This week, the Global Leisure Group – with brands like SPI Global Play and Sidijk – acquired two-third of former ELI Play. A total of four European organizations, including: Playlife Germany, Playlife Slovakia, HPS Play Company (Austria) and Theme Works (Slovakia), have joined world’s largest supplier of leisure concepts. With this acquisition, the Global Leisure Group further expands its coverage in Central Europe and strengthens its position as worldwide market leader in full leisure and play concepts.
‘This new acquisition perfectly aligns with our ambition to be and become world’s leading supplier of leisure concepts’, elaborates Mikael Wettergren, CEO of the Global Leisure Group. Wettergren continues: ‘By adding our know-how, experience and wide assortment to their sales-expertise, we are able to provide even better service and support within Central Europe and extend our local sales support throughout that area. That is really important to us’.
After the separation with Eli Play, the companies started multiple projects together with SPI Global Play. ‘From the moment we met, we immediately spoke one language.’, concludes Jürgen Ettinger, Managing Director of Playlife Slovakia. Also Martin Schuster, Managing Director of HPS Play Company is very positive about the partnership: ‘Despite the corona-crisis, we managed to pull off some great projects together. From the beginning we knew we wanted to intensify this collaboration’. Now – only a few months later – the former Eli Play companies made the united decision to join forces and become part of the Global Leisure Group.
‘It is great to officially work together with the Global Leisure Group. We see a lot of potential for the coming years with all the great companies, experienced craftsmen and fantastic concepts the group already holds. I believe that many great projects lie ahead of us and our customers around the globe’, adds Jonathan Herrmann, Managing Director of Playlife Germany.
With this new step the Global Leisure Group has grown to a number of eleven brands within the Leisure, Play, Adventure, Sport, Edutainment, Water Splash, Snow Play, and Retail Play segment. Now that the Global Leisure Group has gained a strong position in Europe, the group is already exploring opportunities and collaborations outside of Europe.