Acushnet Co. has announced the layoff of 169 employees from its Titleist golf ball plants, according to a report by Massachusetts South Coast Today. According to the report, Acushnet spokesperson Mary Lou Bohm said the cuts will take place gradually and will affect about 11% of the local workforce of about 1,500. The cutbacks will affect Ball Plant 2 in Dartmouth, MA, which makes the two-piece Titleist NXT; Ball Plant 3 in New Bedford, MA, which makes the Pro-V1, and custom operations in New Bedford and Fairhaven, MA.
According to the Today, Bohm said money for golf equipment is “discretionary income,” and spending is down sharply amidst the recession. Once the company recovers, Bohms said, the company hopes to call back many of those being laid off.
“The golf ball industry is experiencing a more severe market contraction than our original forecasted decline for 2009,” said Jerry Bellis, president of Titleist Golf Balls. “The combination of golfers' reduced golf ball consumption and declines in corporate spending on golf have caused a decrease in global demand. To align our production with marketplace conditions, we have unfortunately needed to make adjustments in our golf ball plant staffing.”
In a release, Acushnet Co. said the reductions within its golf ball operations are a result of contraction in the global golf ball market, which is expected to decline in 2009. This includes a significant decline in demand for corporate and custom logo golf balls.
A representative told Sports Executive Weekly that this development had absolutely nothing to do with recent court rulings following a prolonged court battle between Callaway and Titleist.
