Menโs Wearhouse Inc. is attempting to acquire Port Washington-based Allen Edmonds Shoe Corp., according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The newspaperโs web site reported last week that such a deal would complicate Jos. A Bank Clothiers Inc.โs unsolicited bid to acquire Menโs Wearhouse.
In order to pull off its cash bid for Menโs Wearhouse, an offer valued at $2.3 billion, Hampstead, Md.-based Jos. A. Bank would need to raise a significant amount of debt, the Journal reported.
The Journal estimated that the sale price for closely held Allen Edmonds would be โin the low hundreds of millions.โ
Paul Grangaard, chief executive officer of Allen Edmonds, told BizTimes, โWeโre continuing with the process that was announced this summer and we have options and weโre exploring them all at this point. The options are all about continuing to expand and grow the company. Thatโs why weโre looking at the potential for new capital andโฆweโre not ready to make any announcements at this point.โ
Allen Edmonds has been crafting and selling high-quality menโs leather shoes since 1922.
Earlier this month, Jos. A. Bank offered $48 per share in cash for Houston, Texas-based Menโs Wearhouse, but Menโs Wearhouseโs board rejected that bid in part based on the price, according to a person familiar with the matter.