Puma Will Buy Ailing Western Distributor

Puma USA Inc., the athletic footwear manufacturer, said it will buy its western distributor, Pacific Sports Inc. of Santa Ana, in an attempt to cure Pacific’s financial problems.

Pacific is the exclusive distributor for Puma shoes in 21 Western states.

The sale is scheduled to be completed Saturday, according to Puma officials. Financial problems at Pacific Sports brought the takeover several years earlier than expected, said Herbert Kunz, Puma’s chief operating officer. As a privately owned distributor, Pacific Sports held a contract to sell Puma products until 1988.

According to Kunz, the transaction is the second phase of a sale that began in June, when Puma purchased Pacific Sports’ inventory. This week’s agreement gives the Framingham, Mass., manufacturer the right to sell its athletic footwear and apparel in the West.

Richard Voit, 41, Pacific Sports’ president and owner, will be replaced as chief operating officer, Kunz said. But he will remain in a “consulting capacity” for an undisclosed period to prevent him from competing with Puma, Kunz said. Voit will receive the rights to the Pacific Sports name 90 days after the deal closes, Kunz said.

Voit, grandson of the founder of the Voit sporting goods company, could not be reached for comment.

Kunz declined to reveal financial details of the acquisition other than to say that Puma will pay cash.

Pacific Sports had 1985 sales of about $40 million, Kunz said, while Puma had U.S. sales of $170 million, including $30 million in sports clothing and tennis rackets.

Kunz blamed sharp competition within the sports footwear industry and unwise product selection decisions at Pacific Sports for the Santa Ana company’s financial difficulties earlier this year.