Brent Whittington
Moots Cycles of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, announced Thursday that its longtime owner, Chris Miller, has sold the premium titanium bicycle and component manufacturer to Brent Whittington, a former chief operating officer for Windstream Holdings Inc. of Little Rock.
Whittington, a mountain biker and road cyclist, purchased a 100 percent ownership in the company along with the Moots factory building. Moots’ world headquarters will stay in Steamboat Springs, and all current employees, including President Butch Boucher, will remain in place to ensure continuity of operations and a seamless transition, the company said.
“It’s incredible for me to have this unique opportunity to own one of the most respected cycling brands in the industry,” Whittington said in a news release. “I’m excited to help the Moots team continue to develop their innovative designs as the brand prepares to celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2016.”
Whittington resigned from Windstream in September 2014 and left with a severance package that included $1.6 million in cash. The company eliminated the COO position after Whittington’s departure.
He became COO in August 2009. Before that, he was executive vice president and CFO. He came to Windstream in December 2005 after having been senior vice president of operations for Alltel Corp. of Little Rock, the publicly traded telecommunications firm that created Windstream that same year. Verizon purchased Alltel in 2009.
Whittington joined Alltel in 2002 as vice president of finance and accounting. Before that, he worked for Arthur Andersen LLP for eight years.
“I’m very pleased to pass the Moots torch to an individual who possesses both a true love of cycling and a great depth of business experience,” Miller said. “Brent embodies everything we were looking for in the new Moots owner. The energy, skill set and business experiences he’ll bring to Moots will continue to keep Moots a strong industry brand and certainly signifies a bright future for the company.”
Whittington, 44, has been an independent director at RigNet Inc., which provides digital technology to the oil and gas industry, since 2010. He serves on the board of trustees of The Nature Conservancy of Arkansas.
The sale is effective immediately. Financial terms were not disclosed.
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