MEC

MEC's own site states it is 'back in Canadian hands' after a May 2025 sale from Kingswood Capital Management, the US private equity firm that acquired the collapsed co-op's assets in October 2020, to an investor group led by Tim Gu (chairman of TSX-listed Unisync Corp and an investor in Tilley and Roots), joined by MEC's own CEO Peter Hlynsky and CMO Chris Speyer. Sources conflict on whether Kingswood retained a stake: Wikipedia, citing a CBC News report, says Kingswood kept a minority interest, while Retail Insider quotes Kingswood managing partner Alex Wolf describing a full handover; the mix carries a residual US share for that unresolved conflict rather than treating the exit as complete. The CANADA List directory corroborates Canadian control, naming the owner as 'TGI Holdings.' Corporations Canada and BC Registry checks for the current holding entity were not run.

• About MEC · the vendor's own site “MEC is back in Canadian hands”
• MEC announces new Canadian ownership · press “The new investor group is led by Tim Gu, who brings a deep background in Canadian retail, manufacturing, and investment. Tim is Chairman of Unisync Corp. (TSX: UNI)”
• MEC returns to Canadian ownership with renewed focus on legacy, local manufacturing, and community · press “Other Canadian investors joining Gu include MEC's Chief Executive Officer Peter Hlynsky”
• Mountain Equipment Company - Wikipedia · press “In 2025, it was sold to a "group of Canadian investors", with Kingswood retaining a minority stake in the company.”
• The Canada List · directory “MEC is Canadian-owned through an investor group led by TGI Holdings. Most merchandise is sourced internationally, while MEC operates a large first-party Canadian retail network.”

MEC is a multi-brand retailer: MEC Label products are designed in Vancouver but produced by contract manufacturers concentrated in Asia, while its stores and site also carry major US brands (Patagonia, The North Face) and brands manufactured mainly in Asia or Europe (Salomon, Arc'teryx). No revenue-weighted breakdown of the assortment has been published, so this mix is an estimate. The new ownership group states an intent to grow domestic MEC Label production, and the CANADA List records manufacturing countries as 'various,' but neither source gives a current measured share.

• MEC returns to Canadian ownership with renewed focus on legacy, local manufacturing, and community · press “You're going to see us lean into how we can, with our own MEC label, grow a higher penetration of made-in-Canada products.”
• The Canada List · directory “Manufacturing (Countries): Various”
• MEC · the vendor's own site

MEC operates only in Canada: it is headquartered in Vancouver and describes serving members 'coast to coast,' and Retail Insider's coverage of the 2025 sale puts the store count at 24 across the country. No international offices, warehouses, or staff were found.

• About MEC · the vendor's own site “proudly serving Canada coast to coast”
• MEC announces new Canadian ownership · press “24 stores and over 6 million members nationwide”

No vendor disclosure of raw-material sourcing was found. Technical outdoor textiles and components (nylon and laminated fabrics, insulation, hardware) used across MEC Label and the third-party brands it stocks are predominantly milled and finished in Asia, with some European technical-fabric suppliers and US components; this is a judgment estimate, not a measured share. The CANADA List's 'various' manufacturing note offers only weak corroboration and does not separate inputs from finished-goods assembly.

• The Canada List · directory “Most merchandise is sourced internationally”