and Lou Gehrig were all using them. R-43 is the company model number for the bats used by Babe Ruth.

In 1916, Hillerich and Bradsby began manufacturing golf clubs, eventually creating the PowerBilt brand for the clubs. Several major golf championships were won by players using PowerBilt clubs, including the Masters Tournament in 1967, 1971, 1979, and 1987.

During World War II, the company produced wooden rifle stocks and billy clubs for the U.S. Army. In 1954, the company purchased Larimer and Norton, Inc., a Pennsylvania lumber company to ensure a supply of hardwood for their products.

In 1976, the company moved across the Ohio River, to Jeffersonville, Indiana, to take advantage of the railroad line there. In 1996, the company returned to Louisville.

21st century

In 2005, Hillerich & Bradsby sold its majority interest in its Louisville TPS hockey equipment business. TPS Hockey was acquired three years later by Sher-Wood.

In 2015, Hillerich and Bradsby sold its Louisville Slugger division to Wilson Sporting Goods, an arm of Amer Sports which itself is an arm of the Chinese company Anta Sports. Hillerich and Bradsby continues (as of 2021) to manufacture Louisville Slugger bats in its Louisville factory, but under the aegis of Wilson Sporting Goods.

Hillerich and Bradsby CEO John A. Hillerich IV said that he had wanted to keep the bat business in the family, but that the sale was made because the company no longer can compete with larger, multinational companies that have more resources. Since 2001 Louisville slugger's market share of MLB players using their bats has been on a steady decline.

This left the company with its Bionic Gloves division and its ownership and operation of the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. The factory continues (as of 2021) to manufacture bats, but only as the exclusive manufacturer for Wilson Sporting Goods, which sells them under the Louisville Slugger brand; the museum is open to the public and has various permanent and rotating exhibits, and provides factory tours.

In 1997, Louisville Slugger became the Official Bat of Major League Baseball (MLB). This partnership allowed the company to use the MLB trademark logo on the bats as well as bats being showcased during events like the All-Star Game, Home Run Derby, and World Series. This partnership ended in 2025 when Marucci Bats became the official bat of Major League Baseball.

Threat to wood sources

Over 90% of bats ever produced by Hillerich & Bradsby have been made from Northern white ash grown in proprietary forests on the New York–Pennsylvania border. Ash trees in the US are under attack from the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect species native to Asia and first detected in Michigan in 2002. Very few ash trees remain in H&B's forests. The company is beginning to heavily utilize other woods such as maple and birch as a substantial part of North America's ash forests have been totally destroyed.

Sponsorship

Besides its products, H&B attaches the Louisville Slugger name to other entities as a sponsor. The Cincinnati Reds' Triple A affiliate, the Louisville Bats, play at Louisville Slugger Field in downtown Louisville. The Louisville Slugger name is also attached to awards for top power-hitters at both the high school and college levels, and the Silver Slugger Award given annually to the Major League Baseball player with the best offensive output in each position. The Louisville Slugger Batting Champion award is given to the American Legion "player with the highest batting average during national competition."

See also

  • Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory

Bibliography

References

  • Bionic Gloves
  • Louisville Slugger