 Photo source:The Center for Quality of Management  John A. “Jack”
Hillerich III,
'57
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Source: Yahoo finance
Hillerich & Bradsby (H&B) is batty for
baseball. Maker of the venerable Louisville Slugger, the company has been a bane
to pitchers for more than a hundred years: Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Ted
Williams, and Ken Griffey Jr. are among the tens of thousands of players who've
wielded the company's baseball bats. In the 1970s and 1980s, little leaguers,
softballers, and colleges began using newfangled, more durable metal bats;
H&B was slow to adjust and nearly went out of business. Today metal bats are
H&B's biggest moneymaker. The company also sells baseball and softball
gloves, hockey equipment, and PowerBilt golf equipment. The Hillerich family and
H&B employees own the company.
The firm became "J.F. Hillerich & Son" in 1897. Its bats were called "Falls City Sluggers" at first, but the "Louisville Slugger" name was copy- righted in 1894. |
| In 1969, John Hillerich Jr. died and his son, John A. “Jack” Hillerich III, at 29 years old, was named company president. Jack retired as CEO and President in 2001 but remains as Chairman of the Board. His son, John A. Hillerich IV succeeded him and currently serves as CEO and President. |
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Links:
Hillerich & Bradsby Corporate web site: http://www.slugger.com/index.html Slugger Museum Homepage: http://www.sluggermuseum.org/index.aspx LOUISVILLE SLUGGER COMPANY HISTORY: http://www.sluggermuseum.org/sluggerhistory.aspx Historical photographs
LOUISVILLE SLUGGER BAT
HISTORY
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