By ADAM SCHUPAK
Senior WriterTaylorMade-Adidas Golf sold its Maxfli and related trademarks to Dick’s Sporting Goods in a deal completed Feb. 11. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The sale is a fitting conclusion for a marriage that never lived up to its billing. In 2002, TaylorMade acquired Maxfli and its patent portfolio for urethane balls. The Carlsbad, Calif.-based equipment maker, however, struggled to rejuvenate the venerable, yet tired ball brand. To make matters worse, the inexpensive Maxfli Noodle – while commercially successful – cheapened Maxfli’s once-premium reputation.
“Now that we’ve fully developed the TaylorMade brand as our premium ball franchise, we’re committed to growing our business through our Tour Preferred (TP) and Burner families,” said Mark King, TaylorMade-Adidas Golf president and CEO. “Dick’s Sporting Goods has been a fantastic business partner of ours for many years, and we know they will do a great job with the Maxfli brand.”
A spokesperson for Dick’s Sporting Goods declined to comment about the acquisition.
It is premature to say how the Pittsburgh-based sporting goods retailer, which operates 340 Dick’s stores and 77 Golf Galaxy locations in 40 states, will utilize the Maxfli brand.
But the new asset adds to its stable of private-label golf equipment brands, which includes Walter Hagen and Slazenger.
A TaylorMade official said the company will retain all golf ball patents and did not enter into an agreement to manufacture Maxfli balls for Dick’s. In addition, TaylorMade will keep the Noodle trademark and operate it as a standalone brand; previously, the company had shed all Maxfli references from Noodle ads and packaging.
The sale does not come unexpectedly, considering in recent years TaylorMade had diminished Maxfli’s role in its overall ball strategy. In 2006, the company unveiled the TaylorMade TP Red and TP Black models, preferring to launch a premium line under its own brand rather than with the Maxfli moniker. Furthermore, TaylorMade this year debuted two Burner models – leveraging the name of its popular metalwood franchise – as the company’s more affordable ball offering. (
Golfweek, Dec. 8-15, 2007).
TaylorMade also had downsized the Maxfli line to one model this year, the Power Max, which has been selling for less than $20 per dozen.
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Adam Schupak is a Golfweek senior writer. To reach him e-mail aschupak@golfweek.com.
Posted: 2/15/2008
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