Escalade, Inc. announced that net income from continuing operations for the first quarter of 2015 was $3.5 million, or 25 cents per share, compared to net income from continuing operations of $2.3 million or 16 cents, for the same quarter in 2014.  Net sales from continuing operations for the first quarter of 2015 were $33.4 million, or 21 percent higher compared to net sales from continuing operations of $27.7 million for the same quarter in 2014.

Gross margin ratio from continuing operations for the first quarter of 2015 was essentially unchanged from the same quarter in 2014 in spite of increased research and development spending on new products.  Selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) were $5.9 million for the first quarter of 2015 compared to $5.1 million for the same period in 2014, an increase of $799 thousand or 16 percent.  The increase in SG&A is primarily due to increased marketing efforts in new categories acquired during 2014 as well as in new products to be introduced in the future.

The company is focused on growing its Sporting Goods business through organic growth of existing categories, strategic acquisitions, and new category development. The company competes in a variety of categories including archery, team and
individual sports and games. Strong brands and on-going investment in
product development provide a solid foundation for building customer
loyalty and continued growth.

“We are pleased with achieving an
increase of 55 percent in net income and sales growth of 21 percent,”
stated Robert J. Keller, president and chief executive officer of
Escalade, Inc. “We are experiencing favorable retail sell-through trends
and broad acceptance of our new product introductions.  To achieve
sustained growth in our markets, we will continue to make strategic
investments in product line expansion and new category entry.”

Escalade's brands include STIGA and Ping-Pong table tennis, Accudart and Unicorn darting; Goalrilla, Goaliath and Silverback sports training equipment and basketball goal systems; and Bear Archery, Trophy Ridge and Cajun Bowfishing hunting products.