Bats still mainstay of business
In 1974, the H&B bat and golf manufacturing operations moved to a 56-acre facility, called "Slugger Park," just across the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, Indiana. In 1996, the company consolidated its operations and executive offices at a new site in downtown Louisville, incorporating a museum into the facilty, as well.
Today, H&B manufactures more than 1.4 million wood Louisville Slugger bats a year for professional and amateur use. Some bats are still made by hand, as master wood turners use their lathes to shape bats for professional baseball players. (A Major League player uses an average of 72 bats a season.
Not every Louisville Slugger bat today is made from wood. More than 20 years ago, the company entered the aluminum bat business. In 1978, the company bought an aluminum bat plant in California.
Today, the company is one of the major producers of aluminum bats in the world, serving baseball, softball and youth league teams. The company makes more than 100 different aluminum bat models at its modern Ontario, California manufacturing facility. Over 1 million Louisville Slugger aluminum bats are sold annually.
Louisville Slugger has led the industry with several innovations in aluminum bats. Among them is the first use of grips made with a tacky substance, which helps the batter maintain control. And the "Power End" weighting concept has revolutionized aluminum bats. H&B is also an industry leader in producing light, yet durable, big barrel aluminum bats for all phases of baseball and softball.
The company also markets a composite softball bat made of graphite. Called the "TPS Carbon Matrix," it represents the latest in space-age technology.
The company further diversified its product line in 1975 by introducing a full line of baseball and softball gloves and mitts. And today, professional players take a Louisville Slugger to the field as well as to the plate. Such stars as Wade Boggs, Orel Hershiser, Andy Van Slyke, Robin Ventura and Doug Flynn use Louisville Slugger gloves to stop balls usually hit by Louisville Slugger bats.
The company was one of the first in the industry to make a giant 13" softball glove, the "Big Daddy." It became one of the biggest selling gloves in the history of the softball industry, and set the standard for large softball gloves. The company also is one of the largest suppliers of batting gloves and baseball/softball accessories.
The Story Continues: H&B crosses the border to Canada
