Escalade Sees 14 Percent Gain in SG Segment

Escalade, Inc. announced that net income for the first quarter of 2013 was $1.6 million, or 12 per share, which equaled results for the same quarter in 2012.  Consolidated net revenues for the first quarter of 2013 were 4 percent higher than the same quarter last year.  Net revenue for the Sporting Goods segment increased by 14 percent while quarterly net revenue in the Information Security and Print Finishing segment declined 21 percent compared with the same period last year.      

The Company attributes increases in revenue in the Sporting Goods segment to new product development and brand marketing which has increased consumer demand for its products.  Management expects continued revenue growth in the Sporting Goods segment through the remainder of the year, though the improvement may be less than that experienced in the first quarter.

Revenues from the Information Security and Print Finishing business decreased 21 percent for the first quarter of 2013 compared with the same period last year, with minimal effects of changes in the currency exchange rates during the quarter. Contributing to the decrease in revenue is a reduction in government spending in European countries along with increased competition.  The Company expects challenges in this segment for the remainder of the year.  

“In spite of unfavorable weather, the Sporting Goods segment experienced excellent growth during the first quarter,” stated Robert J. Keller, President and Chief Executive Officer of Escalade, Inc.  “Consumers and retail partners are enthusiastically responding to the breadth of new products we are launching under our flagship brands.”

Escalade Sports, headquartered in Evansville, IN since 1927, is a global manufacturer and distributor of sporting goods and leisure time activity games and a category leader in Table Tennis with the Stiga® and Ping-Pong® brands, a leader in the darting category driven by the Accudart® and Unicorn® brands, a leader in sports training equipment including residential in-ground basketball goal systems under the Goalrilla®, Goaliath® and Silverback® brands and a leader in premium playground play-sets with the Woodplay ® and Childlife ® brands.