View Full Version : Louisville Slugger Sold to Wilson Sporting Goods
murphusa
03-23-2015, 11:08 AM
Doesn't seem right
http://www.14news.com/story/28588688/hb-sells-louisville-slugger-brand-to-wilson-sporting-goods
Joe_G.
03-23-2015, 05:43 PM
I'm with you Jim, I'm sad to see this announcement.
At least Wilson has a pretty rich history as well, headquartered in Chicago and making sporting equipment for a century now. I've been corresponding with one of the guys at the Louisville Slugger museum over the last couple months. Sounds like he will be OK (I hope!). Feel bad for those losing their jobs in the transition.
murphusa
03-23-2015, 08:54 PM
to sell the brand? Only get $70 million, at least it didn't go overseas
Just found out a wilson is now owned by a Company from Finland, just great
Huysmans
03-24-2015, 08:14 AM
Sadly, all great things come to an end gentleman.
The loss of jobs to indivuals is the worst part of this.
Runscott
03-24-2015, 10:09 AM
I don't think this is so bad. It used to be that large companies bought their competition, eliminated all duplication and spat out a product that only superficially resembled that of the company they had ingested. The new model has been to do what Wilson is doing with H&B - breweries are also doing it. It supposedly sacrifices only the financials, which I could care less about.
autograf
03-26-2015, 08:05 AM
As a life-long Louisville resident, I hate to see this. But.....things change and things move on. At least Wilson will be keeping the brand and the bat museum and manufacture of the H&B wooden bats will remain in Louisville. The musuem hosts 250K people every year or thereabouts and it's a fantastic place and iconic site with the 100+ foot tall bat outside. It's across the street from the Muhammad Ali museum....hopefully he doesn't sell out to Wilson too.......
You dig yourself a big enough hole, you don't come out of it...I'm not exactly thrilled with what happened but we didn't have much choice and yes, 70 million isn't much but it's very generous of Wilson considering what our alternative would have been. Hillerich & Bradsby will still be making the Louisville Slugger. Hopefully we will continue to do so for many years to come.
sayhey24
03-27-2015, 10:15 AM
Thanks for weighing in Brian -- best of luck to you and your family --
Greg