Marin, one of the oldest privately owned mountain bike manufacturers, has reached agreement for sale with Minestone Limited, a European based investment firm.

Marin was founded in 1986 and has been family and employee owned since, but the announcement marks a new era for the California-based firm.

“The acquisition of Marin by Minestone will allow us to strengthen our brandthrough increased investment in product innovation, marketing and human resources,” said Marin’s president and founder Robert Buckley.

“We will continue to operate from our Novato headquarters in Marin County, California, designing and testing on the trails and back roads that have inspired usfor over 25 years. I greatly look forward to accompanying our talented and dedicated staff during this exciting new phase in our company’s history.”

Marin’s 2012 offering includes the new 100mm Rift Zone 29er, while the company’s Quad Link suspension technology has also been updated.

Ross Patterson, sales and marketing director at Marin’s UK’s distributor ATB Sales Ltd added: “This is excellent news. The investment this acquisition will bring will strengthen Marin’s position globally and we look forward to the exciting times ahead for Marin in the UK.”