When Kris Bryant or Javier Baez step to the plate for the Chicago Cubs on Friday night, few will be paying close attention to the gear protecting them from a wild pitch.
But one who just might be is Mike Dowse, president of Wilson Sporting Goods, the Chicago-based company that on Thursday bought protective gear-maker EvoShield for an undisclosed sum.
Athens, Ga.-based EvoShield produces an array of equipment, including batting gloves and chest and back guards, designed to protect athletes from sports injuries. EvoShield also makes protective products for hockey, lacrosse and football. Sales in 2015 totaled $12 million, said Wilson spokeswoman Kristina Peterson-Lohman
The purchase will round out one of 102-year-old Wilson’s most successful divisions — baseball gear, Dowse said . “Since we know the sport really well and the resources in the field, we can surround the baseball or softball player better than any of the other companies out there,” he said.
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That means the custom gloves, bats, balls, batting helmets and chest protectors Wilson already sells will be joined by EvoShield’s specialty — elbow guards and wrist guards that use a special technology that molds to fit players’ wrists and legs.
The move gives Wilson a leg up, so to speak, in the competitive athletic protective gear industry, which is expected to be worth $2.1 billion by 2018, according to market research firm Reportlinker.com.
Wilson, owned by Finland-based Amer Sports, has worked on a turnaround for more than a decade and the acquisition fits with its strategy of focusing on premium products for serious players, Dowse said.
Wilson said it will run EvoShield from its Chicago headquarters. The company is evaluating whether any EvoShield jobs will relocate to Chicago.
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