Wilson Sporting Goods: Difference between revisions
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Aside from tennis racquets, the Wilson sporting goods company also makes tennis shoes, strings, clothes, and racquet bags. |
Aside from tennis racquets, the Wilson sporting goods company also makes tennis shoes, strings, clothes, and racquet bags. |
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===Football=== |
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[[Image:Wilson American football.jpg|thumb|120px|right|A Wilson [[American football|football]].]] |
[[Image:Wilson American football.jpg|thumb|120px|right|A Wilson [[American football|football]].]] |
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The Wilson football factory in [[Ada, Ohio]] manufactures footballs for both the [[National Football League]] and the [[United Football League (2009)]]. |
The Wilson football factory in [[Ada, Ohio]] manufactures footballs for both the [[National Football League]] and the [[United Football League (2009)]]. |
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Revision as of 02:54, 26 April 2010
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| Company type | Subsidiary of Amer Sports |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sportswear and Sports equipment |
| Founded | 1913 as Ashland Manufacturing Company 1915 as Thomas E. Wilson Company 1925 as Wilson-Western Sporting Goods 1931 as Wilson Sporting Goods Company |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Products | Footwear Accessories Sportswear |
| Parent | Amer Sports |
| Subsidiaries | DeMarini |
| Website | wilson.com |
The Wilson Sporting Goods Company is a sports equipment manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois, and currently is a foreign subsidiary of the Finnish company Amer Sports.[1]
Wilson makes equipment for many sports, among them badminton, baseball, basketball, softball, football, golf, racquetball, soccer, squash, tennis, and volleyball.
History
The company traces its roots to the Schwarzchild & Sulzberger company (later changed to Sulzbeger & Son's) based in New York City that operated meat packing plants in New York, Chicago and Kansas City.[2]
Sulzberger founded the Ashland Manufacturing Company in 1913 to use animal by-products from its slaughterhouses. It started out making tennis racket strings, violin strings, and surgical sutures but soon expanded into baseball shoes and tennis racquets.[3]
In 1915, Thomas E. Wilson, former president of meatpacker Morris & Company, was appointed President and renamed the company Thomas E. Wilson Company. The company acquired the Hetzinger Knitting Mills to produce athletic uniforms and a caddie bag company which produced golf balls but soon expanded into footballs and basketballs.[4]
In 1918, Wilson left to concentrate on the beef packing business changing the Sulzberger company to Wilson & Co. (which would ultimately become Iowa Beef Packers and then taken over by Tyson Foods). The packing company continued to have control in the company until 1966 when it was sold to LTV.[5][6]
Under new president L. B. Icely it acquired the Chicago Sporting Goods Company and striking a deal to supply the Chicago Cubs. It also hired Arch Turner, a leather designer who would design the leather football.[7]
In 1922, it introduced the Ray Schalk catcher's mitt which became the standard. It worked with Knute Rockne to introduce the double-lined leather football and first valve football and the first waist-line football pants with pads.[8]
In 1925, it was renamed Wilson-Western Sporting Goods following a distribution agreement with Western Sporting Goods.
After Rockne's death, the company focused on golf introduing the R-90, a sand wedge golf club inspired by Gene Sarazen's victory in the 1932 British Open.[9]
In 1931, it renamed itself Wilson Sporting Goods Company.
During World War II it introduced the Wilson Duke football, featuring the best leather, ends that were hand-sewn, lock-stitch seams, and triple lining which was adopted as the official ball of the National Football League.[10]
After the war it focused on tennis and signed Jack Kramer who developed its line of Jack Kramer signed tennis rackets.
Icley died in 1950 but the company continued to expand with many believing that Icely's introduction of a computer to monitor inventory had been a huge help.[11]
In 1955, it acquired Ohio-Kentucky Manufacturing for making footballs. In 1964 it acquired Wonder Products Company which made toys and custom-molded items. It transformed the custom-mold section to make protective equipment in football and baseball, such as face masks for football helmets and leg guards for baseball catchers.[12]
In 1967, it was acquired by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV Corporation). In 1970 it was acquired by PepsiCo. It sold the official balls of the National Basketball Association and National Football League, provided most of the uniforms of teams in Major League Baseball, United States Summer Olympics teams.[13]
In 1985, it was acquired by Westray Capital Corporation through subsidiary WSGC Holdings. In 1989 WSGC merged with Bogey Acquisitions Company which is affiliated with the Amer Group Ltd..[14]
Products
Tennis
Wilson tennis racquets are used among many professional tennis players. Pete Sampras used one specific model to win 14 Grand Slam tennis tournaments.
Former Wilson brand racquet-using players include Jack Kramer (has an eponymous model), Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert, Novak Djokovic, and Steffi Graf.
The original kevlar Pro Staff model (Sampras' racquet) was heavy (350+gm) and small-headed (85 sq. in.); Roger Federer also used the same racquet model. Currently, he uses the BLX Six-One Tour model that is heavy (354 g/12.5 oz) and slightly larger (90 sq. in.). In late 2009, Wilson unveiled their latest line of racquets, codenamed 20x, which they would later rename BLX. This line directly replaces their previous K-Factor series with all new technologies.[15] Also, many pros use custom-made racquets that perform differently from the mass-produced versions.
In 1979, Wilson tennis balls were first used in the US Open,[16] and still are used to this day. In 2006, the Australian Open began using Wilson Tennis Balls.[17]
Aside from tennis racquets, the Wilson sporting goods company also makes tennis shoes, strings, clothes, and racquet bags.
Football
The Wilson football factory in Ada, Ohio manufactures footballs for both the National Football League and the United Football League (2009).
Golf
Wilson Staff is the golf division of Wilson Sporting Goods. The company designs and manufactures a full range of golf equipment, accessories and clothing using the Wilson Staff, ProStaff and Ultra brands.
Many of the worlds top professional golfers have used Wilson equipment including Arnold Palmer and Ben Crenshaw both of whom used a Wilson 8802 putter, Crenshaw's receiving the moniker Little Ben such was his proficiency with it, and Nick Faldo. Current Wilson Staff players include Open and USPGA champion Pádraig Harrington.
Volleyballs
Wilson makes the official volleyball of the AVP, the American professional beach volleyball league. A Wilson volleyball starred in the film Cast Away (2000), the volleyball was called Wilson (see story below).
Baseball
Wilson makes a variety of baseball gloves, with patterns and materials tested by the best names in the game. They make gloves for several different patterns: pitcher, catcher, infield, outfield, and first base.[18] Wilson's best known baseball glove models include the A2000, A2K, and A3000.
In popular culture
- One of its products, a volleyball, "co-starred" alongside Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away. After the success of the film, Wilson Sporting Goods actually created and marketed volleyballs with Wilson's face on it for a short time.
See also
References
- ^ Freudenheim, Milt (1989-02-21). "Amer Group to Acquire Wilson Sporting Goods". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Everybody's magazine, Volume 12 - The Greatest Trust in the World - January 1905
- ^ International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 24. St. James Press, 1999
- ^ International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 24. St. James Press, 1999
- ^ International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 24. St. James Press, 1999
- ^ International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 24. St. James Press, 1999
- ^ International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 24. St. James Press, 1999
- ^ International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 24. St. James Press, 1999
- ^ International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 24. St. James Press, 1999
- ^ International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 24. St. James Press, 1999
- ^ International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 24. St. James Press, 1999
- ^ International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 24. St. James Press, 1999
- ^ International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 24. St. James Press, 1999
- ^ International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 24. St. James Press, 1999
- ^ http://www.tennisnow.com/Blogs/Tennis-and-stuff-/October-2009/Wilson-BLX-(2010-line)--what-it-is-and-what-s-comi.aspx
- ^ "Wilson US Open ball". Retrieved 2006-06-23.
- ^ "Australian Open Sponsors". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
- ^ Wilson baseball gloves
External links
Other