Burberry, Windsor and Joop,but the company lacks the sales power of international luxurygroups such as LVMH, Kering and Prada.
Although Bogner also sells jeans, tops and shoes it ismainly viewed as a winter sport brand, with a customer baselargely restricted to winter sports countries and most of itssales achieved in the ski season.
Private equity companies see potential in broadening thebrand to other fashion segments and bringing it to othercountries, one of the sources said.
Bogner, Goldman Sachs and potential bidders declined tocomment.($1 = 0.7495 euro) (Reporting by Arno Schuetze and Alexander Hubner; Editing byDavid Goodman)
