After taxes and sale-related expenses, Fortune would realize $1.1 billion in proceeds, according to the Deerfield, Ill.-based company. The deal is expected to close this year, it said.
CEO Bruce Carbonari previously had announced a plan to spin off the company's golf and home and security businesses by the fourth quarter, part of a concentration on distilled spirits, which includes brands such as Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbon and Sauza tequila. It plans to rename itself Beam.
Other brands of Fortune's home and security business include Moen faucets, Aristokraft, Omega, Diamond and Kitchen Craft cabinetry, Therma-Tru door systems, Simonton windows, Master Lock security products and Waterloo storage and organization products.
Acushnet's sales exceeded $1.2 billion in 2010, with much of its revenue being generated in markets outside the U.S. Operating income before charges was $80 million in 2010, and operating income on a GAAP basis was $89 million.
Fila Korea Ltd., owner of a 100-year-old sport and leisure footwear and apparel brand that is distributed worldwide, leads a group that includes Mirae Asset Private Equity; the National Pension Service of Korea, the fourth largest pension fund in the world; and Korea Development Bank, Korea's largest government-owned bank.
Carbonari said the transaction "is a very important milestone as we execute our proposed plan to separate our three strong businesses for the purpose of maximizing long-term value for our shareholders. He said the sale process for Acushnet had "generated broad interest from a range of prospective buyers and resulted in this agreement that reflects the superior performance and prospects of the business." Proceeds will strengthen Fortune's balance sheet, he said, and support strong capital structures for both Beam and the home and security operations "as they look to the prospect of competing as independent companies later this year."
Fortune Brands was advised on the Acushnet transaction by Morgan Stanley and Centerview Partners as financial advisors and Chadbourne & Parke as legal advisor. Fila Korea and Mirae were advised by Nomura, Korea Development Bank and the M&A and Korean practice groups of counsel McDermott, Will & Emery.