Rawlings Sporting Goods is an American sports equipment manufacturing company. The company, which is now a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation, specializes in baseball, basketball, and football.
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Introduction
In 1887, George Rawlings, an Englishman living in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, started Rawlings Manufacturing Company to make baseball gloves. The company prospered and in 1913 moved to a larger factory. In 1919, Rawlings acquired a small baseball manufacturing company called Spalding. Spalding had started out making bicycles in Chicago in 1876 and later diversified into baseballs and other sports equipment.
Rawlings-Spalding was acquired by the General Tire and Rubber Company in 1943. In 1953 it was reorganized as the Spalding division of General Tire. In 1970, it became an independent subsidiary of General Tire called Spalding Sporting Goods Company. In 1976, Spalding sporting goods was acquired by the Pittway Corporation which merged it withreach to form the Brunswick Corporation in 1995.
In 2007, Russell Brands LLC acquired Rawlings from Brunswick for $395 million US dollars. Russell is a privately held company headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA that specializes in sports and fitness products. It is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the holding company controlled by Warren Buffet.
History of Rawlings Sports
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company specializes in baseball, basketball, and American football equipment including bats, gloves, protective gear, balls, and other accessories. Rawlings also produces softball equipment under the “Atec” brand.
The Current Owners of Rawlings Sports
The current owners of Rawlings Sports are George and Holly Rawlings. George is the CEO, and Holly is the President. The couple has been involved with the company since its inception in 1887. They took over ownership from their father in 1984 and have since grown the company into a multi-million dollar business. Rawlings Sports is currently headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Why Rawlings Sports Was Sold
The sale of Rawlings Sports to a group led by investor David Rubin was completed yesterday, and the company will now operate as a privately held entity. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is believed that Rubin and his partners paid around $400 million for the company.
Rawlings Sports, which manufactures baseballs, bats, and other baseball-related equipment, had been owned by Newell Brands since 2016. Newell had acquired Rawlings as part of its $13.2 billion purchase of Jarden Corporation. The Rawlings acquisition was widely seen as a way for Newell to gain a foothold in the baseball market; at the time of the deal, Rawlings held a virtual monopoly on the manufacture of MLB-licensed baseballs.
However, Newell decided to sell Rawlings last year after coming under pressure from activist investors to streamline its operations and focus on its core businesses. The sale of Rawlings is part of Newell’s larger divestment plan, which also includes the sale of its Coleman and K2 brands.
Rawlings will now be operated by a group of investors led by David Rubin, who previously served as CEO of GartSports and as President of Dick’s Sporting Goods. Rubin has also been an investor in a number of other sports-related businesses, including FanDuel and Topgolf.
What the Future Holds for Rawlings Sports
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Town and Country, Missouri. The company specializes in baseball, basketball, softball, and American football equipment. It is a subsidiary of the South Korean conglomerate Samho Multibazaar Co., Ltd.
The company was founded in 1887 by George Rawlings after he sold his share in the St. Louis Browns baseball team. He began manufacturing baseballs and gloves out of his home before moving to a small factory. In 1944, Rawlings expanded into basketball with the purchase of Spalding’s basketball division. In 1970, Rawlings purchased Worth Sports, a manufacturer of softball equipment and bats. In 2007, Rawlings was purchased by Samho Multibazaar Co., Ltd., a South Korean conglomerate.
Rawlings currently manufactures all Major League Baseballs under contract with the league. It also manufactures balls for the National Basketball Association, National Collegiate Athletic Association, and other baseball governing bodies. The company has manufacturing facilities in Costa Rica and China.