Kulkea Founder David Abramowitz Begins Search for Brand’s Next Chapter

After 17 years building a premium ski-bag company from a Vermont chairlift idea, Abramowitz is preparing to step away from day-to-day leadership—but not before finding the right new owner.

David Abramowitz’s business began with a familiar problem for skiers: getting to the mountain was harder than it needed to be.

During a ski trip to Vermont in the late 2000s, Abramowitz became frustrated with the poor design of the boot bags and gear carriers available to him. The products were bulky, disorganized and, in his view, not designed by people who actually skied. That moment ultimately led him to create Kulkea, a Massachusetts-based brand specializing in ski, snowboard, travel and adventure gear.

Now, after nearly two decades at the company’s helm, Abramowitz is preparing to retire from day-to-day leadership. Kulkea has appointed Bell Lap Advisors as its exclusive financial adviser to conduct what the company describes as a deliberate and unhurried search for a new owner.

The company said there is no deadline or pressure to complete a transaction. Instead, the priority is finding an owner who will preserve Kulkea’s values, support its employees and partners, and guide the brand through its next stage of growth.

“I’m not looking for the fastest deal; I’m looking for the right one,” Abramowitz said. “We will be patient until we find an owner who shares our values, takes care of our team and our partners, and wants to build on this foundation.”

Abramowitz and his brother, Steven, launched Kulkea in 2009. The company’s first major product, the Boot Trekker ski boot bag, reached the market in 2012. According to a 2018 interview, Abramowitz personally drove through New England during the brand’s first season, securing orders from 12 ski shops.

That early emphasis on specialty retail helped distinguish Kulkea from mass-market luggage and sporting-goods companies. The founders positioned the business around premium construction, practical design and products developed by skiers for skiers.

The product range later expanded beyond the original Boot Trekker. Kulkea introduced women’s and youth-oriented models, heated boot bags, ski and snowboard bags, travel packs and multisport products. The company says its products are now sold through specialty snow-sports retailers across North America and used by skiing and riding families.

Abramowitz has described the company’s design philosophy as a direct response to the shortcomings he saw in the market. Rather than adding features for their own sake, Kulkea aimed to create equipment that solved real problems on the journey to and from the mountain—including organization, portability, durability and access to gear.

That approach also shaped the company’s work with families. In a company interview, Abramowitz recalled testing children’s products on his own children, measuring how the bags affected their posture and observing whether they could open and use them independently.

A founder-built company enters a changing market

Kulkea’s planned ownership transition comes as founder-led outdoor brands continue to attract interest from buyers seeking businesses with strong identities and loyal customers. Bell Lap Advisors characterized Kulkea as a rare example of a founder-built brand with authenticity, customer loyalty and room to expand beyond its original category.

The company’s potential growth areas include deeper penetration of snow sports, expansion into travel and everyday adventure, additional retail partnerships and international markets. Kulkea has also recently refreshed its product line, including the patent-pending Thermal Kart heated travel pack.

For a company that began in a mature and highly competitive snow-sports market, that expansion represents a significant shift. In its early years, Kulkea faced larger competitors with stronger financial resources, established retailer relationships and greater brand recognition. Abramowitz said the company relied on product quality and persistence to compete.

Kulkea’s own account of its history emphasizes that it deliberately avoided competing primarily on price. Instead, the brand sought to maintain premium positioning through original design, materials and manufacturing standards. A 2020 company profile described its products as being made in Vietnam and highlighted the company’s commitment to working with reputable, socially responsible factories.

The search for a steward, not simply a buyer

The language surrounding the sale process suggests that Kulkea is seeking more than a financial transaction. The company’s owners emphasized continuity for employees, retailers and suppliers—relationships that have been central to the brand’s identity since its earliest years.

“Kulkea has never been just about bags,” Abramowitz said, pointing to the customers who rely on the products, the team that developed them, the retailers that sell them and the suppliers that support the business. Russell Cree, managing partner at Bell Lap Advisors, said the firm’s mandate is to protect those relationships while identifying an owner capable of expanding Kulkea into broader adventure and travel categories.

No buyer has been announced, and the company has not indicated that a transaction is imminent. Abramowitz is expected to remain fully involved during the process, while day-to-day operations, product development and retail and supplier relationships continue unchanged.

That continuity may be important for a brand whose story is closely tied to its founder. Kulkea’s name and product philosophy grew from Abramowitz’s own experience as a skier, entrepreneur and father. Its identity has been built not only around carrying equipment, but around making outdoor participation easier for families and individuals.

The eventual owner will therefore inherit more than a line of boot bags and travel packs. It will inherit a carefully developed position in the specialty outdoor market—and the challenge of preserving the practical, skier-led sensibility that turned a Vermont chairlift conversation into a North American brand.