Nocona Athletic Goods Company will formally announce a new joint venture, Nokona/Mexicana, and welcome a new endorsee, Jorge Cantu, at a meet and greet in Nokona's interim facility.
Nokona/Mexicana is a partnership to promote and nurture baseball through the distribution of Nokona products in Mexico, where it is a rapidly growing sport. Currently over 20 Major League Baseball players are from Mexico, where there are over 250 leagues and 5,000 baseball players.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays second baseman Cantu will be the face of Nokona in Mexico. “I'm excited to represent the Nokona brand,” said Jorge Cantu. “I'm proud to bring quality baseball gloves and equipment to Mexico.”
Cantu will play with Nokona gloves and bats in Major League Baseball and participate in promotional events. He was selected due to his large fan base and popularity after his success with the Mexican National Team.
“This partnership will take American-made Nokona gloves to new and exciting places,” said Robby Storey, President and CEO of Nocona Athletic Goods Company. “We are proud to have Jorge Cantu representing our gloves, bats, batting gloves, balls, baseball shoes and other Nokona products.”
Nocona Athletic Goods Company's 79-year-old factory was destroyed by fire in July and has been steadily moving toward previous production capabilities in the old Nocona Boot Company building.
After the fire, Storey, a fourth generation leader of Nocona Athletic Goods, did not hesitate as to the future of the company. “It is important to note that our two most value assets were not singed by the fire – our employees and the Nokona name,” he said, “The fire burned down a factory, not our company.”
