Wilson Sporting Goods, Co., a division of Amer Sports Corporation, has completed its acquisition of the Louisville Slugger brand from Hillerich & Bradsby, Co., (H&B). With the close of this acquisition, Wilson retains global brand, sales and innovation rights to the Louisville Slugger brand. The company will now offer one of the sporting goods industry's most comprehensive and technologically-advanced performance product portfolios to baseball and softball players around the world.
Under the terms of the agreement, which was announced in March, H&B is now the exclusive manufacturing partner of Louisville Slugger-branded wood bats for Wilson. H&B will manufacture Louisville Slugger wood bats at its downtown factory in Louisville. H&B also continues to own and operate the historic Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory and Gift Shop.
“The addition of Louisville Slugger to our growing baseball and softball business allows us to strengthen our current offerings and play a central role in the wood bat business,” said Mike Dowse, president of Wilson Sporting Goods. “We now have a leading position in these exciting sports, and multiple new reasons to connect with recreational, avid and pro baseball players.”
Like its DeMarini brand, Wilson plans to market and sell Louisville Slugger as a stand-alone brand, preserving the iconic heritage and roots of the brand globally. The Company intends to accelerate new research and technology initiatives for its bat brands to support every type and level of baseball and softball player.
Wilson manufactures and sells high performance gloves, bats, uniforms, apparel, protective gear, accessories, and player development equipment and training tools through its Wilson, DeMarini and ATEC brands. With the acquisition of the Louisville Slugger brand, Wilson now provides the Official Glove and the Official Bat of Major League Baseball®.
