TaylorMade sells Maxfli to retail giant
By ADAM SCHUPAK
Senior Writer
TaylorMade-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.
• • •
Adam Schupak is a Golfweek senior writer. To reach him e-mail aschupak@golfweek.com.
Posted: 2/15/2008
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