COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 3949

Sporting & Athletic Goods

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

25companies1887–1992founding years25still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedRawlings Sporting Goods Co., Inc.
1887
FoundedSchwinn Cycle and Fitness L.P.
1895
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedMizuno Corporation
1906
FoundedHyde Athletic Industries, Inc.FoundedThe Budd Company
1912
FoundedWilson Sporting Goods Company
1913
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedEscalade, Incorporated
1922
FoundedRiddell Sports Inc.
1927
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedK2 Inc.
1959
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedCML Group, Inc.FoundedCanstar Sports Inc.
1969
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
FoundedSkis Rossignol S.A.
1972
FoundedNorwood Promotional Products, Inc.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedBurton Snowboards Inc.
1977
FoundedCobra Golf Inc.
1978
FoundedTaylor Made Golf Co.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedFirst Team Sports, Inc.FoundedThe Score Board, Inc.
1986
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Rawlings Sporting Goods Co., Inc. →
Active · founded 1887
Rawlings Sporting Goods Co., Inc.
Schwinn Cycle and Fitness L.P. →
Active · founded 1895
For most of its century-long history Schwinn Cycle and Fitness L.P.
Mizuno Corporation →
Active · founded 1906 · Japan
Mizuno Corporation is a world leader in sports equipment manufacturing.
Brunswick Corporation →
Active · founded 1907
Brunswick Corporation, the oldest and largest manufacturer of recreation and leisure-time products in the United…
Hyde Athletic Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1912
Peabody, Massachusetts-based Hyde Athletic Industries, Inc.
The Budd Company →
Active · founded 1912
The Budd Company is the leading automotive stamping manufacturer and one of the top automotive suppliers in the United…
Wilson Sporting Goods Company →
Active · founded 1913
Wilson Sporting Goods Company has the largest market share in the sporting and athletic goods industry, with its…
GenCorp Inc. →
Active · founded 1915
As the parent corporation for three principal segments--Aerojet, GenCorp Automotive and GenCorp Polymer…
Escalade, Incorporated →
Active · founded 1922
The largest manufacturer of table-tennis tables and pool tables in the world, Escalade, Incorporated manufactures and…
Riddell Sports Inc. →
Active · founded 1927
Riddell Sports Inc.
Tonka Corporation →
Active · founded 1946
Tonka Corporation has a long history as America's premier manufacturer of toy trucks.
K2 Inc. →
Active · founded 1959
A thriving recreational and industrial products company, K2 Inc.
CML Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
The CML Group, Inc.
Canstar Sports Inc. →
Active · founded 1969 · Canada
Called the "Canadian king of hockey gear," Canstar Sports Inc.
Prince Sports Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1970
Prince Sports Group, Inc.
Skis Rossignol S.A. →
Active · founded 1972 · France
Skis Rossignol S.A.
Norwood Promotional Products, Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
Norwood Promotional Products, Inc.
NordicTrack →
Active · founded 1975
A wholly owned subsidiary of CML Group, NordicTrack is one of the world's leading fitness equipment manufacturers.
Burton Snowboards Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
One of the first snowboard companies in the world, Burton Snowboards Inc.
Cobra Golf Inc. →
Active · founded 1978
Cobra Golf Inc.
Taylor Made Golf Co. →
Active · founded 1979
The second largest manufacturer of golf clubs in the United States, Taylor Made Golf Co.
Sport Supply Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
The largest direct mail distributor of sports-related equipment in the United States, Sport Supply Group, Inc.
First Team Sports, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
First Team Sports, Inc.
The Score Board, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
The largest distributor of sports memorabilia in the United States, The Score Board, Inc.
Ride, Inc. →
Active · founded 1992
One of the largest snowboard companies in the United States, Ride, Inc.
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