Wilson Sporting Goods Acquires Athens-based EvoShield
Friday, October 28th, 2016
Wilson Sporting Goods Co., a subsidiary of Amer Sports Corporation, acquired the EvoShield brand from EvoShield LLC. Terms were not disclosed.
EvoShield is the leading brand of protective gear for baseball and softball athletes and teams in the U.S., and the Official Protective Gear of Major League Baseball (MLB). This selective asset acquisition includes the EvoShield brand, all EvoShield-branded products, intellectual property and distribution rights. Specific financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
“The addition of the EvoShield brand to our growing baseball and softball business is exciting and represents how we are accelerating our presence at every level of the game,” said Mike Dowse, president of Wilson Sporting Goods. “EvoShield is the most prominent and relevant protective brand in baseball and softball today, and this marriage is another step in ensuring we deliver only the best performance products to athletes of every age.”
“EvoShield fits so well within the DNA of Wilson Baseball and Softball, and bolsters our offerings in protective gear in a very meaningful way,” said Jim Hackett, general manager of Wilson Baseball and Softball. “We are continually looking at ways we can better serve our players, coaches and teams, and EvoShield will be a key way we do that moving forward. In turn, we believe that our global resources, infrastructure, research and development programs and network can catapult EvoShield on many fronts and grow this brand in ways not possible before.”
Wilson currently manufactures and sells high performance gloves, bats, uniforms, apparel, protective gear, accessories and player development equipment and training tools through its Wilson Ball Glove, Louisville Slugger, DeMarini and ATEC brands. The Company will market and sell EvoShield-branded products through its baseball and softball business unit. Wilson will market and sell EvoShield as a standalone brand, similar to how it is sold today.