The outdoor recreation business bought Esky for an undisclosed sum from Nylex, which is in receivership, and said it planned to expand the brand, which is currently available only in Australian and New Zealand stores.

Coleman Asia-Pacific president Simon Traynor said he expected the brand to be profitable from day one.

''As an organisation we were well aware that Nylex was suffering some difficulty and for some time we've been watching the business and the brand and knew it was an iconic opportunity if it fell over,'' he said yesterday.

He said Coleman was executing expansion plans immediately. ''As of this morning I've had conversations with my Japanese counterparts and we will be presenting the Esky brand and the range at the end of next month to a number of customers across Asia.''

The company has plans to take the brand to South Africa, North America and Europe in the longer term.

Esky coolers have been available in Australia for 57 years and Coleman hopes to use the manufacturing site at Seaford, Victoria through a supply contract with the new purchaser of the Nylex Materials Handling business.

Mr Traynor said there were several synergies between Coleman, which sells stoves, coolers, tents, airbeds, backpacks and grills, and Esky.

''Twenty years ago there was a licensing agreement between Coleman and Esky that not only meant the Nylex factory manufactured Coleman coolers but that the Coleman sales team sold the Esky brand into camping stores,'' he said. ''We're very excited these two iconic brands are back together.''

Coleman has brought Esky personnel across with the acquisition.

Insolvency firm McGrathNicol assumed management responsibility for Nylex's assets and business divisions in February when the company went into receivership.

The Esky sale will be completed on July 19. AAP