I am excited for LAB. L Catterton will bring the needed expertise they lack. I've been part of teams that have sold several companies to PE and know L Catterton very well.
Personally, I think LAB was lucky to sell now. The golf boom will wind down. LAB will lose its luster. They will be copied through the yin yang. They probably got the best valuation they could possibly get.
As a person who has purchased many putters from LAB as a fitter, I believe they needed the expertise that L Catterton can give. LAB's processes leave a lot to be desired. They are very slow to fulfill orders. Dealers have to pre pay. Their entry into mass retail pissed off a lot of the retailers that made them successful. It's hard to be a LAB customer - "give us $800 for a putter now and maybe you will get it in 10 weeks".
PE will help them. The lead times will go down. The customer service will go up. The brand will grow. Everything will be better. PE isn't bad - it's actually good for companies like this.
My two cents.
